Try Try again

I have tried twice, with great entries written, to publish an updated blog, only to loose it in the cyberworld of my father’s computer when I send it to publish. This time I have written and saved this posting onto his desktop in order to keep my frustration level to a minimum.

So what did I write before?

I don’t remember exactly.

I think I wrote about my uneventful flight, albeit it a horribly boring one. Never did I think I would complain about having 10 plus hours alone to myself. But 30,000 miles in the sky, with nowhere to go, was a little suffocating. I found myself taking care of everyone else’s kids and watching the same movies over and over again. The first time I saw “The Notebook”, I cried. After that…

I think I wrote about the drive into Manhattan with my good friend Sandra. We moved ahead slowly, allowing us extra catch-up time together.

I think I wrote about the dinner I had that lasted about 2 hours while friends just kept coming to say hello.

I think I wrote about the culture shock experience I had walking back to my friend’s house at 11 PM on a night when the Yankees were playing the Red Sox and feeling like I was NOT in friendly territory.

I think I wrote about Monday morning, when I walked my friends and her kids to their school and then sat in Starbucks on 93rd street and caught up some more with friends.

And I think I wrote about the wonderful 3 hours I spent walking the streets and shopping New York with my old college roommate and close friend. We took a cab down to Penn Station together so she could catch a train to Long Island, and me to Baltimore.

I wrote about all the hugs I received Monday night from Parents, Aunts, Uncles, Brothers, Sisters and most especially Grandparents. The feeling of unconditional love I had been missing from extended family.

That is what I think I wrote about.

Today I went shopping in the mall with my mom – haven’t done that in years!
I went out to dinner with my parents and grandparents.
And then went to watch the baseball game with my 91-year-old grandfather. Except for the ramifications from the caramel popcorn I ate, I’m feeling good!

So what, you might ask, has been the most significant thing I have noticed so far?

I am a communicator. I like to talk to people, sometimes strangers. In Israel, in Hebrew, I can’t. I can’t get the words out to tell the salesperson why I want to buy something. I can’t get the words out to talk to the man behind me in line. I can’t ask the cab driver to go around the corner, to a better drop off spot. I can’t talk to the cashier to ask her if she’s having a hard day and that’s why she looks so sad! I don’t understand the conversations going on around me, in Hebrew.

It’s isolating that way. I am appreciating being able to communicate.

Tonight, I was complaining to my grandmother about the cold, rainy and dreary day, and how much I love the daily sunshine in Israel. She asked me whether I liked Israel. “Do you really, really liked it there?”

Am I giving off vibes that say I don’t?

I better think about that.

In the meantime, I have more shopping to do and more friends and family to see.

Tomorrow is the day I have been waiting for: TARGET day!!

Happy day :)