Nothing is going as planned!

You did it!

You packed up your whole life and made the move to Israel. The high of your anxiety turned elation upon arrival is still going strong. However you’re a week in to your new life in Israel and the place you booked is not what you expected. You struggle with wait times on the phone to switch over utilities. The teudat zehut you were supposed to get at the airport turned out to be just a teudat oleh (aliyah booklet of rights).

You  have to go to Misrad Hapanim to get your teudat zehut but it doesn’t get handed to you immediately; it will be mailed. You learn you can’t do much without a back account, so you head to the bank to open an account only to learn it’s closed on Sundays. You return home defeated with a plan to go the next day. You go the next day, wait your turn, wade through the Hebrew with the impatient teller until finally she understands that you are a new costumer wanting to open a checking account. “Teudat Zehut?” she asks. No, not just the number, but the physical card. You pull out your Teudat Oleh and she is baffled. She asks her colleagues if she can open account with this (which she absolutely can). She is adamant she can’t and refuses to open the account. You take a breath. A deep slow purposeful breath. You have two choices: cry or laugh. You choose laughter.

You leave the bank, feeling defeated, with another day that your daily mission to complete a task has failed. You take a step back and remind yourself that everything will get sorted out. Some days, it’s clear you are not in control. Just as the saying goes, “Let go and let Gd”. You tip your face to the shining sun and decide to cut your loses for the day and head to the beach. You stop home, grab your beach bag and you head to the breathtaking, beautiful, forever present, Mediterranean Sea. The soft sand, lapping waves, and blue sky assure you it will all be okay. You breath. You look at the sunset. You are Home.