When we first moved to Tel Aviv, I wrote a blog about my first impressions of the city. Six months later, I've had time to explore the city, interact with locals, and notice trends both interesting and bizarre. In this post, I'd like to mention a few things people traveling to Tel Aviv should know in addition to other random observations I've made.
One of the best parts about living in Tel Aviv is the relatively cheap cost of travel. Coronavirus may have hindered some of our European travel plans, but that hasn't stopped us from making several trips throughout the country. We were originally on the fence about shipping our car here, but it turned out to be a smart move. Israel is only the size of New Jersey, so a large portion of the country is reachable after only two hours in the car. In those hours, you'd be amazed at how fast the landscape can change. Whether it's sand and deserts (south), luscious green hills and mountains (north), or leafy forests (east), I'm always amazed by what I see so soon outside Tel Aviv.
A few weeks back, an electrical fire in our building caused smoke to flood the hallways and led to our rushed evacuation. I was only minutes away from finishing a batch of beer I was brewing, but abandoned that project as Misha tried to see where the sirens were coming from. A message from our... Continue Reading →
This morning, the government announced that from 4pm Tuesday through 7am Friday, people are not allowed to travel between cities. Additionally, people are not allowed to leave the house from 4pm Tuesday until 7am Thursday. If they do, they will be arrested. These rules go into place two days before Passover, with the government attempting to stop movement of the coronavirus ahead of a holiday that traditionally brings people together.
Talk about a crazy start to Misha's career with the State Department. First there was the shutdown. Then there were the impeachment proceedings, which included multiple members of the diplomatic community. And now this: a global pandemic.
Misha, Mochi and I arrived safe and sound in Tel Aviv just before President's Day Weekend. The timing couldn't have worked out any better. Our first full day here was spent at the Embassy Branch Office receiving briefings, but we then had three days to relax and overcome the jet lag over the long weekend.... Continue Reading →
What a whirlwind the last year has been. It feels like only yesterday Misha got the call to join the Foreign Service. It's crazy to think that only a year ago Misha was going through A-100 in DC while I was planning my Massachusetts exit strategy.
This past November, Misha and I were lucky enough to host a party for our friends and family at the 3 Stars brewery. It was a wonderful evening complete with great food, music, friends and beer. 3 Stars was gracious enough to work with me and come up with a beer recipe for the event,... Continue Reading →
I received a request for more about our dog, Mochi. I post about her fairly often on Instagram, but have only mentioned her briefly on here so far. She has a led a pretty interesting, if not challenging, life so far. For those who have yet to meet her, here's a little more on our... Continue Reading →
The most exciting and nerve-racking day of this whole process was Flag Day. It's not even close. Following the events in the post "Now What?!", we went through a bidding process to determine what country we would be assigned to. We can only share general details, but the list of potential posts was slightly longer... Continue Reading →
Beer and Diplomacy 
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