Bereishit

Bereishit. In the beginning.

I arrived here 11 days ago in the snow and to be honest I have been trying to warm up ever since. It turns out that Israel can get quite cold and the buildings are just not equipped to deal with it. So an electric heater, two duvets and some fleecy pyjamas have been essential kit this first week.

So you want to know what I have been up to?

My days have been spent walking across the city trying to tick off as many things as possible from post-Aliyah to do list ( - This is the list that comes after the mammoth pre-aliyah to do list). I have visited various government offices to get my health insurance, my ulpan vouchers and my ID card. I also now have an Israeli bank account and my new favourite store is Homecentre in Talpiot (Israel's answer to B&Q). Despite the horror stories I had heard, it has all been relatively stress-free and I'm pleased to report I have done everything I was supposed to do before my course starts next week. And just to prove I've actually done it, you can see a photo of me and my Teudat Oleh on the Nefesh website. (You will also see on the website the reception that the US flight when they arrived - ours was nothing like that!)

I am definitely living on the coolest road in Jerusalem, Emek Refaim (literally meaning the Valley of Ghosts) which is in the heart of the German Colony - it's a long road with lots of shops, restaurants and bars and it's an easy walk to everywhere I need to be. My small flat is a typical 1960s Israeli block, with cold floors and no central heating. But a huge thank you to Gila my very cool new housemate who has made it very homely and is helping me to settle in. Photos of my room to follow next time...

In between the bureaucratic marathon, I have been having loads of fun catching up with old faces and meeting lots of new ones too. I think an accurate description of Jerusalem life is that it's like living in an episode of 'Friends', where lots of young people hand out in the same few places playing a game called 'life'. What has also struck me has been that without exception, everyone here has been so warm and welcoming, offering help and guidance in any which way they can. I think Israel really does bring together special people.

And how am I feeling about it all?

It feels totally normal. There's no doubt that the couple of months I spent here in the summer have helped me feel more settled than I might otherwise have been, but there's also a sense of having 'come home' and overall feeling of calm and a huge sense of achievement knowing that I have made it. I am incredibly happy right now. As my days and weeks become more structured and I start to form new friendships, the transition will undoubtedly be eased, but I am hugely excited at thought of being on the brink of this new challenge and new chapter.

Talking about structure, I have turned down the job offer I had with the Steinsaltz Institute in favour of focusing on learning the language and making the most of the first few months here. I am looking at doing a couple of Jewish studies classes a week and tomorrow and Wednesday afternoon, I am going to visit some places (Nishmat and Midreshet Rachel in case you're interested). This way I will also have the chance to do some more interesting one-off projects and grow my network of contacts here. (Lauren - you'd be so proud of me already!!)

Also on the agenda for this week is to go to Tel Aviv (TA), Herzlyia and Ramat Bet Shemesh to see some family and friends, buy a TV for the flat and a rug for my room.

Apologies that this has been a rather long and dry, but I promise to share some amusing anecdotes in the coming days and I felt I needed to give you a top line summary in the first instance.

Missing you all.