The Summer of '24

Before the summer is officially over, I’ve been wanting to look back on all the wonderful memories made in a very short amount of time. I don’t think it could have been better. We celebrated milestones, traveled and explored new territory, served at church and camp, opened our home to friends and neighbors, started and finished summer home projects, and had quality time with our kids. I still found time to read, cook, bake, clean, organize, purge, podcast binge, walk, and swim (maybe not swimming so much as soaking). I wrote two sets of Advent devotions which always forces me to dive deep into the Word. And finally as it all came to a close, it ended in the most fantastic of ways. 

Back in May, my last day of school was a Wednesday and on Thursday we got into the car to head up to Wisconsin for Hosanna’s high school graduation.  I did manage to write about it in the last blog post. It was just the most perfect of memories. When we returned home, we had a few days to prepare for Graduation party #2 for the Texas crowd whose turnout did not disappoint! We had a blast welcoming friends, church family, and neighbors to join us in celebrating her milestone and shared in the excitement of her next chapter of life. 

We were only home a few days when our next trip was scheduled. Earlier in the year I had been invited to speak at a ladies church event in Colorado. After agreeing to participate, I had spent the next months prepping, writing, practicing, etc. An invite to preach that Sunday had also been extended to Wayne and we were going to make a trip of it together. We flew to Denver on Thursday, the event was Saturday, and once service was over on Sunday we could both officially relax until we had to leave Colorado on Thursday. 

This trip was like being handed a fabulous vacation from the Lord that I didn’t have to plan. He used His people to do it and allowed the circumstances to fall into place. I had never vacationed in Colorado before so this was actually a place new to me and an adventure to share as a couple. Wayne and I spent more time together than we had in probably a year! We loved meeting our family in Christ from the Firestone (a Denver suburb) church where we were invited. The ladies event was such a precious time that had been carefully and thoughtfully organized and I was blessed to be a part of it. We stayed with our hosts, a fellow family in ministry, for the first half of our the trip and spent the second half in the mountains in a gorgeous mountainside home overlooking the continental divide.

We were able to explore Boulder, Estes Park, Loveland, and Nederland. We visited with friends from the area - some we hadn’t seen is years! We toured Celestial Seasonings, and enjoyed some local breweries.  We toured a gold mine! We did our version of “hiking” which is basically about walking on fairly level trails and taking pictures of ourselves with the mountains behind to prove that we legitimately hiked! 

So thankful for the Spiegelbergs who opened their home and hearts to us. We loved meeting their sweet daughters and continue to pray for the challenges they face. 

We returned to Texas only to hit the ground running with two weeks of camp at local Camp Shiloh. Dear friends from Ottawa days who now live in N. Carolina flew in to attend teen camp and they stayed with us on either end of camp. So fun to see how they’ve grown since we’d seen them last! They assured us that camp was a wonderful experience and they went home happy and a little tanner than when they arrived a week earlier. 

Our participation at the camp is pretty minimal actually compared to VBS in the past. I volunteer when needed in the cafeteria and Wayne does the opening service for both Teen and Youth Camp. It’s always fun to see familiar faces and everyone seems to love the camp vibe. I love being able to go home and sleep in my own bed with the air conditioning on! 

After camp finished, it was only a few days and we were off on our next adventure across the country in a difference direction. And once again it was just the two of us leaving the kids (and Buddy) behind. Will had finally gotten a full time job in the Texas Guard and he was getting ready to head to El Paso where he would work on the border. He moved most of his worldly goods out while we were gone and somehow managed to get it all in his car. He left his plant babies behind though and I’ve been tasked with keeping my grand plant babies alive until … I’m actually not sure until when. But I’m hoping that they will still be alive when he decided to come for them! Meanwhile Zanna was working her summer job at the local country club. She worked poolside bringing food and beverage orders to the sun bathers. This job was a welcome change from the previous summer’s Dairy Queen job but it had some downsides. It seemed like feast or famine depending on the day. If it was busy, she made money. If it wasn’t, she didn’t. She spent many 10 hour shifts outside in the sun trying to stay hydrated. But she interacted with a lot of people and still managed to have some days off to pursue other things. We sure enjoyed the short time that both kids were home and we were all together. Those days are few and far between! 

So anyway, Wayne and I headed off to S. Carolina to visit my parents and spend the 4th of July with them since that is both of our wedding anniversaries. The guys enjoyed golfing a few times, Mom and I enjoyed checking out the little towns around them. We all enjoyed sitting on their front porch with a cocktail and visiting.  The four of us also survived our first mall shooting while visiting the Augusta Mall in Augusta, GA. We were just trying to find something to do on the day of the 4th that would be air conditioned and we ventured to a very nice mall. It was nice until I heard gun shots and we all headed out the door of Barnes and Noble to make a run for it. So that was a bit more excitement than we expected!! 

Wayne and I squeaked in a little side trip while we were there. When I realized that Ashville, NC was only three hours away and that was where the Biltmore was, I begged my husband to take me! We found a really cute Airb&b to stay at and spent a day visiting the grounds and touring the mansion. It was a wonderful time and I hope to go back someday! 

On the way back we stopped for the night in Laurel, MS where the HGTV show “Hometown” is filmed. My dear husband once again humored me and allowed me to soak it all in while finding himself a comfy chair. 

Finally back at home once again, Wayne got back to work and I got back to a bunch of different things. Zanna and I enjoyed our time together going to the movies, shopping, and drinking too many Starbucks drinks after introducing me to the app and the coupons that come with it. We had so much fun handing out! We also spent a day meeting up with my sister in law and niece, Chantal and Claire, and had such a nice time together just the girls! 

I gardened and tried to keep the tomatoes and stuff going until I just couldn’t keep watering them anymore by mid summer when it totally dries up. I canned some blackberries and did blueberry jam this year to add to my repertoire. I completed some projects at church I've been wanting to get to.  I worked on reading the stack of books I started my summer with. We hosted get togethers with neighbors and friends. I worked on my presentation for the WELS Women’s Ministry conference. I also worked on putting together the next webinar for WM. 

I also worked on an “easy” home project that ended up requiring all hands on deck to finish. The small entryway that links the garage to the house is the family dumping ground but a needed area to be functional. When we first moved in, the previous owners had put in some make shift shelves and I put together some storage around it to make it work. It was fine but looked chaotic to me and I knew we could improve it. It’s the first thing I see when I walk in the door from work, which by nature is chaotic itself, so it was really bothering me and my goal was to tackle it this summer. With the help of Wayne and Zanna and a few tries to paint match at local hardware stores, we finally finished it and I’m very happy with it! 

The way I looked at it, I had two “end of summers”. One was the end of July because I started back to school August 1st. But the second end of summer would come the end of August when we’d bring Zanna to college in New Ulm, MN.  So my last trip before the start of school was the Women’s Ministry Conference in Milwaukee, WI. I flew in the night before and stayed with Skip and Karen in their new digs on the Seminary campus. It felt so familiar being in their home even if it was the first time. 16 years in Ottawa was a long time to share in friendship and one that continues now in distance. The next day was the start of the conference and my mom met me there. This was really the pièce de résistance of the summer!!! I’ve held a volunteer position on the executive board of WM for several years now and this is my second conference to participate in and not just attend. To see it come together and how the Lord orchestrated it’s final, beautiful outcome took my breath away. Around 500 women (and some men that were invited as speakers) descended on Milwaukee to connect with Christ, grow in Biblical wisdom, and learn how to speak the truth of Jesus to a world that desperately needs it! It was beautiful and left me with a cup overflowing!

Thankfully, I would need it because I started work the next day. The first two weeks are without kids so it’s like the calm before the storm. And I get paid the same whether there are kids there or not so I relish these two weeks. But it was different than the last few years and busier because of my new position as the computer keyboarding teacher. Now I’d have my own room to decorate and get ready and I must admit I had some fun with it:) So this year brings a lot of change and so far it’s been a welcome one at that. 

The second end of summer has come and gone and that was packing our sweet girl and all her possessions into two vehicles and heading north! This was her first major cross country drive and she did great. We also made a stop in Albert Lea, MN to see my grandma who is now 97! We brought pie from Perkins and had a lovely visit together before heading over to New Ulm. We made it through registration, the campus tour and parent meetings, the obligatory trip to Walmart to stock up on all things dorm life, the parent/teacher mixer, and the traditional tour of Schell’s Brewery culminating with the sampling of flavors. We met Mark and Tonya for lunch and had a much overdue visit with them. We stayed a night with the Thompson family who saved us from a night of undesirable local hotels and treated us to a french toast breakfast made by their son who is now old enough to work a stovetop! How did that happen?!  

We hugged our girl goodbye so she could officially start her college career and headed out of town for a stop in Branson, MO. Wayne and I spent a day at Silver Dollar City where I relived many childhood memories, many that seemed more exciting back then but isn’t that the way those things tend to be? Never mind, I still yelled “Fire in the Hole!” during the tame indoor roller coaster ride, was thrilled and got soaked on the “American Plunge”, walked through “Grandfather’s Mansion” at an angle, rode the “Frisco Silver Dollar Steam Train” and laughed remembering the trips we took with Grandma and Grandpa Nork. Wayne and I took the tour of “Mystic Cave” where I know that my mother would NEVER have gone but was so interesting. We ended the day at a local winery before going back to our Airbnb. 

And that was the end. The final end now that it’s officially Labor Day weekend. It was one of the best summers ever.

High School in the Rearview Mirror

 

It seems lately that I only have time to update the old blog when school’s out and we are celebrating a milestone. Both have happened in the past week so here I am!

I finished school last Wednesday and on Thursday morning I finally got around to packing and we hopped in the car to hightail it to Wisconsin for Hosanna’s high school graduation. I was really trying to pull this off with minimal planning on my part, praying that all would come together and I’m thrilled and grateful to report that it did! 

With Fran in the back seat of the Explorer and Will driving separately the next day (to keep his social options open), we were desperately hoping that all of Zanna’s worldly possessions she had collected over the four years of dorm living would fit in both vehicles without us having to rent a trailer to get it all back to Texas.  Let me tell ya, it was pretty touch and go for awhile. I may have repacked her stuff when she wasn’t looking. Swear words were possibly uttered by each of us at some point. My parents were the lucky recipients of some consumable items we just couldn’t stuff into a space. No one dare open the one side door for fear of an explosion of teenage girl random items. It was cozy. And when we dropped Fran off at the airport on our way out of town, the space she left was quickly filled. 

For this blessed event, we rented an Airbnb back in early winter (I’m impressed I managed to think that far ahead) so that whoever ended up coming could stay together. We had always struggled finding a decent hotel to stay in either in or near Watertown and since we had had such a good experience doing this for Will’s college grad in New Ulm a few years ago, we settled on going this route. We don’t have relatives in Wisconsin anymore and no place nearby to easily host an open house like so many of the graduates do, so the rental would also double as party central. What we didn’t know at the time we booked was that Rebekah (my sister) and her husband Tom were coming from the UK to join us in our celebration!!! It was soooooo special that they were there. But they stayed at a hotel (one of the less than exciting ones I alluded to earlier - however it helped that it was across the street from the outlet mall). 

I really don’t take the amount of pictures I used to. Basically I’m too tired coupled with a desire to not worry about taking photos and just focus on the moment. So I don’t have a single picture of this adorable home tucked into one of the old but charming neighborhoods of Watertown. It was a Victorian that the owner had renovated in keeping with the period. It was cozy, beautiful, and decorated with attention to detail. There were comfortable sitting areas inside and outside with a front porch and a back patio. It was perfect for our needs! Unfortunately I noticed in the binder that greeted us at the entrance that the first rule of the house was “no parties or events”. Being a self admitted rule follower, this bothered me to no end. But since the invites had already been given and the address circulated … too late!! So instead of a party or event, we just called it “people stopping by to visit”.

The first event to attend was the Friday night Commencement Concert. Because no one in my family gets anywhere early, it’s impossible to get a coveted chair on the floor so we were all relegated to the bleachers. I’m not going to lie, this was a little rough. It was cramped, never ending (almost three hours), and required us to sit through a lot of music and awards. Of course the highlight was when Hosanna was either part of the music being made or receiving a scholarship of which she was blessed with several. In that respect, it was a great night for our girl! She had worked extremely hard over the years to keep a high GPA and it paid off at the end. But the one scholarship she received that truly makes me proud as her mama is not one that rewards her for how smart and hard working she is, but the one that speaks more to her character and heart. Called the Christianos Agape Scholarship, the description reads “for a senior continuing in studies for ministry based on the humble demonstration of Christian love”. 

I regret not taking a picture of Wayne who was sitting behind me and in between my mother and his mother. I took a brain snapshot though and it’s humorous. We’re pretty sure he has ADD, especially when it comes to meetings, concerts, museums, speeches, and episodes of “When Calls the Heart”,  so this was pushing him to his limit. Being sandwiched between our moms was comical. When we were allowed a five minute “stretch break”, he flew out of there faster than I’ve ever seen him. We all knew it was coming and were impressed he lasted as long as he did. Having said that, my British brother in law, Tom, seemed to be truly impressed by what he was seeing and hearing and it was a good reminder as I saw it through his eyes. It’s pretty impressive to listen to high school students sing in four part harmony from memory, display dancing and acting talents, and play a variety of musical instruments. They are taught well and encouraged to grow in their unique abilities through a variety of opportunities on campus whether that is in the musical and plays, band and ensembles, or choirs and handbells. 

Saturday morning brought graduation day! We were met there by her godparents, Skip and Karen (from our Ottawa days and now they live nearby in Milwaukee). We worshipped God in the closing service and then watched her walk the stage to receive her diploma. So exciting! 

We did have picture time once we herded all the cats together. I regret that it was in front of the gross boys’ dorm but at least we took some photos to remember this day! It was now time to party. I mean, get ready for people to stop by.

Again, my preparation for this was minimal. I had called Jimmie Johns in Watertown to place an order for the “people stopping by to visit” as we were driving up from Texas. The other part of my plan was to just go to Aldi once we were in town and fill in with the basics. I had already discussed the cake issue with Zanna - that it might be hard to deal with the leftovers, etc and she decided that she’d rather have root beer floats anyway. Perfect! About a month earlier I had ordered from Amazon some 2024 graduate plates and napkins in her school colors and picked up coordinating plastic table clothes so we were in business! 

I couldn’t have done it without Mom and Fran who were put in charge of the fruit and veggie trays. Will picked up the JJ order. Tom and Bekah picked up ice on the way over from their hotel which was a great help. My Dad is always super helpful too and up for anything needing to be done. Will’s friend, Mike, was on trash duty which let me tell you is a big deal to a hostess not to have to worry about! 

We had many people come and go throughout the afternoon. Many of her teachers, professors, tutors, friends stopped by to congratulate her and wish her well. It was touching to hear how many lives she’s touched and made an impression. She spent the whole afternoon with her blue robe and tassels around her neck as she worked her way from guest to guest. I know everyone thinks their kid is something special but …. she’s really something special. 

Finally our chapter with LPS closes for our family. Both Will and Zanna have received an amazing Christian, classical education like no other. They’ve had experiences that have molded their characters and been taught by numerous Christian mentors who have honestly cared for their souls as only the Body of Christ can. We are grateful and thank God that they have spent their high school years in this environment. We would do it all again - but are thankful to be done! 

Next stop - MLC! 

Silver Takes the Cake

 

To say we were surprised is an understatement! Our sweet daughter took it upon herself to plan, delegate, and execute a surprise 25th anniversary party for us. After concocting her scheme, she brought in the needed assistance to pull off the smallest of details. The flowers, cake, and colors reflected our wedding day, July 4, 1998. Pictures displayed highlighted not just our wedding day but the 25 years of growing our family and sharing life together. There was an album table for guests to look through, cards for guests to send well wishes, and a service led by Wayne's brother, Jeff, where we studied the book of Ruth as a group and sang a few hymns led on the baby grand piano by my mom and Hosanna. 

This was also a huge deal for Zanna to pull off because she's not known to be great at keeping secrets. Boy, did she show us we were wrong!! 

Of course, there was a ton of food to enjoy that included brisket sandwiches and a plethora of salads and sides to enjoy. But we were especially blown away by all the people that came! Wayne's mom and brother flew in from Colorado (she was visiting the family there), his other brother and whole family came in from the Ft Worth along with his cousin and her daughter. My parents were there having already come to visit us during this time (what are the chances, wink, wink).  Several pastors and their wives or family came in from the DFW circuit. Our District President drove a total of 12 hours here and back to attend. We had a whole bunch of our neighbors come some of which I had just played pickelball with that morning and they never said a thing!!!   And our own members went above and beyond to decorate, prepare the food, set up and clean up, floral arranging, not to mention what happened behind the scenes. One member even made a stunning three layered cake!

We received thoughtful, lovely cards and even a few gifts which was totally unexpected. Zanna had reached out to some of our close friends around the country to let them know and it's been such a treat to hear from them! Earlier in the week we had received a beautiful bouquet of flowers from my sister and her husband in England. We also received a set of silver candlesticks originally given as a wedding gift to my grandparents, and then later as an anniversary gift for my parents' 25th, and now in our possession. 

Hosanna even put together a trivia game for our guests to play!

Honestly, the whole thing was pretty overwhelming. Later, we both agreed part of it was knowing that we're not that great and wondering why on earth everyone would make such an effort. All I can say is, we apparently have a lot of people in our lives willing to love us despite our underwhelming greatness. And if that's not grace, I don't know what is. 

I wish I could wax eloquent on marriage having put 25 years into ours. I guess I could say that this surprise anniversary party reminded us of what a full and meaningful life we've been blessed with that we honestly (and ashamedly) often take for granted. William gave a heartfelt speech on how much he recognizes how blessed his life is to have parents still together, and sweet Zanna (gifts are her love language) showed her love in the careful planning and execution of the party all done from her heart. We have pretty spectacular kids! Our extended family surrounding us and rejoicing with us reminded us of how blessed we are to such a supportive and loving family on both of our sides. Wayne's pastor friends and their wives I've come to know and love are a gift in and of themselves. No one else really understands the uniqueness of the pastoral ministry like other pastors! The support we receive from his district president is another huge gift from God. Our neighbors are amazing. I love living life with them through our book clubs, pickle ball games, Christmas parties, and even when the power goes out for days and we rally around each other to make sure everyone is taken care of. And our church family. We don't deserve their commitment and unwavering support but they keep giving it to us. They've known us for five years now so it's not like they haven't clued into our faults and yet they continue to love us. 

That's pretty much marriage too - by now we're both well versed in each other's flaws and ugliness and yet we still stay committed to those vows we took a quarter of a century ago. It's reminding each other not just where we left the car keys but who we are in Christ. It's finishing the end of one another's sentences, still laughing at his jokes,  and forgiving as we've been forgiven. It's seeing the best in the other even when it's hard to see. It's hard to remember a time we weren't "Wayne and Rachel". Of course, it's getting hard to remember anything - haha! Now, where did I put my reading glasses?

“When over the years someone has seen you at your worst, and knows you with all your strengths and flaws, yet commits him- or herself to you wholly, it is a consummate experience. To be loved but not known is comforting but superficial. To be known and not loved is our greatest fear. But to be fully known and truly loved is, well, a lot like being loved by God. It is what we need more than anything. It liberates us from pretense, humbles us out of our self-righteousness, and fortifies us for any difficulty life can throw at us.” Tim Keller

Here's to the next 25!!

Israel: Part 4 - My Takeaways

So now that I’ve been to Israel and back, I’ve had some time to process what it meant to me, any insight I gained, and maybe even a little bit of how it might impact me going forward. 

It was the craziest thing because going into it, I hadn’t really been super excited or had many expectations. Truth be told, I just really prayed that the Iron Dome I had heard so much about was working really well. Regardless, the only thing I had to go on was that every single person I’ve ever met that has been there before says the same thing -  “It’s changed my life.”  And I do mean every single person. I cannot recall otherwise. That’s a pretty strong statement! What does that even mean? (I probably should have pursued that a bit more than I did) I can’t speak for anyone else but myself, of course. 

I loved that we went during the season of Lent. It’s already a time in the church year that we retrace the steps Jesus took in his life here on earth and the sacrifices that he made because he loves us so much. We are already following the eyewitness testimonies of those who actually knew him, saw his miracles, and can attest to the truth of his claims as true God and true Man. We’ve already spent the last few weeks leading up to this trip singing my favorite Lenten songs like “Go to Dark Gethsemane” and “Jesus, I Will Ponder Now” and I’ve contemplated my part in putting Christ on that cross with my own sins. Lent is by its very purpose “going back in time” to focus on what Christ did for us 2,000 years ago: his perfect life, death, and resurrection. His plan of salvation for all people. 

Being in Israel highlighted for me that God Himself came to mankind’s time and place - that which he created. We go back in time every Lent as best we can without a quantum leap but through his Word. Here I am now, 2,000 years later, in the place he lived, died, and rose again - in Israel. God was here in the flesh. 

Side note and fun fact: My first dance with Wayne 27 years ago was to the Joan Osborne song “What if God was One of Us?”.  Not my personal choice to forever remember the first dance with my future husband but that’s what we got. It goes like this:

… If God had a name what would it be?

And would you call it to his face?

If you were faced with Him in all His glory

What would you ask if you had just one question?

… And yeah, yeah, God is great

Yeah, yeah, God is good

Yeah, yeah, yeah-yeah-yeah

… What if God was one of us?

Just a slob like one of us

Just a stranger on the bus

Tryin' to make his way home?

Oddly enough, these song lyrics came up in my brain a couple times during our trip and I couldn’t help but ask myself Did she miss it? Because that’s what God did. He came down here from heaven and lived among mankind for 33 years. There may not have been a bus for him to ride back then but does a donkey count? If she’s looking for a God that can relate to the human experience then Jesus is it! Unfortunately, she’s not the only one across the ages that missed it. People all over Israel and the Middle East have missed it too with consequences that require an Iron Dome but the other side of eternity will be far worse without a Savior. 

Being in the Holy Land was a profound experience. Jesus, God’s own Son, came here. I may not be able to go back in time other than in my mind but coming to the space he inhabited on earth has allowed me to read familiar passages in a new light. I are overwhelmed with a God who would come HERE. I can only say a meager “thank you” to him. Thank you for all of it. Thank you for loving us so much that it motivated you to keep going, to keep putting up with it all, for never stopping because it was the only way to save us from an eternity apart form you. Thank you for the forgiveness, life, and salvation you give us. Thank you. 

Israel: Part 3 - Behind the Scenes

I know I haven’t kept the blog updated very well since I started my Teacher’s Aide position last fall. That would be in large part due to my being exhausted every single day. Whatever, that’s fine nor is it a complaint. I’ve actually really been enjoying it! Part of what I enjoy is the variety each day brings. Occasionally I find myself on the Party Bus with Kinder and 1st graders headed to Cici’s Pizza (don’t let the name fool you. There was no liquor involved nor was it my version of a party). Other times I get to come along on field trips. Our Israel Trip was a major deja vu moment when I realized that this time I’m the Kindergartener on the field trip and our guide, Ori, is the role I usually hold . The following situations are what tipped me off:

Here’s a bathroom! Everyone go even if you don’t feel like it!  I swear I say this every day to my Kinders. Not just on a field trip. 

2, 4, 6, 8, 10 ….21,22,23. Ok, let’s go!  My biggest fear on a field trip is to not come back with all the students I’m responsible for. Hence the counting. 

Everyone wait here! … as Ori runs into a store once he’s convinced we probably won’t wander off. He comes out of the store with a stack of cups and two containers of juice. He senses we’re in need of a mid morning break, something cold and wet, and a little bit of a sugar rush. We all thankfully oblige and drink the juice like 5 year olds. But he’s right! We’re all ready to go now! Off to the City of David … 

Everyone wait here!  … as Ori once again leaves us to go speak to a man behind a counter. Suddenly he opens up a standing freezer and starts doling out popsicles in the shape of watermelons on a stick. This guy is good. He’s got the popsicle trick down to a tee and knows exactly how to use it.  We are suddenly content and all is right with the world. 

Help yourself! ….As he passes around pretzels, waffle cookies, and juice. We literally just ate a buffet breakfast but he knows that lunch will be a little later today and is trying to nip any complaining in the bud. Thinking ahead. Well played, Ori.  An added surprise - the bus driver arrives with a pot of very strong coffee (I’m not sure how he managed that out in nature?) and those that drink coffee were made extra happy by the caffeine burst. 

And so I have a new appreciation for how all of these tricks work. I have now been on the receiving end and know how valuable they are for a successful field trip to work. These three things are of utmost importance: Regular potty stops, not losing anyone, and keeping everyone fed and hydrated. Bring on the field trips ... 

Israel: Part 2 -Traveling Tidbits

 Lessons learned during traveling:

Assume something unfortunate will keep you from your luggage at some point. This has happened to me before and it’s miserable when you’ve worn the same clothes for over 24 hours and have the grime of airplane travel on your skin. I learned long ago to bring absolute necessities in my carry on. For me that includes: clean underwear, toothpaste and toothbrush, deodorant, phone charger, my minimal makeup bag of powder and lipstick and a hair pick (comb or brush). Between my carry on and Wayne’s (because the two have become one in marriage as do our carry ons) we had those absolute necessities when American Airlines kicked us off the plane in the middle of the night in New York City. 

We already had a just before midnight flight from JFK so I was ready for a nap going into it. Everything was normal and we boarded the flight on schedule. Because it was cold, miserable weather for the end of February (sure don’t miss that!), they had to de-ice the plane which can take awhile. I didn’t care. I was ready to sit back, relax, eat the meal they promised they’d feed us, and sleep. Until then I plugged into their entertainment system and watched myself a movie, not even realizing we hadn’t gone anywhere for an hour and a half. They announced something about a part of the plane being a problem that they were looking into. Blah blah blah later…. and we were told to get off the plane and get in line for some hotel, taxi, and food vouchers and we’d try this all again at 3pm. 

Long story short, it never occurred to me to stick a coat in my carry on because it was warm in Texas when we left and it was going to be warm in Israel when we got there so what did I need a coat for? Well, Rachel, you’ll need one when you’re standing outside of JFK at 2am in the snow and freezing temperatures while Wayne tries to convince a taxi driver to take you to the hotel that you’re pretty certain is not going to be the Hilton. Thankfully I have a husband who did pack a jacket and gave it to me to wear while he stood there in a t-shirt. #blessed

While I was super grateful to have all the above mentioned necessities, I did not wash my hair (no dryer or hairspray so why bother) and I still had on the same clothes I started in. It wasn’t pretty but could have been worse. Once we arrived in Tel Aviv,  I did my best to hide in the back when someone wanted to take a group picture once we arrived at the airport. No way would I be caught dead in a photo. 

Amazon items that rocked my world: I hemmed and hawed about whether to bring my DSLR with and lug it all over the country but in the end I did and I couldn’t have done it without the camera sling backpack (item linked is similar)  I had gotten for Christmas a few years ago. It not only kept my camera safe but had plenty of room for all my other bits and pieces I needed. I loved it! 

I finally jumped on the packing cube train and ordered a 6 piece set. It’s now and forever my travel love language. I have a bag for pants, one for tops, one for pj’s, one for underwear/socks, one for swim suits. I roll everything up nice and neat, I can see what I have instead of digging down to the bottom. What have I done without it all these years? Never again. 

Toiletry Skins are made to fit tightly over your toiletries (duh) and keep them from leaking. What took me so long? How did I not know about these? When I recall all the times my stupid shampoo leaked all over the place … Sure, they look like toiletry prophylactics but they get the job done. 

Something to read or listen to: The Orphan Collector by Ellen Marie Wiseman - ya’ll. So. Good. Historical fiction set in Philadelphia during the Spanish Flu. The Mother-in-Law by Sally Hepworth - very apropos while on holiday with my mother-in-law - haha. Also very interesting. A bit of a mystery! Listened to the audio of this one. 

Sleep when you can. I really didn’t have horrible jet lag and I’m pretty sure it’s because I slept when I could and didn’t wear a watch. I always wear a watch so this was a big deal for me. But who cares what time it is back in Texas if I’m in Israel? It also helps that I’m a pretty awesome sleeper. So I slept both ways on the airplane. We also went to bed at a decent time every evening since we’re old now and know that getting up early in the morning will only be harder if we stay up to late. Even with all that sleep though, every time I got in that dang comfortable bus, even if it was for 15 minutes down the road, I would inevitably start to doze off. Honestly, I was starting to feel like I had bus narcolepsy. I wanted to stay awake and look out the window but before I knew it my head was bobbing up and down and I may have started drooling. But hey, some of these days we were walking 6 miles or more so if I was inspecting the back of my eyelids now and then, who could blame me? Sleep when you can. 

So that’s my travel wisdom to share with you. You’re welcome. Happy travels!