Leaving Las Israel
The dig session ended abruptly but not fully unexpectedly early due to the war, when Hezbollah hit Tiberius. Students and some volunteers departed the kibbutz for Jerusalem overnight, then went to Tel Aviv.
Despite the circumstances, I found Tel Aviv fairly enjoyable. I split off from the group once we reached the airport after securing a ticket for two days later, then I stayed at a hotel in inner Tel Aviv directly off of the beach of the Mediterranean Sea. I had a chance to go swimming there (very salty but beautiful) and relax as much as possible under the circumstances. I had some nice Israeli breakfast, but my main meals admittedly came from the KFC downstairs. You haven't lived till you've seen Colonel Sanders in Hebrew.
Coming from a military family, I made a point to frequently look at my situation, imagine a worst case scenario and then think of what I would do. This meant such things as always keeping my purse stocked to leave in a hurry, having a plan to get out of the hotel if neccesary, or take cover where I was. My old earthquake drilling from when I lived in Seattle came in handy (stand in doorways when the building quakes). Being prepared makes it easier to relax. From that point I did what the locals were doing, mainly enjoy the weather and be aware.
I got a cab back to Ben Gurion airport at about 6:30am on Tuesday and had a very colorful driver who helped me wake up. The flight into Newark went smoothly (and I was happy to still get my 6000+ frequent flyer miles for my next exciting getaway). Connecting from Newark to North Carolina was something else however, thanks to a very nasty east coast lightning storm. We were delayed over five hours, which is one of the last things one wants to do after an 11 hour flight and a three hour layover.
My dog was incredibly excited at my return, to the point he felt it necessary to wake me up every few hours to remind me he was happy I was home, even though I hadn't slept in about 24 hours.
Now the big issue is the jet lag. And where I can get some fresh dates.
Despite the circumstances, I found Tel Aviv fairly enjoyable. I split off from the group once we reached the airport after securing a ticket for two days later, then I stayed at a hotel in inner Tel Aviv directly off of the beach of the Mediterranean Sea. I had a chance to go swimming there (very salty but beautiful) and relax as much as possible under the circumstances. I had some nice Israeli breakfast, but my main meals admittedly came from the KFC downstairs. You haven't lived till you've seen Colonel Sanders in Hebrew.
Coming from a military family, I made a point to frequently look at my situation, imagine a worst case scenario and then think of what I would do. This meant such things as always keeping my purse stocked to leave in a hurry, having a plan to get out of the hotel if neccesary, or take cover where I was. My old earthquake drilling from when I lived in Seattle came in handy (stand in doorways when the building quakes). Being prepared makes it easier to relax. From that point I did what the locals were doing, mainly enjoy the weather and be aware.
I got a cab back to Ben Gurion airport at about 6:30am on Tuesday and had a very colorful driver who helped me wake up. The flight into Newark went smoothly (and I was happy to still get my 6000+ frequent flyer miles for my next exciting getaway). Connecting from Newark to North Carolina was something else however, thanks to a very nasty east coast lightning storm. We were delayed over five hours, which is one of the last things one wants to do after an 11 hour flight and a three hour layover.
My dog was incredibly excited at my return, to the point he felt it necessary to wake me up every few hours to remind me he was happy I was home, even though I hadn't slept in about 24 hours.
Now the big issue is the jet lag. And where I can get some fresh dates.
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