On September first 2020 I flew to Israel to start living together with my girlfriend Aviya. Now, almost 2 months later, let’s look at how things are and how great the love for one another is.
The first blog post that mentioned my departure was on moving day. Literally stepping Into The Great Unknown and starting a new life in a different country with the one I loved. Was it all worth it? How does life look in Israel for me currently? Let’s answer all these questions in a flashback after 2 months of living here.
Is moving for love worth the risk?
Yes! To me I can only answer this question with a firm yes. When we started the process to move to Israel we already knew it would be fine. We loved each other very much and with every time we saw each other we grew closer.
So from the moment I arrived in Israel to actually live here it felt normal to share an apartment with the person I loved. In that regard it has been the best 2 months of my life. Spending so much time together and seeing each other every day.
Of course it is a risk to leave everything behind in your home country to move for a girl you only saw for about 24 days in real life. But the fact we texted all day, every single day, and called almost every day makes you connect with someone as well. In fact we never had an issue adapting to living together. It was from day one the most natural thing.
How did Aviya and I meet?
We met in London at a Bon Jovi concert in June of 2019. It instantly clicked and since then we are a happy couple. Read the full Bon Jovi concert review and how we met here.
Is Israel dangerous?
Israel is an extremely safe country to be in. Yes the media has a certain way of sometimes portraying a country. But in reality that isn’t always how things are within the country. Israel is one of the safer places to live in when it comes to crime, it barely happens here. People are very respectful towards each other and are just living with each other like any other European country.
In the last few months Israel has set a step forward with signing a lot of peace agreements with different countries and that will only help with stability and making this a better place. So to sum up, Israel is a safe country to live in and I never felt unsafe or in danger whatsoever.
Is Israel a nice place to live?
Currently it is not as straightforward to answer. As I moved to Israel during a massive global pandemic, current life doesn’t reflect the past times and fingers crossed the future.
However I do enjoy the place we live in. We live in Ramat Gan and only 5 minutes by bicycle from the biggest park in Tel Aviv and 25 minutes from the sea. I love going to the beach and cycling through the park so for me it is a great location. We live close to the mall and cinema, but currently they are closed so fingers crossed they open soon too. Our apartment really feels like home and as we are waiting for IKEA to open again to buy the last missing chair and lamp we are all done decorating. Yes we got an IKEA here and yes they sell their famous hotdogs for little money here too.
Obviously the weather is always amazing with so far zero days of rain (sorry not sorry) and I love the nature here. It is different from home, but Israel offers a great amount of history and nature parks. So with the country opening up I can’t wait to explore more and share it on my blog.
How are the people in Israel?
The people in Israel are like most places in the world: very helpful and nice. However once you put them in a car the kind facade is gone and their patience level is below zero. On a daily basis I see people get frustrated with someone that waits a millisecond too long at the traffic light to see them park 50 meters further away and be all happy and/or neutral. So yeah people are generally nice.
What does my day to day look like?
My day to day life isn’t as exciting as you might think. I’m not allowed to work as I don’t have a work permit. We are currently waiting on the interview to get all that stuff, so once that is approved I can look for a job.
I do a lot of writing and housekeeping.. cleaning the place and doing the wash, etc. Next to that I cycle a lot and try to see something from Tel Aviv and surrounding areas. Aviya is obviously working throughout the week so during weekdays I’m the king of the place. Social events aren’t happening (guess why…) right now so it’s difficult to meet new people.
Can I speak Hebrew?
No I can’t. I wanna learn it and understand the basics as best as possible. So far I manage pretty well as most Israelis have a good understanding of the English language.
Do I miss my home country?
Of course! Some days more than others, but of course you miss home and seeing your parents, dog, family and friends. Luckily with the power of the internet it is very easy to connect back to home.
In short I love being here and with Aviya. The global pandemic makes things harder than it should, but then again I would have been in the same boat if I was in the Netherlands right now. So were all the moments waiting to move to Israel worth it? In Isreality yes it really was.
More blog posts
Read all about my adventures in Israel here! Also don’t forgot to follow me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
I love to see your pictures and to read your text. It reminds me of how I began my Israel story many years ago. You look both so happy and this means a lot. Wish you all the luck in the world.
Wat een geweldig en liefdevol avontuur. Veel geluk samen toegewenst 👍👍