Home again, and I say this with mixed feelings.

Yesterday morning I landed in Newark airport after a one-week vacation with Lior to Israel. And for the third time visiting the Holy Land, I was very sad to return to Ben Gurion Airport as the trip drew to a close. Don’t get me wrong – I love New York, New Jersey and American in general. But I had such a wonderful time, and honestly, as I packed my “inconvenient” suitcase, I wished I could stay longer. Jokingly, Lior even suggested that I stay – you know, for free, in his parents’ house in Ra’anana.

But all kidding aside, it’s clear that I love spending time in Israel. What I wonder is – whether I’m romanticizing the country or whether I would really enjoy living there. Of course, every time I have visited Israel, I’ve been on vacation of some sort and have had no pressure of work or studies while there. Likewise, I’ve always had a comfortable place to stay – never had to cook for myself, navigate the roads or live with the perpetual possibility of war.

I’ve enjoyed most of the trips I’ve taken throughout the world and would certainly like to return to many of the countries and cities I’ve been to if I have the opportunity. For me, however, none have given me quite the same feeling as Israel, and while I had amazing experiences in most of these places, I have typically been ready to go home again when trips have drawn to a close. With Israel, though, it’s different – that sense of belonging, of beauty, of heritage – the only place in the world where the Jewish people are a majority.

Again, I must remind myself that I’ve only visited Israel while on vacation, and I do love the hustle and bustle of New York. And, of course, the familiar smell of Carteret (or is that Secaucus?) as you careen down the New Jersey Turnpike. Let’s face it, America is pretty much indisputably the best country to live in, and I feel very lucky to live here and be an American citizen. But at the same time, I can’t help but wonder what it would be like to live in the Jewish State. Well, this is a thought that I definitely cannot contemplate until I’ve learned of the language – because I’ve found that you really need a strong command of Hebrew to communicate properly and learn what life is really like there.

Perhaps it’s just an idealization, and if I actually spent an extensive period of time there, Israel would likely lose most of its charm – the fantasy would fade. I mean, look at all the Israelis who want to come to New York. A grass is always greener on the other side type of thing? Who knows. No one knows. And hey, it’s impossible to predict what will happen tomorrow, let alone for the weeks and months ahead.

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But anyway, this trip was so much fun. Though I’m sorry I did not get to see everyone I planned on seeing. Now for some highlights:

-My stroll in Tel Aviv from HaShalom train station, through the Azrieli Mall and ultimately ending up at the beach. Somehow I was able to navigate my way solo across Tel Aviv on foot – ok, so I may have asked for directions a couple times – and eventually arrive at the tayelet overlooking the ocean. Stopping for a moment to take a photo and update my mobile Facebook status, I bought some excellent gelato and crossed the road to the beach. Until Lior’s arrival, I sat in the sun, and just as he was approaching, a 50-ish Russian woman wandered over to me, unpleasingly sagging out of her bikini and waving her cell phone. I don’t speak Russian, I told her, and apparently she spoke neither Hebrew nor English. But through the hand motions, I devised that she wanted a video of herself. So I held up her cell phone and pressed “play,” as she ran into the water, rolled around, modeled some disturbingly sexual poses and finally finished. Alas, in Tel Aviv, I inadvertently became a porno filmographer.

-Falling off a tank in the Golan. With Lior and several of his friends – Raz, Roni, Zveka and Eyal – I took a really fun trip to the Golan Heights, perhaps the most beautiful – and green – part of the country. While there, we decided to stop at the base where their friend Yuval was serving in the reserves. Someone then decided that it would be a good idea to climb on and into the abandoned tank sitting across the road from the base, an old American tank given to Israel in the 1970s, I was told by Eyal. After exploring its caverns and taking photos, everyone jumped off easily. And then it was my turn. Somehow, while jumping off the tank, I slid on some slippery large rocks and ended up hand first on the ground among them. But I was rewarding with a triumphant looking bandage.

-When Jerby – who used to model – refused literally every girl that was hitting on him at a club in Tel Aviv. We couldn’t stop laughing, or, choking on the cigarette smoke in the “non-smoking” dance-bar.

-Practicing my ivrit with two and three year olds. Self-explanatory – these are the only people with whom I can communicate thus far.

-Seeing Noa and Liron’s family! (and Liron on Skype)

-Eating, eating and more eating (schnitzel, hummus, falafel, lafa, amazing fruits and vegetables)

-Playing matkot (the racquetball-esque game) on the beach in Herzilya ala the Zohan, but without the grenade.

-Strolling down the Tel Aviv tayelet in the twilight. cheesey : )

-And of course, that pleasant flight home…