Life, Post Trauma

While the title may be similar to my last blog post, it's so fitting to what has gone on in the past month and a half.  First, I'd like to apologize for not updating during my trip to the US and then upon my arrival to Israel.  It's been a whirlwind!  As for a quick update, my dad had his open heart surgery, and thank goodness, everything went really well.  He's still recovering, but he's getting his strength back, and we are all relieved to have that behind us.  My mom is doing great - she's as spunky as ever!  I just love hearing how excited she is about all the fun things she is doing now.  And even though it was terrible to say goodbye to them, I had a great and fulfilling time, and our relationship always seems to get better and stronger (if that's possible) after every trip.  So, Mom and Dad, I love you both dearly and visiting two of my favorite people in the world is always amazing.

The boyfriend had an amazing time, as well.  We ate, we drank, we hiked, we toured...we did everything possible in our time there.  He's definitely been accepted as part of the family by parents and friends alike.  We were also terribly spoiled by many of my (and now our) dear friends, and it warmed my heart to be so close to my near and dear.

And now, we've returned to life in Israel, post-war (for now) and with lots and lots of changes.  It's safe to say that they are all changes for the better and that we are just trying to get settled before the academic year starts...and before any other hostilities take hold. 

Here's what's new for us: 

• We are moving to a new, smaller apartment VERY close to the university in the coming days.  It's beautiful and renovated and on the fourth floor, for better or worse, with no elevator.  We are very happy with it and with our new and convenient location.  Friends, the plastic wrap was still on a lot of the furniture - it's so luxurious compared to where we are now! 
• Yagel is starting his bachelor's degree, and I'm continuing on to my second year of my master's.  I'm lucky to have enrolled in all the classes I wanted, and I got accepted into the internship that I wanted for this next year.  I'll be working to help the families of those suffering with mental illness in many different and dynamic ways, and I'll be working with some of my favorite fellow students, so yay!
• I got a new job.  With a tear in my eye but a twinkle in my heart, I am saying goodbye to the retail world (my last shift is Saturday evening!!), and I have been welcomed with open arms into the academic world.  I am a research assistant for a professor of social work at my university.  It's a mentally challenging job, which I needed, and it's IN MY DEPARTMENT, meaning that I'm totally interested in the material and that I have crucial experience needed for the projects.  One specific project I'm working on is a project of building dialogue between Palestinians and Israelis, building peace from the ground up.  It's beautiful and wonderful, and I'll be happy to blog about it in future posts.

It's a long and exciting list.  By October 1st, we'll be moved in, signed up for classes, I'll have finished my last shift at the retail job, and I'll have turned in my last papers to officially finish the spring semester of 2014.  Odd, I know, but because of the war and it's staggering impact on daily functioning, university studies only resumed at the end of August, and we were mercifully given extra time to work on papers and assignments.  I'm very appreciative of this since there was NO WAY my papers would be finished in the midst of bombings and then with my trip to be with my family. 

So, slowly but surely, we're wrapping up the things that should have already been wrapped up, and we're trying to put this war behind us.  We are all having to calm each other down at the sound of a motorcycle revving up or at a distant ambulance, and every time a chopper flies overhead, it's hard not to be taken back to the war when these were the gut-wrenching norm.  Just for a giggle, you should check out this video that says, "Did you hear that?!" and illustrates how EVERYTHING starts sounding like a siren...

I think the most heartbreaking part of all of this is when I work with my English students.  They have all said, "You know, during Rosh Hashana, it's going to start again."  Let that sink in for a minute.  Adults aren't talking about it like that, the media and all its bullshit aren't talking like that, but the kids feel that when the Israelis go back to the negotiating table (well, they already have...talks started again Tuesday), it just means that bombs will start falling again.  And to be honest, I also don't feel that it is totally behind us.  There's something in my gut that tells me that sooner or later, I'll have to get used to running down four flights of stairs to the bomb shelter and that I'll again have to cope with my everyday being turned upside down.  Oh well.  At least from my end, I'll be working on these various peace projects and trying to do my part to make this world a better place.

And with that, I wish you all a Shana Tova u'Metuaka!  A sweet and good new year to us all.  With lots of love until next time (which will be much sooner than last!), Megan.