After almost 3 weeks of being back in America, I have realized a few things:
1) I really missed my family. When you live on the other side of the world and are constantly struggling to find a time to FaceTime because of the 7 hour time difference, it is really comforting to be in the same time zone as the ones you love.
2) I have completely taken for granted the mentors that I had while I was at IU. It is so nice to be able to sit back down and talk face-to-face with the people who I trust the most. I knew I was lucky, but I never knew just how lucky I was until I was able to visit everyone at IU this past weekend for Simchas Torah and Shabbat.
3) It's not quite as hard as some of us may think to keep 100% kosher in Hog Heaven and Shrimp City. Until this visit home, I had continued to eat cold dairy and parve out at restaurants, but I decided that this time I was going all in. I was a little nervous about coming home with my favorite restaurants from my childhood staring me in the eyes and taunting me with their delicious smells. But I have found that I don't care nearly as much as I thought I would. In fact, I've been able to sit with others while they eat some of my favorites, and I just know that I'm not going to eat it. It's not even a question in my mind. I really davened for this to be easy for me, and Hashem has really helped me thus far.
4) Some things in America are just not the same in Israel. While some people may be ashamed to admit it, I'm not. I have really missed some of the physicalities that are just better quality in the States. For example, I have enjoyed getting my nails done at a reasonable price, showering with my shoes off, sleeping in a real, comfortable bed, using my favorite scent of laundry detergent, having my body temperature be at a comfortable level at all times of day, and simply being able to pick up and drive ten minutes and go to Target. Some times it really is the little things that make us feel like we are at home. When I travel back to Israel in about a week, I have decided to bring some of the things that make me feel "at home" back to "the homeland" with me. Some of these things include: a 2-month supply of Cliff Bars and Luna Bars, 6-month supply of Sensodyne toothpaste (since it costs roughly $15 a tube in Israel), endless supplies of body wash, face wash, shampoo, and conditioner, and I am even considering bringing a tub of laundry detergent (there's nothing like that home-laundry, out of the dryer (don't be fooled, I do not have a dryer in Israel) smell that reminds you of being at home).
5) I am really grateful for the learning that I have been doing in Israel this summer. It's been weird not learning Torah and being in a Torah environment for the past few weeks. I do find myself feeding off of the d'var Torahs at the Shabbos table more in America, since I have not been submerged in Torah day in and day out.
Overall, I am so thankful that I was able to come home for my cousin's bar mitzvah (he did a great job, btw). It has been really amazing to see my family, friends, and remind myself of what it was like to live in my own house for a little while. I'm really looking forward to heading back to the homeland soon and seeing what Israel has up it's sleeve for me in the next few months. Until then, XOXO Frum Girl.
*****I forgot to mention that when I go back to Israel, I WILL ABSOLUTELY NOT MISS having to change the radio station channel when Miley Cyrus' song "Wrecking Ball" comes on. I used to be a BIG Miley fan. Like I saw the Hannah Montana Concert 3D movie a total of seven times in theaters. But as a frum girl, or any woman for that matter, I have a really hard time seeing her outbursts of what she likes to call "breaking free from Hannah". Anyways, that was just an aside. XOXO, unproud ex-Miley fan
Monday, September 30, 2013
Sunday, September 15, 2013
Back to the Real World
Sorry for the lack of posts lately, but I have somewhat taken a hiatus from social media. I officially deactivated my Facebook for the time being, so if you want to know when I post, please follow me on Twitter @alwolff09. It's been a real detox not using my Facebook the past couple of weeks. Who knows if I'll get it back in the future, but to all of you junkies out there (LOL) it IS possible to kick the habit.
After 4 months in the greatest country in the world, I am heading back to America the beautiful for 3 weeks for a family simcha! I'm sooo excited to see my family, and spend time enjoying the physicalities of life. I'll be spending Sukkos in Tenafly, NJ and then in Bloomington, IN, and BOY I cannot wait to go back to Btown and visit everyone! This trip is for sure going to be a BIG test for me. I am sticking to my guns this time, and I am really not going to eat in non-Kosher restaurants, bli neder. This will probably be the hardest thing for me, because we all know how much I love to eat, but I am looking forward to, b"H, passing this test.
Things I am looking forward to at home:
1. seeing my family!
2. seeing my friends!
3. eating meat
4. SHOPPING
5. getting manis and pedis
6. taking a shower without my shoes on
7. CUDDLING WITH MY FAVORITE MUFFIN, JERSEY!!!
8. being able to come back to Israel in just 3 weeks!
That's all for now. Next time I post I'll be across the ocean enjoying my time with family and friends. I hope everyone had a really meaningful Yom Kippur, I sure did in a place called Moshav Matityahu, which is a moshav that is close to Kiryat Sefer, for those who know the area. It was VERY HOT, but the shul was nice and air conditioned, and the davening was really special. Now with Sukkos coming quickly, it's time to build those sukkahs (all night around my apartment last night), and get into a simchadik mindset in this really happy and exciting time!
After 4 months in the greatest country in the world, I am heading back to America the beautiful for 3 weeks for a family simcha! I'm sooo excited to see my family, and spend time enjoying the physicalities of life. I'll be spending Sukkos in Tenafly, NJ and then in Bloomington, IN, and BOY I cannot wait to go back to Btown and visit everyone! This trip is for sure going to be a BIG test for me. I am sticking to my guns this time, and I am really not going to eat in non-Kosher restaurants, bli neder. This will probably be the hardest thing for me, because we all know how much I love to eat, but I am looking forward to, b"H, passing this test.
Things I am looking forward to at home:
1. seeing my family!
2. seeing my friends!
3. eating meat
4. SHOPPING
5. getting manis and pedis
6. taking a shower without my shoes on
7. CUDDLING WITH MY FAVORITE MUFFIN, JERSEY!!!
8. being able to come back to Israel in just 3 weeks!
That's all for now. Next time I post I'll be across the ocean enjoying my time with family and friends. I hope everyone had a really meaningful Yom Kippur, I sure did in a place called Moshav Matityahu, which is a moshav that is close to Kiryat Sefer, for those who know the area. It was VERY HOT, but the shul was nice and air conditioned, and the davening was really special. Now with Sukkos coming quickly, it's time to build those sukkahs (all night around my apartment last night), and get into a simchadik mindset in this really happy and exciting time!
Sunday, September 1, 2013
The King is in the Field
As we are really close to the Day of Judgement, beginning this coming Wednesday, it has been a mad dash to the finish line to do all of the teshuva I have been working on for the past year, and specifically in the past month in sem. I am incredibly fortunate to be able to be in such a place of Torah knowledge during this crucial time in the year. Although last year I thought I did a pretty good job of learning from sefarim on my own and listening to online shiurim, it pales in comparison to the work I have been able to accomplish and the knowledge I have acquired just this past month of Elul in seminary.
In current events, a huge MAZAL TOV to my good friends Mel and Avi on 1. getting married and 2. making aliyah, which was there true "teenage dream". In fact, Katy Perry's song was about THEM! It's great to have them in Israel with me, and I can't wait to be with them on this journey! There is a teshuva, tefilah, and tzedakah mobile that drives around town playing music to get everyone in the Rosh Hashanah spirit, so that's pretty interesting and thrilling. And to top off the weekly news, the man who works in the Brooklyn Bake Shop knows me, and tells me to buy more to bring to my fellow Kentuckians. Maybe that means I go there too much? Just doing my job in supporting the local ma and pop shops! Anywaaays...:)
Two weeks ago, I got up at 4:30 am and took an organized bus to the city of Chevron, where Avraham, Yitzchak, Yaakov, Sarah, Rivka, and Leah are buried. It really was a holy and amazing experience to be at this special place, where such tzaddikim and the foundations of the Jewish religion are buried. My favorite part was the fact that Sarah and Avraham are buried right next to each other. There is a separate room in which both of their kevarim rest. It's a pretty vast and grandiose place, but the fact that two people who loved each other so much, and had such a good marriage for such a long time were buried right next to each other really says a lot to me.
We've been learning a lot about brachos in halacha class, which has led me to search out the different kinds of food that we have talked about. For example, all I want to eat are chocolate covered raisins because I now know that the bracha is ha'etz instead of shehakol. Don't worry, I finally found them today and bought enough to last me through Rosh Hashanah. I am also the proud new owner of "The Marvelous Midos Machine" CD, which is exactly as it may sound...a Jewish children's CD that teaches about good midos and being a mensch. I plan to learn all the words to the songs so I can impress little Jewish children everywhere with not only my BEAUTIFUL voice, but also my intense knowledge of good midos. I'll keep you posted on how that goes.
As the Day of Judgement comes, when our next year will be inscribed in, please G-d, the Book of Life, it is a very intense time of teshuva and working on ourselves. On this day, everything that will happen to us in the coming year, who will live, who will die, our wealth, our health, will be inscribed by H-shem. In these last few days, it is our last chance to crown G-d as our King and ask for forgiveness so that we can change any bad decrees that we may receive, chas v'shalom. Although a lot of the things that I say may seem to be a joke or sarcastic, this time is crucial, and I can only continue to daven that I have done enough this past year to be written in the Book of Life for the upcoming one.
While some of you may think that I am a little crazy for having a mild freak out before the New Year instead of simply buying my apples and honey, please realize that whatever you believe in, whether it be an ultimate Truth or something else, that this time of year especially is really just a time to work on ourselves, and as good people, this is what we should be striving to do all year long. While the Torah helps us out a little bit by dedicating this entire month to teshuva and self-introspection, it doesn't mean we can stop as soon as Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur end. We should write down small resolutions and continuously work on them all year long until they no longer need to be conscientiously worked on. My hope for all of us is that we can all work on ourselves to make the world a better and more peaceful place. Ketivah Vachatimah Tovah, may you be inscribed and sealed for a good year.
Two weeks ago, I got up at 4:30 am and took an organized bus to the city of Chevron, where Avraham, Yitzchak, Yaakov, Sarah, Rivka, and Leah are buried. It really was a holy and amazing experience to be at this special place, where such tzaddikim and the foundations of the Jewish religion are buried. My favorite part was the fact that Sarah and Avraham are buried right next to each other. There is a separate room in which both of their kevarim rest. It's a pretty vast and grandiose place, but the fact that two people who loved each other so much, and had such a good marriage for such a long time were buried right next to each other really says a lot to me.We've been learning a lot about brachos in halacha class, which has led me to search out the different kinds of food that we have talked about. For example, all I want to eat are chocolate covered raisins because I now know that the bracha is ha'etz instead of shehakol. Don't worry, I finally found them today and bought enough to last me through Rosh Hashanah. I am also the proud new owner of "The Marvelous Midos Machine" CD, which is exactly as it may sound...a Jewish children's CD that teaches about good midos and being a mensch. I plan to learn all the words to the songs so I can impress little Jewish children everywhere with not only my BEAUTIFUL voice, but also my intense knowledge of good midos. I'll keep you posted on how that goes.
As the Day of Judgement comes, when our next year will be inscribed in, please G-d, the Book of Life, it is a very intense time of teshuva and working on ourselves. On this day, everything that will happen to us in the coming year, who will live, who will die, our wealth, our health, will be inscribed by H-shem. In these last few days, it is our last chance to crown G-d as our King and ask for forgiveness so that we can change any bad decrees that we may receive, chas v'shalom. Although a lot of the things that I say may seem to be a joke or sarcastic, this time is crucial, and I can only continue to daven that I have done enough this past year to be written in the Book of Life for the upcoming one.
While some of you may think that I am a little crazy for having a mild freak out before the New Year instead of simply buying my apples and honey, please realize that whatever you believe in, whether it be an ultimate Truth or something else, that this time of year especially is really just a time to work on ourselves, and as good people, this is what we should be striving to do all year long. While the Torah helps us out a little bit by dedicating this entire month to teshuva and self-introspection, it doesn't mean we can stop as soon as Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur end. We should write down small resolutions and continuously work on them all year long until they no longer need to be conscientiously worked on. My hope for all of us is that we can all work on ourselves to make the world a better and more peaceful place. Ketivah Vachatimah Tovah, may you be inscribed and sealed for a good year.
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