Read this on galpod.com.
So, on Sunday we actually boarded a plane and took the trip/leap of faith to Israel. We figured that as long as all of us are online anyway, going nowhere, we might as well take the opportunity to get some grandparents time. The flight process went pretty smoothly. There weren't too many people at the airport, or on the plane, and the testing at the Israeli airport was rather painless (both physically and mentally). Our first test came back negative. The process here is that after 9 days of isolation, you can have another test, and if that one is negative the isolation period is over. That's our plan.
So my situation is this. I'm sitting at a dining table in an apartment we rented through Airbnb for the self-isolation period. It's "winter" here, and last night it was raining pretty hard, and today it is cloudy, but the sun peeks out and warms the room every half-hour or so. On the opposite corner of the dining table, my son is doing schoolwork while on a video call with a friend. A few steps away, my daughter is doing her schoolwork while on a video call with a different friend. My partner is downstairs in the bedroom, Zooming through his workday. And because I got up later than usual, my morning routine was shot (as evident by the fact that I'm writing this in the afternoon).
But I ordered veggies online and got Israeli veggies - gorgeous and with actual taste. And the construction workers outside are talking in Hebrew. And the sun warms the room even in winter. And from the wide balcony, which is equipped with a hot-tub (a major selling point for us), I can see the sea. Just a little, and it's pretty rough today, but I can see it.
It's a weird experience, a regular day in our lives—but in Israel. It feels a little like I stepped outside of my life and into someone else's, especially that the apartment is fully (and very tastefully) furnished. It's workable. That's scary to me. Because I'm terrified of the option we might want to go back. I love so many things about London and dislike so many things about Israel that I think the odds of us moving back here permanently are slim. But I learned that "never say never" is good advice when it comes to our life. This is also day one, so naturally, this is new and exciting and more attractive than being stuck in the same house in London for ten months straight. Now we're stuck in a new house. That makes weird noises.
Anyway, the next few weeks will probably be a bit erratic—hopefully, more in a good way. We're on an adventure, but one that includes family and friends once the lockdown is lifted and the sun comes out.
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