Leaving

On Sunday we closed the page on a seven-year chapter in our lives and opened another that is certain to hold unexpected adventures and unforgettable experiences. After working and living in the same area for seven years I did what any other normal person would do; I quit my job and decided to move my family with three young boys to Israel for a year.
Driving away from our home and our lives that we have grown to love so much is no easy task, but the prospect of meeting new people, seeing new things, and allowing our perspectives of the world to expand is a suitable consolation. It is this promise of adventure and anticipation of the unknown that drives us forward. It is amazing to me at the number of people who cannot fathom why a person would leave the comforts of Orange County for new experiences. Granted these are the people who count going to Los Angeles as a trip to a third world country and standing in line at the DMV as a multi-cultural experience. It is these people who give helpful commentary such as, “I hope Iran doesn’t nuke you this year”, or “I would never take my family into that violent country”. I like to follow this up by asking for the actual number of violent crimes in Israel compared to California. I have even had one person help me out by saying, “A lot people die in suicide attacks on buses… I hope you won’t ride any buses.” To this I simply replied, “I actually just got a job as a bus driver… well, it was nice knowing you.”
My wife says that I am a “dumbist”, that I am prejudice against dumb people and that I have no patience for those who I consider lacking in some form of intellectual competence. So maybe I am too harsh on those who believe that the “News” gives an accurate picture of the world or on those who think that my kids will receive less education traveling the world than those who spend their whole lives in our dream world called Orange County. I guess I just expect mature adults to value expanded horizons and to embrace the thrill of quenching the desire for discovery.
Maybe it is my family that is unusual. Perhaps the fact that we made a decision years ago to spend our money on experience over stuff sets us apart. It could be that finding pleasure in the earth God created keeps us from a healthy retirement and a stable career path. All I know that I am grateful for my wife who is willing to go along with this idea and for my boys who help me find the wonder in this world. I am thankful to my God for putting my family in a position where we can take time off from work to pursue the adventure of a lifetime. I can say without a doubt that I am the most blessed person on this earth and completely undeserving of this status.