Friday, August 29, 2008

Just when you think you think you have it all under control...

you throw yourself a curve ball.

I was planning on making aliyah in January 2010 or possibly June 2010, if Eden would be ready to go then also. But I might end up moving a little earlier, as in possibly June 2009.

The only thing that's keeping me here that's changable is my finances. I won't make aliyah when I still have loans, I just won't.
So I'm planning on paying them off by May and...um...maybe making aliyah in June.

And I don't know...I know that I'm not happy here. Every time I keep thinking about making my aliyah sooner, I feel like...there's just a weight off of me.

I was talking to Maya today and she said I should sit on it for a while, get into the swing of work and see how that goes. I will-- I'm definitely not moving until after I pay off my loans.

The issue is how much I have saved before I go. I got 2 very different estimates on how much I need to have. One person said he heard $10,000 was enough for a year; someone else said that most Israelis live on about $2,000/month. The NBN website says estimate $1,260-$2,430/month. I would be coming with about $10,000 in savings-- about $6,000 from my salary over the year, plus $4,000 that I have otherwise.
I'm planning on going to Ulpan Etzion and living there, which is going to save a lot in the first 6 months.

I'm just worried about the money. I don't want to fall into the "I'll make aliyah when I have x amount in savings," but I'm not that worried because I'm not making my aliyah dependent on having a certain amount of savings, but rather time-dependent: I'm making aliyah by June 2010.

If I plan for June 2009 and have to push it off until January, so be it; I'll live. But I want to go as soon as I can. And I'm not cashing savings bonds to pay off my loans; those are for my wedding one day G-d willing, and for something like a down payment on a house or apartment. But not for this.

I'm actually scared shitless about this. But here goes anyway.
I'm planning on going to open a tik on October 13. I also have to call NBN to talk to them about financial assistance.
I don't want to take it, because then I'm obligated to them, but I'll see what they say. If I'm offered it and I take it, then I'm obligated to stay there for 3 years. Really I'm planning on staying there for life, so it's not like I'm not...but it's always scary to think, "Well, maybe I won't make it." Again, not going in thinking I won't be make it and won't live there until I die, but there's always that possibility somewhere in the back of your mind. And it's scary, and I want to do everything I can to prevent it, and for me that means coming with as much savings as I can. In that case, I should logically stay here. But something about Israel defies logic.

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