Feeling grateful

As time continues to hurtle past me I realize only now how little time I have left! So it seems strange to me that I keep thinking silly things like…I haven’t had a chance to perfect homemade tortillas yet, and man, I still really want to make it to a few more shows in Austin!
Thank goodness I have fantastic, loving friends and family who keep me grounded. I might just float away into a mental abyss of random tidbits and end pieces without my friends to remind me what really matters! Tonight my longtime friend, Amber, took the reins and made my travel plans from Pennsylvania to New Jersey to New York. I had been dreading trying to figure out that mess! Not only did she save me that mess, she then “forced” me to go to a girly movie in which we giggled and joked through. It is these moments that I will wrap around me when I am feeling lonely or homesick in Israel.
I have so many kindred spirits in Austin. I am glad to know that no matter what part of the world I am in there are people I love and who love me no matter what! I could write volumes of the love and growth that I share with my friends and I will miss all of them deeply! I cherish every moment I have with them.

What I am really trying to say is:
THANK YOU! Thank you everyone for the continued love, support, joy, growth, warmth and wild abandon you have allowed me to share in with you. It has been so beautiful.
With all the love I have,
Jesyca

Oregon Trip

So I have been crazy busy these past few weeks! The highlight of it all was going to Portland, Oregon to see family. It was a short but sweet trip (and sadly my last one there for quite a few years).
My family is awesome because I didn’t really plan this trip, I just told them I was coming and magically everything came together…what that really means is that all the family members helped make this trip successful by planning things to do since I left that very important aspect of trip planning out!
I stayed with my Grandma Goldie and every day we went to visit my Grandfather (AKA Grandpa Grumpy, AKA Grandpa Leonard :) at the Robison Home. Aunt Carolyn set up a fun dinner and I got a chance to see her and Uncle Larry, Cousin Heather and Steve along with their two adorable children, Cousin Aaron and Vanessa and their two boys and of course Buddy!
I got to see Aunt Mary several times and one night Uncle Jerry took Grandma Goldie, Cousin Rick, and Me to Dinner.
I am so blessed to have such a fantastic, fun, quirky, LOVING family!

The very beginning :)

I GOT MY YES!!!!!

Hello friends and family!

I wanted to start this blog so that when an ocean separates us all, the internet can still connect us!

I have finally found myself hurtling towards to finish line and I cannot believe how quickly this has happened! I am told I have finally finished alllllllll of my paperwork and I have successfully submitted all of the documents needed (thank goodness for that!). Now all that is left is waiting on a few more ‘yes’ answers from various agencies…and I am in business!

Anybody who knows me knows I’ve been trying to make this dream happen for over a year! This never seemed real until yesterday when I called the JAFI office in Chicago and found out that Israel has approved my citizenship!!! So, what do I do next? Naturally I start shopping for dorm stuff! I am going to Ulpan Etzion in Jerusalem for my first 5 months of living in Israel (still waiting for approval…but it’s pretty much guaranteed). I have never lived in a dorm room, I was spoiled in college and I had an apartment with my own room and bathroom. So I suppose at the ripe old age of 23 I will have to live with strangers and learn to compromise my space and privacy. I know this will be a fantastic (and maybe trying) way to start my life in a new country!

I need to whip my Hebrew skills into shape so that I can attend college in Israel. I am in the process of applying to Shenkar College of engineering and Design to study my passion; Graphic Design. By the way the classes are ENTIRELY in hebrew! I am so nervous and excited…but mostly excited!

Right now I want to go through all my stuff and start purging…but it’s too soon. I just want to be ready to go so I’m getting ahead of myself. I am already doing what I do best…researching! I am reading everything I can get my hands on about other young people’s experiences going through what I am going through!

I will continue to update as often as I can!