Straddling Two Continents

As my time in Israel winds down (leaving next week!!! WOW!), I find myself increasingly attempting to manage my affairs both here and in the US. Here, I'm handling last minute projects that are being assigned when my wandering thoughts reduce my office knowledge to--

Cleaning the house in preparation for the return of the fam--

And making last-minute visits to friends in the neighborhood and saying goodbye to the flow of exiting interns. I watch all my American-bound friends leaving like--

KIDDING.

Meanwhile, half of my brain is focused on everything I'll have to deal with upon my own return to Boston. Studying for the LSAT and looking at my practice scores like--

Participating in virtual club meetings over Skype and email in which all the other participants are super prepared and I try to act intelligent like--

Not to mention packing (LOL), figuring out rooming situations back at school, attempting to figure out how I'm going to get to my hotel room the first night I get back since the dorms don't open until 12 hours after I land--yeah. When I found out about that, I was like--

Regardless, I've made a pact with myself to savor these next couple of weeks and prepare myself adequately for the insane semester I have ahead of me. But that doesn't mean I don't have time for "Army Wives" (season 6 now).

OBSESSED

Life is good, guys!!! And while I'm being stretched into the splits trying to keep my feet in two places at once... I'm enjoying the wrapping-up of this crazy adventure and the anticipation of beginning a new school year.

Yippee!

Aubrey Noelle

Fifty and Food

It's officially my fiftieth post! Wahoo!!

When I began this blog two and a half months ago (to the day, almost), I doubted my ability to keep up with it and maintain regular posts; I've been able to write something at least once every other day. I'm proud of myself!

I love Shabbat, guys. Not just for the holiness or for the reflection, but for the food. 

Oh my goodness, Shabbat food is heavenly, even when I'm eating like a queen when the family is here. But now that I'm on my own... It's a gift from God. See, this is the first time basically ever that I've actually had to make food for myself. At Harvard, I have full meal service, and at home and with my host family, I am spoiled with delicious homemade food/In N Out (miss ya, babe).

But now, I am responsible for my own meals. And yes, the market is right down the street and I could order meals from restaurants that are five minutes away, but I kind of like challenging myself to this game of, "how long can I survive on what is in the fridge?"

My dad always told my sisters and I those "back in my day" stories which usually evoked reactions like this:

and he reminisced on existing on cottage cheese and tuna and ketchup... in one dish...

But now... I'm following in my father's "food"steps. Cutting off the moldy parts of carrots, concocting sauces from balsamic vinaigrette, olive oil, and black pepper--I'm a master.

*Almost* what I look like in the kitchen

I eat my fill, then I wonder how much longer I have until my Shabbat dinner.

It was literally like 11 AM. Shoot

I sat by the clock, like

for hours, yelling at the TV when Army Wives tried to pull some ridiculous deaths on me (how dare you do that to Jeremy? How DARE you?) and finally headed to Goody and Eric's home for a delicious Shabbat with unbelievably hilarious and engaging company. I stuffed my face like

and enjoyed the friends that had gathered in the home. Seriously, I gazed upon the plates and gave a mental hallelujah.

How I looked on the outside:

Yeah, looks great!

How I felt on the inside:

*melts with joy*

Now, after such a delicious and filling meal, I'm laying on the couch with a full belly--

Almost positive that a thief/murderer has been hiding somewhere in the house for the past two days just waiting for me to let my guard down--but I will not, I refuse. Sometimes I hear a creak and think, "This is it. This is how I die." Or I walk into a room--especially the bathroom--and look for the best place to hide if the murderer comes in. I'm a high-functioning adult, I promise. 

Anyways, I'm peacefully enjoying my second-to-last Shabbat here in Israel. Hope you are all enjoying the beginning of your weekend wherever you are in this beautiful world. 

With so much love,

Aubs

Dropping a Few Lines

Hi, dear friends. Just a very, very quick check-in to say hello! I've had a very relaxing day laying in the sun, reading, watching TV, and eating a lot. It was my first full 24 hours being totally alone in the house, and I only thought there was an intruder, like, five times last night, which I personally think is pretty impressive. I'm really looking forward to Shabbat with some amazing families in the neighborhood, and in just a few days, my family comes home!! Wahoo!!

Like I said... Very short post. I know y'all are busy, and I, too, am very busy... watching Netflix. Life is so hard (;

Call me, message me, get a hold of me, loved ones. I miss you all!

Much love,
Aubrey

Just the Usual Quarter-Life Crisis

Ughhhhhhh guyyyyyys. I don't wanna anymore. I'm getting those late-summer blues, exacerbated even further by my solitude and my lack of ability to make mature decisions about my future. Seriously, I am paralyzed a few times a day by the thought,

Honestly, one-liners about my days sound like PSA's for parents who are concerned about their dead-end teenagers.

Like, "Was tonight was the first night in 5 days that your child ate a dinner not consisting of cupcakes, and it was leftover Chinese food from lunch that she ate cold because she was too lazy to heat it up?"

I wish I could go back to school with the extra twenty pounds and the valid excuse of,

But that probs won't fly.

Or, "Has your daughter watched forty episodes of Army Wives in the last two weeks?" (PS Troxy forever.)

And yes, they're each forty minutes long, and no, I don't wanna do that math.

I sit at work, and I'm like,

Because being a responsible "adult" that works for 24 hours a week is, like, really really hard, you guys.

My mom is reading this right now like

"Where did I go wrong?"

But it's not all bad. I mean, I study for the LSAT for at least an hour a day--

*me imagining law school*

I've finished my paper, and I should be finishing up another major project tomorrow.

But I still feel like a little kid! When I describe myself and my summer to other people, like "Yeah I work for the Institute for Counter-Terrorism and I traveled to the Middle East all by myself to study insurgency and I go to Harvard," they probs think I'm like legit or something. I feel like correcting their assumptions like, "no but sometimes I nap in the middle of the day not because I'm tired but because I have nothing else to do. And out of the last twenty-four hours, I've spent five of them watching John Stewart clips just because, and I laugh out loud at them so often that I think my host sister thinks I'm insane. And sometimes I literally skip to the bus because walking seems too ordinary."

Is this how adults feel? Like children that have all of a sudden been given crazy responsibilities they're expected to deal with? Or like ten-year-olds that inhabit these weird, old bodies that make people call them "ma'am"??? I'm not ready for adulthood or maturity, how is it possible that I start my junior year of college in three weeks? Jeez.

As if my quarter-life crisis isn't enough, Michal is leaving me tomorrow to go to Thailand (what a jet-setter) and I'm just watching her pack like 

That means for the next five or so days, I'm going to be all alone.

Which means, more Army Wives, more cupcakes, and more naps. OMG AND BACHELOR IN PARADISE, I JUST REALIZED I HAVE TWO WHOLE NEW EPISODES TO WATCH.

.... I really need to get a hold of my life.

me as my Bachelorette excitement turns to shame

Anyways, guys. Things are good. But I'm getting very excited to see my family then head back to Americaaaaa. ILY USA.

With love and a growing Netflix obsession,

Aubreyyyy

Shalom/Ciao, Kajsa!

Today is a sad day--Kajsa, my travelling buddy/feisty Harvard peer/white counterpart (kidding, girl) has abandoned me. She left today for a week-long vacation in Italy before she returns home then back to school. So even though it will seriously be less than three weeks before I see her again, I'm about to pass out.

Me as Kajsa tried to leave work on Thursday

Kajsa and I have experienced a ton together. Here's a compilation of our cuuuutest pics:

Over the last two months, we've experienced: 

2 new languages

17 different cities in 3 different countries

Planes, trains, hitchhiked cars, trams, buses, and vans

Beaches, mountains, forests, and deserts

We've fought off creepy perverts; we've made friends with waiters, world travellers, and stray cats;  and we've traversed holy sites of 4 major religions.

At this point, Kajsa probably knows more about me than any other person on earth--travelling really does expose the quirkiest, most personal, and most unexpected pieces of a person. I literally know the most random and minute details about Kajsa, as well. So, if any boys are lookin' to catch Kajsa's heart, call me first, and I'll give you a 100-question test to decide if you're on her level, then I'll be your Hitch if you do happen to qualify. But if not...

Seriously though, Kajsa and I can communicate with just a look...

And I'm gonna miss her like crazy these next few weeks. So, even though it's difficult to say goodbye to such an amazing friend, I'm oh-so-thankful that this internship gave me the opportunity to forge such a cherished relationship with someone I'll be able to hang out with at Harvard!

So, Kajsa, I'll miss you, but I'll see you soon. Have a wonderful vacation in Italy--eat some passionfruit gelato, and drink beer even though you pretend to hate it, and stay away from dead bugs, and feed cats some more granola bars, and get off at anahaba'a, and find a CafeCafe, and find the man who is your "perfect match" who makes it past all your deal-breakers. 

Can't wait to see you soon!

Sending hugs your way--

xox,

Aubs, your "spicy" travelling partner

The Beach Cures All

Okay, I have sufficiently recovered my peace of mind enough to record the events of yesterday and today. I'm just as sane as I normally am, which is to say, not very.

SO after work yesterday, Kajsa and I took the bus to Tel Aviv to eat some acai bowls and sit on the shore. If I squinted just a little and sort of held my breath and didn't listen to the incomprehensible conversations going on around me, I could pretend I was home in Laguna Hills chilling at Thousand Steps Beach! We'd only planned on staying a few hours, but time slipped away as we chatted and watched the sun set.

We had two interrupters.

First, some crazy dude literally slid on the sand in between me and Kajsa like this--

And Kajsa and I were like--

This random guy was trying to make weird conversation, so I kindly asked if he'd throw away my empty acai bowl for me. His attitude completely darkened, and he started cussing me and Kajsa out, calling us "douchebags" (what?) and telling us to shut up.

So of course I'd just say random words so he wouldn't think I was obeying his order. It was like fighting with a 2-year-old with an excessively colorful vocabulary.

But our next visitor was way more fun. Davit, the middle-aged Israeli man, basically loved me.

Real quotes from Davit:

"You have a lovely skin color. Very dark."

"You just have to make sure you smile when it's dark out, it could be hard to see you."

"Do you play volleyball? I can tell your hands handle balls well."

"Boys are stupid. You need to wait for the right boy. Not an Israeli boy."

"You have a lot of spice. Boys can't handle your spice."

And I was like:

To Kajsa:

"You are so white. How long have you been here?"

"You need to go to the doctor. Something is wrong with you."

"Start drinking some carrot juice. You need some veetameens."

"You can't leave her!! (Referring to me) She will go after stupid boys without your help!"

Kajsa response was:

So honestly, it was hysterical. I was about dying of laughter.

Today, I wanted to head into Tel Aviv to hang out with Kajsa and Kara for one of their last days here in Israel. But for some reason, the 347 bus (my usual) wasn't running today.

Why?

Oh, just because. Who knows? So I had to jump on the only bus going into Tel Aviv from Raanana, the 501. It was slow. And long. And loud. And ridiculous.

After twoooOOOOOO HOUUUUURSSSS ON THE BUS, I got to the destination... But not the one I wanted. I had no idea how to get to King George Street, where I was supposed to meet Kajsa and Kara, and since it was already 3 and the last buses would stop running around 5, I literally had to turn right back around and get on another bus to go home.

Me to public transportation:

I ended up getting off at an early stop to stroll to the beachside in Herzliya, near my house. I walked for about an hour through tall city buildings down a busy highway. There's nothing like the sudden tapering-off of buildings as you look to the west towards the waterfront. I love how you walk towards a beach, and you can tell you're getting close when the skyline empties. It's one of my favorite forms of anticipation. 

The walk was a liiiittle longer than I thought (I was planning on a half hour, it took an hour), but stepping into the Mediterranean made the fiascos of the entire day worthwhile. Like I've stated--give me some sand, and some saltwater, and the crashing of some waves, and I am home. 

I finished up my walk on the beach (such a cliche, by the way) and walked to the closest bus stop. But, I mean, it was already 5:30 PM on Shabbat, so I was positive no buses were running. I sat at the bench more to mourn my sore feet and ponder whether I should walk the 7 miles home or shell out the $25 for a taxi.

*thinking about spending money*

But then--on the horizon--could it be? A big shiny... BUS??!!

YES. IT WAS MY BUS. COMING TO RESCUE ME.

leaping up from the bench, hallelujah

The bus driver probs thought I was way too excited for a bus ride. But I finally finished the ride back and practically skipped home. I showered and dressed for a Shabbat dinner with some family friends down the street. It was a beautiful and delicious meal, and it was the first time in two weeks I'd had a meal that consisted of vegetables and not just carbs. I'm a terrible adult.

Thank God for the beach, and for friends, and for prepared food, and for life in general. I'm blessed!

Much love,

Aubs

Short and Sour

Okay, this post is going to be really short and slightly depressing, so just brace yourselves I guess.

Kajsa and I headed to the Tel Aviv beach with some acai bowls after work, which was beyond lovely, but the night was a bit of a bust. We decided at 9:30 PM to head home from Tel Aviv, about 15 miles or so from Raanana, and I didn't walk into the door until 12:30 AM. Sometimes I'm able to blow off minor setbacks with a shrug and a smile, but tonight, I'm just a little too frustrated, a little too tired, and a little too sad.

I feel fragile, like I did this past winter in Cambridge. It's like I'm a giant Jenga tower, and every small setback like the bus being 40 minutes late, or the bus driver setting the air to 59 degrees in the bus (seriously, dude?), or being locked out pulls one of those tiny little blocks from my precarious structure.

And I'm just homesick, and exhausted, and even though tons of funny and wonderful things happened today, I think that for the sake of my own sanity, I have to cut this blog short, get some rest, and reset my mind and outlook and attitude. I'll fill you in tomorrow on the hilarious antics of Davit, the complimenter, and the random guy who spit at me and Kajsa at the beach. For now... I need to crawl into bed and shut off my consciousness.

And that's all I have to say about that.

Gonna sleep it off,
Aubrye