For parents - is being on vacation, really being on vacation?
Day 7 in Israel with the two munchkins. Hubbie is back home in Los Angeles, working, playing, taking care of the daily responsibilities of the house/business. And enjoying the freedom of being single (no wife, no kids) for the first time in 12 years! Am I envious. No. Would I want to change places with him? Sure! Though this trip with the kids has brought me much pleasure and lessons.
Lesson #1 - Check passports before you book your trip, not the morning of the flight when your husband goes to the bank security deposit box where they are kept only to return and announce that yours and your oldest daughter's US passports expired in february! Luckily, as we have dual citizenship we can fly to Israel with our Israeli passports. We only need our US passports to return to the US.
Lesson #2 - Check passports again! Driving to the airport 3 1/2 hours before the flight, find out the oldest daughter's Israeli passport expired 10 days ago! Bee-line to Israeli consulate where 50 tense and embarrassing minutes later, they miraculously issue us a new one. Leave the Israeli consulate with kind words and a smile from the woman who helped us, "Don't you know, you don't leave these kind of arrangements to the men?" I assure her, I will never make the same mistake again
Lesson #3 - Keep breathing when dealing with US embassy beauracracy. The instruction are to contact them since they do not take walk-ins. You need an appointment. Calling the telephone number listed, get message that they are not accepting phone calls and to go to the website to set up an appointment. The automatic appointment system's earliest spot is in August - 15 days after I return to the US! Get to the Embassy to find out I need a notarized consent form from my husband in America to get oldest daughter's passport issued. Am told that appointments were issued for July 16th, to check back with automatic system as they can't give me an appointment date there! Get home and check system to find no appointments in July!
BREATHE! Wake up next morning at 6am and find - MIRACLE OF MIRACLES - an appointment date of July 21st. Book it!
Lesson #4 - The Mediterranean Sea in July is beautiful - clear water, lukewarm, and dangerous! Jellyfish - while not visible will sting you. And it burns. And peeing on the burn relieves the pain. And peeing on eachother is definitely a family bonding moment!
Lesson #5 - Don't tip Israeli taxi drivers ever! Half of them aren't local and don't know where to go and will take you for a ride! Arrange price before you start trip.
All in all - we are having a great time seeing family and friends. With the major weak dollar - it is a challenge to keep within a budget - a coffee and a cafe runs you $4. A kid's meal is $10. Groceries are more expensive than in the US! Don't know how they do it here as they don't make as much as we do.
Wishing you all the best summer ever, see you in August! Hope to write soon - we'll see when I will be next to a computer next!
Lesson #1 - Check passports before you book your trip, not the morning of the flight when your husband goes to the bank security deposit box where they are kept only to return and announce that yours and your oldest daughter's US passports expired in february! Luckily, as we have dual citizenship we can fly to Israel with our Israeli passports. We only need our US passports to return to the US.
Lesson #2 - Check passports again! Driving to the airport 3 1/2 hours before the flight, find out the oldest daughter's Israeli passport expired 10 days ago! Bee-line to Israeli consulate where 50 tense and embarrassing minutes later, they miraculously issue us a new one. Leave the Israeli consulate with kind words and a smile from the woman who helped us, "Don't you know, you don't leave these kind of arrangements to the men?" I assure her, I will never make the same mistake again
Lesson #3 - Keep breathing when dealing with US embassy beauracracy. The instruction are to contact them since they do not take walk-ins. You need an appointment. Calling the telephone number listed, get message that they are not accepting phone calls and to go to the website to set up an appointment. The automatic appointment system's earliest spot is in August - 15 days after I return to the US! Get to the Embassy to find out I need a notarized consent form from my husband in America to get oldest daughter's passport issued. Am told that appointments were issued for July 16th, to check back with automatic system as they can't give me an appointment date there! Get home and check system to find no appointments in July!
BREATHE! Wake up next morning at 6am and find - MIRACLE OF MIRACLES - an appointment date of July 21st. Book it!
Lesson #4 - The Mediterranean Sea in July is beautiful - clear water, lukewarm, and dangerous! Jellyfish - while not visible will sting you. And it burns. And peeing on the burn relieves the pain. And peeing on eachother is definitely a family bonding moment!
Lesson #5 - Don't tip Israeli taxi drivers ever! Half of them aren't local and don't know where to go and will take you for a ride! Arrange price before you start trip.
All in all - we are having a great time seeing family and friends. With the major weak dollar - it is a challenge to keep within a budget - a coffee and a cafe runs you $4. A kid's meal is $10. Groceries are more expensive than in the US! Don't know how they do it here as they don't make as much as we do.
Wishing you all the best summer ever, see you in August! Hope to write soon - we'll see when I will be next to a computer next!
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