Ehh, How Do You Say...Sara Bet?: Leaving Town...

"Paint your nails and put on your lipstick,
You don't wanna miss your ticket out...
Cause I remember how we drank time together,
And how ya used to say that the stars are forever,
And you would dream about how to make life better by leaving town,
Leaving town..."
-- Dexter Freebish obediently popped up on Meredith's iPod today!

Today was my last day in Israel. I did the penultimate packing (toiletries I dealt with today) last night, and then I was too wound up to sleep. I went to school from 9 until 5, the whole reason I stayed until now. I wanted to only miss 3 weeks of Wednesday classes, not 4. So, I had fun in Day School and I survived both my ulpan final and Classics.

The end result: I don't think I overpacked, do you?

As I walked to the bus this morning at the ripe hour of 7:45, I tried to call Nesher, the taxi-sherut service that goes from Jerusalem to Tel Aviv – Yaffo Ben Gurion International Airport. I was told the number wasn’t in service, even though I’d used it to go to London just a few months ago.

I wasn’t deterred. I just called back, at an alternate number, during my halfway break in my Day School class. I was on hold for 7 minutes. They picked up and hung up on me. They did the same to Elie, Rafi’s brother and saintly friend-of-SBB. Great boys from that family. I'm a big fan!

After class, I went to get my favorite thing to eat, a pizza meshulash, at Vitamin Café. Sadly, It was not to be, as they didn’t have any out of the oven and I had to report back to take my ulpan final in just a few minutes. I was left with no meshulash, but at least I got to spend a little more time with my friends Jo and Mel. Jo (aka Joelle) also called Nesher and I FINALLY got a stupid sherut reservation. You’d think I asked them to gold-plate my luggage they were so rude about it.

I will miss you, meshulash.

After my three hours in the ulpan final, (Three? I meant two. Why do they give so much time?) I was off to Classics. And then it was over, it was off to classics, then to print a boarding pass, and then home. I paused to appreciate the beautiful rimonim / pomagranates blooming on the neighbor’s tree, then I showered, stuffed my toiletries into my suitcase, and I was off to the airport.

I'm holding a nascent Rimon!

Blooming!

I was met by my love Shiran at the airport, and we hung out (she suggested CDs and I bought them like an obedient, supposedly rich American). Her dad called to say goodbye to me. I'm really going to miss my (real) family and my (Shiran) family! I returned my cell phone, showed her pictures of my nephew and then I went through security.

People keep on asking me what I’m going to miss about Israel. That’ll have to be another post. For now, I’m going to do some work, as my flight is DELAYED and I’m marooned at Ben Gurion until 1:30, instead of just 1AM.