or at least on my blog. I changed the title-- figured "יהיה בסדר" is more of an appropriate title, since that seems to be the phrase du jour (or years) of Israel. And I also changed the subtitle to "in the middle" because I'm not at the beginning anymore. Which is kind of good and scary at the same time.
Good, because it means that I'm not at the beginning any more-- I'm going somewhere, making progress. It also means that my aliyah is getting closer. I'm trying to sort things. I know I'm going to have to come back in June for Carly's wedding, so that's when I'm going to send my lift/stuff. Which leads me to the next point: Ship vs. Buy There?
I wrote a note on Facebook and also sent an email to the NBN Singles list-- if anybody reading this (does anybody read this?) has any input, I'd appreciate it:
I'm trying to figure out if it's worth it to buy things like dishes and pots in the States and ship them vs. buying them in Israel. I have to send stuff for sure-- I don't think I'll need a full lift-- but I have to somehow get my clothes, textbooks, and personal items to Israel and they can't levitate themselves...
I already have a lot of kitchen things from college and other people, but not a set of dishes, silverware, and good cookware. I don't know how much companies like Corelle, Farberware, T-Fal, Tramontina, etc. are in Israel and I know they're not expensive/priced very, very well here...
If anyone has any input on this, I would definitely appreciate it.
Back to the middle...it's happening. I don't want to leave in the middle of the year, but I can't keep pushing it off...it's really hard having to have pushed it off this time. Unless I have a really good reason to stay here, I'm going then...Assuming I go-- let's say I go Jan. 4. That's just over 8 months away. That means I have 8 months more with my family the way it is now-- close, calling all the time, going over when I want. It's just-- I want this and it's scary at the same time. I wish I had a crystal ball and could see how things would be 9 months down the road, 10 months-- just to know that I do it and am able to hack it. It's going to suck-- I say it every time. It's going to suck, and Mommy, Daddy, and my sisters won't be there for me to call locally...they'll still be a phone call away, but it will be a 7-hour time difference phone call away.
It's 8 months away and I'm already dreading it. But I know that Israel is right for me.
I said something about an aliyah thing I did, and one of the teachers at my school said, "Wow, you're really serious about this." And I said, "Yeah. I am." The concept of another country, one you weren't born in and your parents aren't from and your grandparents aren't from-- somewhere you never went until you were already a young adult-- being home is something that most people don't get.
more on this later when it's not dinnertime.
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I know that this is majorly belated, but a post-dinner google search pulled up your blog, and I've been reading it for a while now. My aliyah's in January.
ReplyDeleteI'm all approved, and except for the aliyah visa and the packing, I'm good to go, pretty much.
I saw that you wished you knew whether to bring pots/pans-- I have the same question! I have some nice pyrex stuff and a few frying pans etc., but I'm not sure if it makes more sense to try to sell them here and re-buy them in Israel once I have an apartment or if I should just ship them straight... What do you wish you would have done?
I also wanted to let you know that I know this post. That's me. Three months away, but I'm so serious (and so nervous, and overwhelmed, and excited) about my aliyah. I get it. It's nice to know I'm not/wasn't alone.
Hi Hannah,
ReplyDeleteSorry I missed this until now; this is what happens when I don't review comments... Hope it's not too late.
Pyrex stuff-- if it's not a matter of weight, bring them. They're a fortune here, and very, very worth it (in my opinion).
I brought a few things when I made aliyah-- literally the things I had from college (and not even all of them). I lived in a merkaz klita with two others in my apartment, and we bought and shared as needed (we all kept kosher to the same standard, which made it much more possible to share stuff). I made aliyah at the end of December, and went back the following summer. I bought almost my entire kitchen and shipped it.
You might think I'm kidding- I'm not. I spent about $1000 in the Corningware outlet, another few hundred between Wal-Mart, Bed Bath and Beyond, and who knows where else and sent it all to Israel. I decided I wanted to get good quality stuff that would last-- Corelle, Pyrex, Farberware, T-Fal, etc. So I did. I'm also a kitchen brat. And I'm very happy.
There are plenty of people who buy kitchenware in Israel and do just fine. I found that the American name brand and quality that I knew and like and am comfortable cooking with (very important! If you cook, you MUST be comfortable with your cookware!) costs 2-3 times as much as it does in America. What I did was I bought large plastic storage crates and packed them with stuff-- that way I got the crates there, and I know what was packed where and how my stuff was packed (however some of the crates did get damaged/cracked. They should have been wrapped in bubble wrap paper or put in a box to protect them).
When debating if/how/when to ship things, be realistic. I had textbooks, furniture, clothes, books, sentimental things, etc. I figured out the cost of replacing them in Israel (at the same quality) and it turned out to be more cost-effective to ship them. You don't have to send a 40-foot container-- there are 20-foot ones, as well as partial container shipments, which means that your stuff gets packed in a container with other people's stuff but you all get charged and your stuff processed individually.
When considering shipping vs. buying electronics, remember that there is different voltage in Israel, and warranties/guarantees/service plans may not be valid overseas (meaning outside of wherever you buy the item).
I hope you see this in time! If you have any other questions, comment on the most recent post-- even if it's totally unconnected. That way I'm more likely to see the comment and be able to reply faster.
B'hatzlacha! [Good luck!]