It's been a while - far too long in fact since I last sat down in front of the computer and shared my thoughts. It's partly due to laziness and partly due to working pretty hard - I'm rarely home before 7 these days - may not seem so bad but I've been used to 8 - 4 for the last 6 years. I'm amazed at how many people keep coming back - thank you for your support. Mainly however my silence has been due to deciding how to share our big news.
For the last 8 months or so, I've undergone interviews (with and without Mrs G) psychometric testing, selection work shops, and session after session, week by week of a pre-course.
The upshot of it all however has been worth it - in August, Mrs G and I will, all things being equal, be going on Shlichut for 2 - 3 years. It couldn't have come at a better time - things haven't been so great at work for me, Mrs G is finishing up her degree and the pitter patter of little Gs has not been heard yet (although I suspect that my mother in law won't let us back in the country without at least one addition!)
The feelings have been mixed however; we're at a good place in life with lots of friends around including G Junior and his Mrs G who made Aliyah not long ago. We are active in our shul and Mrs G has been beating back job offers for next year - in short however, there is never going to be a perfect time to take up an overseas posting and this is about as close to it as we can get.
I've just come back from meeting with the person who I'll be taking over from and liked what I saw in terms of the city and community and the work that he's done - now it will be up to me to build on it - I have certain advantages which he lacked - particularly being able to speak a mother tongue English - the BBC accent is a bonus when dealing with Americans - it sounds so correct.
I wouldn't want to leave Israel for any other reason than Shlichut - I see it as a mission and hopefully I'll succeed in the targets that I'm setting myself. We'll both have family close by, including the Grandmothers that I inherited when we got married - it will be a great chance to get to know them whilst experiencing a whole new lifestyle.
So that's our news - and now that I've spoken, regular blogging can resume.
Gilly
11 comments:
Missed you around these here parts. Mazal Tov on your shlichut. I hope you continue blogging...
Their gain is definitely our loss.
How are you going to survive sports-wise?
Congrats/mazal tov on becoming shlichim. The US city who gets you will be lucky!
Mazal Tov, sounds like this is something you really want to do! fyi: wherever you live, find a "dish network" provider instead of cable; you can pay an extra $20 I think a month and get Israeli satelite TV. My hubby doesn't know how he ever lived without it!
For your information, swiftthinker, I've done my homework and found two H&M's in the area.
Harry - will certainly if I have a moment - can't forget Jerusalem now!
Dotty - I'll manage - all the Embassies around must mean someone plays the beautiful game.
Leah - thank you - we're going to be in the capital.
Emah - does that have Premier League football?
Swiftthinker - my standard answer to what Mrs G is going to be doing is "shopping".
WOW!
Mazaltov. It has always been a dream of mine. Did you get to chose where you wanted to go?
Anyway - welcome back to the blogosphere - it must be in the air. I have started writing again too.
Nush - I expressed a preference but basically after a long process they had a rough idea of who they thought was suitable for where and based it on that.
They are going to LOVE your accent... Maybe Mrs. Gilly should put her British one on too ;-)
I just discovered your blog, If I forget thee (tishkach yimini...). I would love for my kids to read it, as four of them are currently living in Israel, and my younger son is still doing his army service. Mazal Tov on becoming shlichim. Where will you be going in the States?
Because we now have 4 living in Israel, my husband and I are seriously thinking of making a 'second Aliyah' (as they say, 'been there, done that'!). We lived in Israel for four years, approx. 25 years ago...
and I definitely agree; a British accent(as opposed to American) implies that the speaker is intelligent. Conversely...
Mazeltov, from a cousin & family (hope you have perfected your Peter Crouch robot dance!)
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