I want to go to Israel

I am drawn to visit Israel. I've been tossing this around for years. A decade. Maybe even longer. Two decades. Every time we (husband and I) talk about it, we say, Let's wait until it's safe.

Well, I'm not getting any younger. And sadly, Peace in the Middle East doesn't seem to be getting any closer. Kids have flown the coop and are both on solid paths. Knock on wood. God willing.  I love them and adore them and rejoice that they are close to us, yet independent and strong and really cool people.

Back to me.

I've been in bible studies since college. Studied the steps of Jesus, the Ascestion Psalms, the Gospels, the Apostles, the Prophets.  I've watched The Passion, The Gospel of John, Jesus Christ Superstar, and The Jesus Film.  I've watched videos of bible studies filmed on location. Looked at maps in the back of bibles and Googled  'Mount of Olives and 'Sea of Galilee'.  I've led bible studies.  I love bible studies. I feel electrically alive with a bible open on my lap talking with other women. But please note, I don't know everything. That's not my goal. My goal is to be in God's presence, to know Him better. Which is a goal I need to keep voicing out loud to myself, as I can get side tracking into the comfortable world of academia so easily.

Last year during an Advent Bible Study I led a group of compassionate women on a ten minute guided meditation based on Luke.  Of the shepherds outside Bethlehem visited by angels, then they walked into Bethlehem to see the baby in the manger, then they returned to the hills and the sheep. With our eyes closed we laid down on the rocky grassy hillside beside the stone wall, looked up at the multitude of stars and thanked God for His gift. We smelled the sheep's damp wool, felt the cool night air. We felt dust remaining on our feet from the streets of Bethlehem. We could hear the background night sounds of a small town crowded with census-visitors.

I have never been to Israel in real life. I want to go there.

Got a test result from a doctor in December. It wasn't so bad. It was one that she said we would revisit in six months, see what it said in June. Blah. And while we are on the subject (of me),  I've a torn meniscus that's been healing slowly over seven months. S-l-o-w-l-y. And just had neurosurgery in right arm to correct nerve damage from Chemo port two years ago.  Ouchy.  But getting so much better now. Yippee.

I'm not getting any younger.
So what's wrong with going now?
Give me a good reason not to go now?
Hmmm.
Okay, give me a really, really good reason, one that is stronger than my desire to go now.
Ha, you see. Silence.
Hard to use logic against heart's desire.
And Ziva David will protect me, if she isn't needed at NCIS.

No time like the present, I say.
Well, no time like in three months, I say.

Question: Who abducted the old Sara and replaced me with this impetuous traveler. The old me researched destinations, hotels, restaurants endlessly. Made exhaustive charts of pros versus cons of spots and we discussed and then chose.

Not in this case. Chose a tour and date with one visit to the internet. Called them up, booked it two days later. Abercrombie and Kent, Israel: Crossroads of History. Note, we did wait two days to finally book so that was responsible, right?  And we have gone on tours with them in the past that were excellent.

Air flights were a different story. I researched them for a week (www.Hipmunk.com). So glad we did. Found that we could go flat-seat first class on USAir, and that it was bunches cheaper to go through Athens. So we are staying five nights in Athens, then hopping to Tel Aviv .. still arriving a day early for our tour.  Mike agrees. Mike, who has suffered through years of business travel, doesn't like air flights. But he graciously endures. So he says, If we are flying all the way to the Middle East, let's visit somewhere else in addition to Israel. We thought of Rome but we were there for a glorious week two summer ago. Athens, here we come!

As this is a trip I want to savor, I will blog all details. Helps me to remember. Please forgive all my details if they bore you. These are not the highlights I would tell people over lunch, they are the notes I  am keeping for myself.

You are welcome to wander along with me.
If not, I wish you peace!