It's Raining America

One of the best parts about living in Israel is that many of your friends will inevitably come visit to see friends or family or to celebrate a family or friend’s joyous occasion – be it a wedding, bar mitzvah or army completion ceremony. Over the past few weeks I have been lucky enough to have a bunch of friends come to visit. In addition to catching up with friends I have not seen in a few months, I have started to plan their trips better and have been asking them to bring me things from that States that I either can’t get here or are more affordable in the US.

Two weeks ago, my friend David W was here. It was my first weekend in my apartment and my roommates and good friend Lisa threw me a surprise apartment welcome party. We had a nice time together and I really enjoyed seeing Dave. I also has my friend Aaron stay over who was here for work with E&Y.

This week, I got to catch up with Maital, another good friend from New York. We went out to the new Mike’s Place, a bar in town. If you have not yet been, you should go. They have awesome kosher bar food. Lisa Maital and I dined on chicken wings, chili fries and beef nachos. All the things I could not eat at bars in America for Kosher reasons.

In addition to getting to see Maital, which was sweet, she brought me much needed new running shoes. I have giant feet and am not sure that Israel would even have running shoes my size – especially in the brand and width that I run – Brooks Beast 15-4E. They are awesome running shoes btw, and I have been wearing the same pair since right after the marathon – December 2009. A new pair was well overdue. I used them the following night, running 8.3 miles around Jerusalem, coincidentally on a lot of the same course that the 2010 Jerusalem marathon/half-marathon will follow. I am definitely in for the half – maybe the whole. Come cheer me on March 25, 2011. Thanks again Maital for the great delivery.

In about a week and a half my friend Mike is coming and he has been gracious enough to also bring me new work shoes – I came with really old work shoes as well. Thanks Mike.

I hope you all keep coming and visiting. I am just passed the three month mark on my time spent in Israel – three more months till I am going back for a visit. Hope you make it hear sooner.