Israeli Lessons
Places tend to have a character of their own, just like a person once you get to know them. I thought I knew Israel before I came, since I have been here before. But nothing is what it seems.
The truth is that the version of Israel I imagined in my head was not who she really is. I would like to point out that in Hebrew, the word for country (medina) is actually a feminine word. Therefore, based on the language of the land, Israel is in fact, a she. And she is far more complex and fragmented than any single news story could attempt to portray.
One of the first things I noticed about Tel Aviv is that no time is wasted. Even in language, words are shortened and combined to save a few seconds, like abbreviations, but in every day speech. In the same manner, asking permission is not really as big of a deal. Doing speaks for itself, and is really much more effective than words anyway. Working for an Israeli tech startup, my coworkers and I don’t need to tell our bosses when we are leaving. Instead, we just leave. It may sound impolite, but it is not seen this way. Sometimes, politeness can be a waste of time (which I have always found to be the case, truthfully), but now I have found myself within an entire culture that purports this belief. I must say I quite like it. Let me clarify that being polite and being considerate are two separate things. Israelis are not polite, that is for sure, but many are some of the most kind and considerate humans I have ever encountered. But they will tell you the ugly truth like it is, without an ounce of hesitation or restraint. They are real as fuck.
Acceptance is another lesson. Kabbalah. Living in Israel is a struggle in a lot of ways. It is no walk in the park, but rather a brisk run through the desert. You will probably miss your bus more than once, so yes, you will find yourself running quite a lot. The first few times it happened, you can imagine how frustrated I was. But that stuff doesn’t really matter. When you just accept things for the way they are, you struggle less, and you realize that the little things are not that significant in the scheme of things. Like the fact that packages aren’t delivered directly to people’s homes here (something I did not know). You actually have to pay extra to get a package delivered to your doorstep, or you have to go pick it up yourself from the post office. Imagine that! A world where we actually have to go get something ourselves!
Living in Israel for a mere two months, I am already constantly reminded of how easy my life was in Miami, how unnecessarily pampered I was. Growing up in the States is unlike growing up anywhere else in the world. It is hard to see this until you live somewhere else, because it is all you know, and becomes all that you expect. But Israelis are not expectant, something I have found to be incredibly refreshing.
The third Israeli lesson is to have no expectations. When you have no expectations, you will never be disappointed. And it turns out that no matter what happens, you will probably be ok either way. You will probably be better than ok. And wouldn’t you rather be pleasantly surprised, anyway? I would. It’s funny —- as someone who has always loved to map my future and plan ahead, I have found that the most joyous experiences are those that are completely spontaneous and unplanned. Like my roommate Emma says, it’s all a bonus. And who doesn’t love a bonus?
The last lesson is to learn to love the Balagan. Love the mess. I have always been incredibly neat and tidy, almost to a fault. But I have learned that sometimes, it is better to just let yourself unravel, and pull yourself together afterwards. Like my French-Israeli boss says, “You can’t make an omelette without breaking some eggs.” I love this quote so much, because it is a reminder that most things in life are messy, that in order to create something beautiful and real, we have to make mistakes. Because we learn from these mistakes, and this is how we grow to be better. So even if we ate an eggshell a couple of times, it allowed us to get to the omelette of our dreams. Unless you are a vegan. In that case, breaking some soybeans gets you to the tofu scramble of your dreams. You get the point.
This is all just the beginning. Every day, I am learning and growing more than I ever could have staying in the comfort of my home in the States. Feeling incredibly grateful for the ability to step outside of my world and into a completely and utterly different one. It is beyond humbling and rewarding. Sending this feeling out to those who feel stagnant. I urge you to get out. Even if it is just for a weekend. Explore. Expand the horizons of your world. Take a leap. I promise you won’t regret it.