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.