Chanuka and A New Year

Chanuka came and passed, and overall it was nice. My last couple of Chanukas in Toronto were really just normal days with candle lighting at night since I had school and classes. Although I had work throughout, it was nice to have a Chanuka atmosphere on the streets, instead of a "Holiday" atmosphere in חו"ל - which is just a PC way of saying Christmas.

The last night of Chanuka I had to light inside because there was a storm

I got to see some family from the USA, saw some extended family in Israel, spent Shabbat Chanuka with new and old friends and family in Jerusalem, and went to a Chanuka party in Herziliya. 

Although the Jewish new year passed a couple of months in תשרי, Israel doesn't exist in a vacuum (although at times it seems like it does), so New Years is still felt here, especially since Herziliya has a "college town" feel and Tel Aviv is Tel Aviv. For New Years, I made drinks at a friend's apartment and then went out for dinner. I've never really reflected or did a summary on my year during the civil new year but seeing so many posts on Facebook and after experiencing so many new things I thought it would be a nice thing to do.

Where was I on January 2022? It feels like almost a lifetime ago. But thanks to my phone and my photo gallery, I can see that I got my Covid-19 booster shot at the beginning of January 2022 (insert triggering memories here). In February I got to travel to New Jersey and New York where, and in April my sister and brother-in-law came for Pesach with their dog!

Such a good girl (Nova!)

April also happened to be the month that I completed my undergraduate degree 😪. At the beginning of May, I took the LEED Green Associate test and passed with flying colours, and at the end of May I took a short trip to Montreal where I spoke at a Canadian national architecture conference AND my (as of this post) youngest nephew was born! Both of these events happened on my birthday as well! At the beginning of June I went back to New Jersey for my nephew's ברית מילה and at the end of June I went on a camping trip in northern Ontario with two friends.

A view from one of the hikes on the trip

July I took yet another trip to New Jersey/New York to say goodbye and see you later to friends and family, and in the middle of August I took the leap and made aliyah🇮🇱. In September, while also still getting used to my new surroundings and environment, I began my first professional job (excluding my experience as a student). October was my first experience in Israel as a citizen spending the major chagim and at the end of the month, one of my good friends from childhood got married 🎉. November 1st was election day, and at the end of November I got to see my sister and brother-in-law. Lastly, December was Chanuka🕎.

Before typing the above all out, it didn't seem like I did so much or that I was so busy. But now that I mapped things out and have it written and separated, I'm exhausted by just reading it🤣.

There are so many things that I have done this year that 2021 me wouldn't think that I'd be able to do. I would say that the lesson and advice that I'd give myself for the upcoming year and to anyone else that cares to read this (or take advice from me) is that be spontaneous, don't be afraid to take risks because you may live life in regret, and to also know that you're alot more resilient than you think💪.

Anyways, this post is getting quite long so I am gonna end it here. Thanks for staying tuned! Until next time✌️.