Published: 24.07.2026
In the game - sorry for the question I asked the kids, the first question was: Name all the places we have been in the past six months. A competition - each one takes turns saying, until someone gets stuck. They managed to name 15 places. On the way to San Jose, a few days ago, Mati said: Let's play that game again. For an hour of driving, we excitedly went through round after round of places. We reached more than 200 places. Apparently, it did make an impact on them.
When we arrived at the airport yesterday, the well-oiled machine worked at maximum efficiency. The kids led the suitcases from the car to the line, all the suitcases neatly arranged in threes next to the check-in, there are documents for Toto, the car is sent on its way, putting the cage together within two minutes. Ofri closes the zip ties. We finished everything with two spare hours and we all sang together a fan song sung at the end of a victory, mocking the opposing team: 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 let's go home. The excitement of returning is noticeable, even if it’s harder for some of us - Yoala is coming back with a cold that developed on the plane into sinusitis.
So now it's my turn in the game.
What will I miss in Colombia
The mango, papaya, and berries of excellent quality, at ridiculous prices and available all year round.
Leisure and the peace to be with myself - cooking, making pickles, dreaming, woodworking, writing.
To the endless natural expanses, for running around the lake.
What strange or annoying things have I gotten used to
That there isn’t a normal shower - the water is never at a good temperature and usually the shower ends in the middle because the automatic timer of the heater runs out.
That there’s no meaning to the white line on the road and that driving with a phone in hand and one eye on the road is normal (and every day you pass by an accident and momentarily put the phone aside).
That they have a weird obsession with hygiene and hair - all the cooks, waiters, and bartenders wear hairnets, and at the pool, you must wear a swim cap (even for people with little hair like me).
That they throw toilet paper in the waste bin and not in the toilet.
That paradoxically in the land of coffee, it’s pretty bad in most places.
What do I miss in Israel
Like Mati and Michael (and Ofri)...
What do I want to be different
I wrote myself a long list... Let's settle for adopting some of the healthy habits I developed in Colombia, investing in and enjoying both leisure and work.
Tip for relocation
Prepare the ground back home for endless negotiations with the kids - don’t promise promises upfront and extract promises from them before they understand what they mean.
Boarding the relocation flight from Frankfurt.
Let's go home.
