Welcome to Costa Rica Or depression on steroids

A tough week – emotional, scary, lonely, family-oriented. Very little happened, but emotionally we experienced it all together in a concentrated capsule. Michael and Ofri are completely living the moment – experiencing things as they are without too many thoughts, at least on the surface. For Mati, Yoela, and me, the thoughts about what we left behind and what is coming are much more present and overwhelming.

The highlight of the week is the new romance that started between Toto and me. After 9 years of him pursuing me and I can't stand him.

It started on the flight. Yoela asked me to fly with him because she would go crazy, and I don't care about him. We booked separate flights and immediately split when we arrived at the airport. At the counter, they asked me where Toto's water bowl was that we forgot at home... I left it with the flight attendant and ran to look for it. I bought a hot meal that was just the right size and emptied its contents. I said goodbye to him in the special luggage elevator. He entered surprised and scared into the cage, and I walked away feeling bitter. When I arrived two hours later at the plane's jet bridge, I saw in the distance three airport workers tying his cage and loading it onto the plane. The bitterness intensified – why do I care? On the plane, a series of misadventures – Toto cried the whole way, during the layover I discovered he was moved to another cage, and when we landed I really heard the barking beneath me. At the airport, we reunited just like we parted – in the special luggage elevator while he continued to bark in a hoarse voice. Although I was glad to have avoided the kids during the flight, the 24 hours alone felt so lonely, and he was my partner in that.

In the passport line, I put on my headphones at full volume – yallah yallah welcome to Yehud.

When we landed, Yoela picked us up in a huge company truck that she got for us. She had already managed to drop off dozens of suitcases in the storage compartment. Everything that seemed impossible and unimaginable in the last month happened so easily and quickly. We arrived at our villa at night and the phrase that kept repeating in my mind – I want to go home! Oh. There’s no home anymore.

The next day the sun rose and so did the mood. I woke up at 5 in the morning and at 6 I went for a run with Toto. After two minutes I found myself in the middle of the forest. Vultures above us, soaking together in the stream. So it is, Toto and I are already friends.

Everything here is beautiful – colorful tin houses against an endless green background. The colors are so vivid – the green is very green, the sky is a painter's blue. So far we’ve had a bit of Christmas, a bit of waterfalls, some arguments in the car, and a lot of family time. We went to see Christmas in San Jose and found ourselves in a Latin extreme version of South Tel Aviv – prostitutes, beggars, drunks, and a lot of homeless people. Or as the chat described it: a pleasant evening stroll in San Jose's colorful park with Christmas lights and street vendors in the background. We fled back to the car terrified. Did I mention there's no home anymore?

A week without sugar – check, lots of tropical fruits – check, two morning runs – check, a blog for Saturday – check.

See you next week

See you next week