Israel Days 7-10: Lazy Hotel Livin'

Our flight leaves tonight, so our perfect vacation is about to come to an end. We saw some awesome sights, ate delicious food, and spent quality time with Tom (and met his great girlfriend, Kaley). I'm going to miss the food of Israel: hummus, falafel, marinated olives, halvah (a snack made of pressed sesame seeds and sugar, delicious with nuts or chocolate or even just plain), pita, shakshouka, breads and spreads, dates, figs, pomegranates, Kinder Bueno, Magnum ice cream bars, etc. (I'm dreading the scale when we get home--this has been a very indulgent vacation!)

An example of what comes out before the appetizers (sure beats American-style rolls and butter):


When we lost our Terrain Trek Tour Guide Tom, Zach and I reverted to our natural vacation state: pure hotel laziness. We stayed close to our luxurious accommodations, venturing out only for meals, shopping, and trips to the beach. It has been glorious! We had the best of both worlds on this vacation--awesome sight-seeing AND decadent relaxing, neither of which would have been possible if our little man was here. Don't get me wrong--we miss him terribly and can't wait to get home to him, but it has been very nice to have a few days for just the two of us. A big thank you to my parents for taking good care of Dan while we're in Israel; I had absolutely no worries about his well-being!

The view from our hotel room:


Gorgeous Tel Aviv:


Goodbye, vacation:

We arrive back in North Carolina on Wednesday, where my parents and aunt will meet us at the airport with Dan. On Thursday, our household goods will be delivered, so we'll get to start unpacking. On Friday, Zach, Dan, and I head to Buffalo for a wedding and to see Zach's family. My parents and aunt fly back to Kansas and Oklahoma on Sunday. Then, we get back from Buffalo the next Thursday. Only then will we be back to reality--Zach back to work while Dan and I get the house put together. As soon as we're settled, we'll be ready for visitors, so start planning your trip to the Carolina coast!