Today, I decided to be nice and wake up early with Julia and make her breakfast. This, I should mention, is the first time since our arrival in this country that I have been awake before the hour of 8am without the influence of severe jetlag. So I dragged myself out of bed about 7:30am, and made Julia a very nice plate of scrambled egg whites. Myself, I enjoyed a bowl of Honey Nut Cheerios mixed with “Branflakes” (yes, that is actually the name in Hebrew as opposed to the translation) that I had prepared three days ago, only to discover that we didn’t have milk. Having run to the store late yesterday, I was able to ceremoniously remove the saran wrap and enjoy my previously-poured cereal.

Some time around 8:15am, Julia left for school, and I decided that the best place to plan my course of action for the rest of the day was from the comfort of my bed. Two hours later, I decided I had thought about it long enough, and I got up to start my day. As a note, this second awakening at approximately 10am fairly accurately reflects my standard first hour of coherence during a normal day. The first order of business was to start a load of laundry, as my efforts at consciousness earlier in the morning yielded the information that Julia was “almost out of undies.” Of course, that amount of effort deserved a break, so I flopped on the couch to enjoy a Major League Lacrosse game between New Jersey and Rochester. Somewhere around halftime, I decided it was time to check e-mail and put in another load of laundry. These tasks done, I set about doing some repair work on my computer, and the ensuing wait for the appropriate programs to load has led me here, to Julia’s computer, where I write of my escapades on this fine day.

As you can see from the account above, we S.O.s live a busy and sometimes overwhelming life. In all seriousness, being here as “Mr. Julia Aronson” is a very new role for me, one which I’ve been told I should probably get used to. I’ve found that, within the community, I’ve managed to hold my own and create my own identity. This is due in no small part to the openness of the HUC students, and their willingness to accept and include the spouses and partners of their fellow students.

Despite all these positive notes, I’m very well aware that my long-term sanity will depend on finding my own purpose for life here in Israel. That having been said, Julia has also pointed out that it’s been a very long time since I’ve truly enjoyed a summer vacation. So I’ve made a deal with myself, and I’m hereby announcing it to the world (or at least to anyone who has been willing to read this far): by my birthday on September 2nd, I would like to have a project or set of projects in place that will occupy at least 20 scheduled hours a week. My job between now and then is to figure out what those projects are, how they will fit together with each other, and most importantly, how I can ensure that my year in Israel does more for me than provide ample opportunity for sleep.

In the meantime, the laundry is done, and I’m thinking once it’s hung out to dry, a nap might be in order. Thanks to those of you who have written me in recent days, and hopefully I’ll hear from more of you soon. Have a great day!