One of the downsides of planning Aliya for TWO years (actually longer than that) is that there is a lot of hurry up and wait moments. A lot that needed to be done early on was taken care of and then there were stretches of time that not a lot could be done. But, now that we are 75 days away from boarding a plane, everything we do needs to take into consideration how it affects our timeline....what is the TACHLIS of that action and the time consumed. So, if we have choices to make between various options, we MUST choose to do those things that will help us to meet our goal of the LIFT being picked up (ie, packing items that WE must pack) or the goal of selling the house or finding a job, etc etc. In addition, there still is quite a bit of paperwork that needs to be done. I just spent about 3 hours filling out all the paperwork for VISAS to Israel. All the main forms need to all be originals, meaning that while the info is the same, I must fill it out all by hand and not just photocopy the originals.
We are told that "Eretz Yisrael Nik'neit B'Yisurin," meaning that the Land of Israel is acquired through tests/trials/tribulation...but, in the end, it will be IYH all worth it.
Everywhere I go now, people are asking me "So, how many days until you go?" I do not mind the question at all. The FUNNY thing is that many are surprised when I reply with "how many days" until we leave. People are surprised that I am keeping a count. Truth is that for every single trip I have taken over the past many years, I have ALWAYS kept a count-down sheet (usually beginning around 125 days). I have kept each and every one of those sheets as well for my Aliya Diary. I began the diary about this since 2003. At the time I began the diary, I did not yet have true hope that we would be making Aliya, but I used it as a personal vehicle to keep it on MY radar screen. I write in it occassionaly, but the one entry I look at often is the one that I made the day we made a family decision to make Aliya....seems like just yesterday....
Well, gotta run as we have someone coming to look at the house...Maybe this will be "the one" !! (We only need one buyer...who knows!?)
