we are a lot of things, but we aren't crazy..

I took my ulpan final test last week. I felt really confident afterward, actually I think I should have taken the test for one level higher because the test was pretty easy. Good thing it doesn't actually count for anything except for my own personal assessment of my level of Hebrew right now...which is going to change after a week of being in the army anyway. We still have class until the 14th, minus three days next week for the holiday of Shavuot. No one is going to class anymore really so it's a nice private lesson with like 6 of us each day. I've also been babysitting a lot which is good because I need the money and it keeps me busy, and the kids are adorable!

Speaking of the army...I went to the recruitment office last week for the 3rd time and finally got the ball rolling. I had a mini interview with the nicest guy named Amos. He sent in my request to enlist (because I am volunteering, I am not being drafted since I'm a girl over 20). The request was approved by his commander and should be approved by the head of recruitment for the army this week. Amos told me that hopes my request is approved with no problems because "at hamuda" which means...you're a cutie. To which I replied, thank you, but I'm not sure that will help me get into the army. I spoke with Amos in Hebrew the whole time! go me! So once my request is approved I can have my testing day, hopefully next week, where I have an interview to assess my Hebrew level and some tests to see what jobs are fit for me. My friend Daniel is being a great help and using his connections in the army for me so hopefully the two of us together can get me into a good job! I'm still trying to enlist this summer.

I am moving out of my ulpan, and Jerusalem, on June 15th. I will be moving up north with my sister for the summer, until she goes to the states in August. And yes, that means I'll be living on the beach for the summer :). I am not entirely sure if I will then move in with our adopted family in the north or come back to Jerusalem, it depends on a few things including when I am enlisting and such. Right now it looks like at least by November, when Allie gets back from the states, we will move in together in Jerusalem.

Everything is going really well here, I'm excited to move on to the next step (and get into the army already!). 5 months already, as of yesterday.

And I'll end with this: a lot of people in Italy (Itamar's friends from school there) could not understand why I moved to Israel. It seemed so foreign to them. A lot of people don't understand why we (all those that fit in the category) would move to Israel, especially from a country like the US. This song came on my IPOD the other day and I looked at it in a different light for the first time. Instead of seeing it from the point of view of a boy and a girl in a relationship I saw "we" as all of my friends here and everyone else who made aliyah..

we were young, we were wild, we were restless
had to go, had to fly - had to get away
took a chance on that feelin’ - baby
we were lovin’ blind - borderline reckless
we were livin’ for the minute we were spinnin’ in
maybe, we were a lot of things
but we weren't crazy