While I generally subscribe to the belief that at the core people's personalities do not significantly change, I do believe that we can shed our skin as snakes do. With snakes, this process can happen multiple times a year and is dependent on many environmental factors such as temperature, hormones, age, food, and activity level. Their skin serves as a protective barrier from the external elements and represent their identity (species, age, size etc.). The snake lives within its skin until the environmental variables signal that it is time for the snake to literally slide out of the old skin. Nature makes this possible by producing new skin and the snake then detaches and disconnects from the old skin, sliding out in one swift motion to exhibit its new bright exterior to the world.
A rebirth so to speak. A new stage in the lifecycle. More room for growth.
The human existential equivalent has been happening for me over the past few months. Slowly over time, I have been shedding my skin and am waiting to exhibit my new bright exterior. Detaching from my comfortable home, job, routines, and belongings brought low levels of anxiety and uncertainty. Among many things that I cannot even account for at this time, I am preparing for the upcoming detachment from my American salary, family, vehicle, and prevalence of English. The environment that I have been existing in for years is about to be redefined and over the next 59 days, I will shed my snake skin and reveal myself 6,000 miles away in Israel.
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Topics to Elaborate on
Once I get the hang of this blogging thing, I will spend some time elaborating on this year's experience with:
1. Detaching
2. Finding and Creating Identity
3. Aligning Life's Priorities
Sunday, July 3, 2011
First Blog Entry
This is my first attempt at blogging after receiving multiple requests from friends and colleagues. So here I go. July 3rd, 2011 from Skokie, Illinois exactly 2 months away from beginning my journey back to the Homeland.
I'll begin with a little recap of the events that lead up to me taking a year unpaid leave of absence from my job as a School Psychologist and packing up my Townhouse in Highland Park. It was definitely not the American salary or the comfortable amenities of the home that I grew quite attached to but the aching realization of my priorities. Having lived in Israel for a year after my undergraduate degree and spending three summers staffing Birthright trips there, I knew that I always wanted to go back for an extended period. At 34 years old, I found myself in a position of Divine Intervention. My practicum student at the time had decided to complete her internship in Israel despite my harsh warnings again the idea. I jokingly took advantage of her bravery by alerting her to my own interest in working abroad in Israel. "So if you get there and can hook me up with a position, I'll totally take a year leave of absence and join you out there!" That was approximately a year ago so I guess I should be careful what I wish for. I now hold a airline ticket for September 3rd. I've rented out my home, been approved for a year leave of absence from my district, and placed an international microchip in my dog to prepare for the adventure.
And with 2 months and counting, the preparations continue. Thursday, I have a meeting with an Orthodox rabbi to review my parents Ketuba (Jewish marriage certificate) in order to write me a letter verifying my Jewish identity. In order to work in America, people wait for visas through a lottery system or get sponsored by a company. In Israel, the state requires proof of your heritage. This is topic to elaborate on later. Additionally, I started to train my ears for the Semitic sounds of Hebrew by watching movies, listening to the radio, and having conversations with friends. This will also be a topic to elaborate on as the year goes on. Thankfully, fluency in Hebrew was not a requirement for me working in my position. This week I've just began searching Craigslist in Tel Aviv for possible apartments in happening neighborhoods.
All in all, the wheels have been in motion for nearly a year churning full speed since February 2011 in order to make this year a reality.
I'll begin with a little recap of the events that lead up to me taking a year unpaid leave of absence from my job as a School Psychologist and packing up my Townhouse in Highland Park. It was definitely not the American salary or the comfortable amenities of the home that I grew quite attached to but the aching realization of my priorities. Having lived in Israel for a year after my undergraduate degree and spending three summers staffing Birthright trips there, I knew that I always wanted to go back for an extended period. At 34 years old, I found myself in a position of Divine Intervention. My practicum student at the time had decided to complete her internship in Israel despite my harsh warnings again the idea. I jokingly took advantage of her bravery by alerting her to my own interest in working abroad in Israel. "So if you get there and can hook me up with a position, I'll totally take a year leave of absence and join you out there!" That was approximately a year ago so I guess I should be careful what I wish for. I now hold a airline ticket for September 3rd. I've rented out my home, been approved for a year leave of absence from my district, and placed an international microchip in my dog to prepare for the adventure.
And with 2 months and counting, the preparations continue. Thursday, I have a meeting with an Orthodox rabbi to review my parents Ketuba (Jewish marriage certificate) in order to write me a letter verifying my Jewish identity. In order to work in America, people wait for visas through a lottery system or get sponsored by a company. In Israel, the state requires proof of your heritage. This is topic to elaborate on later. Additionally, I started to train my ears for the Semitic sounds of Hebrew by watching movies, listening to the radio, and having conversations with friends. This will also be a topic to elaborate on as the year goes on. Thankfully, fluency in Hebrew was not a requirement for me working in my position. This week I've just began searching Craigslist in Tel Aviv for possible apartments in happening neighborhoods.
All in all, the wheels have been in motion for nearly a year churning full speed since February 2011 in order to make this year a reality.
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