It’s funny, when you’ve been madly planning something for months the day always somehow seems to sneak up on you. Even though you’ve been planning every minute detail, written countless to-do lists and created piles all around your house of things you need to pack, it seems that the reality of doing this eagerly anticipated thing is so far away and it will happen “one day”.

Well, today my “one day” arrived. The day to say goodbye to Lulu. The day to say goodbye to Mr V. The day to say goodbye to Crumpet. The day to say goodbye to my home. And the day to travel 24hours alone with a 4 year old!

I awoke at 5am to finalise packing the bags. It’s totally reasonable to take 3 suitcases and a pram bag stuffed full with 3 months worth of nappies, isn’t it?! (Pro tip: pram bags are not included in your luggage allowance so make the most of them! I had all of our heavy toiletries, 3 months worth of nappies, baby wipes, books and a coffee machine in ours as well as a cheap stroller that I intend to leave in Israel!!!)

I started the morning by taking Lulu for a babycino and tried to explain that mummy was taking Milla on an adventure but I would always been at the other end of the phone. Um…. maybe not the easiest concept for an almost 2 year old to grasp! She was more interested in the marshmallows that came with her drink (and how to get more of them) than in giving me kisses and cuddles. I enjoyed it even if she couldn’t have cared less! But finally dropping her at childcare was truly one of the hardest moments of my life. I cried HARD. Ugly tears on the verge of being sick. I know that people have been through worse but saying goodbye to your baby for 3 months as you head into the unknown is a scary proposition.

Then Mr V drove us to the airport… as soon as we drove in I cried again. This was now real. He was his usual cool, calm and collected self while I was a hot mess! Though he’ll never admit it I think I detected a tear 😉 And then, after farewells it was just Milla and I. Alone to face the mammoth 24 hour journey alone! Had I added enough content to her iPad? Had I brought enough games and food? Was I seriously crazy to be doing this?!

To her credit Milla was incredible. She didn’t sleep from MEL to HKG but was happy and well behaved. She was truly a delight and entertained all around her. We had 4 hours in Hong Kong airport so spent some time in the lounge (highly recommend: https://www.plazapremiumlounge.com/). We boarded our flight at 1am Hong Kong time or 4am Melbourne time. Milla hadn’t slept since 7am the day before yet was still smiling and having a great time! In truth she was probably functioning better than I was. Then the flight from HKG to TLV was great too – Milla slept approximately 8 of the 11 hours (thanks to a little help from melatonin)! She awoke just in time for breakfast prior to landing and when we stepped off the plane in Tel Aviv airport to be greeted by my aunt she was happy and excited.

When you are in a routine at home it is easy to get caught up in the drudge of everyday life and see things negatively, like when someone pushes in front of you at the store or when they’ve run out of your favourite meal at the cafe. Coming out of your comfort zone is often refreshing. Every step of the way complete strangers offered to help. One guy helped me put my bags up in the overhead lockers, a kind lady sat with Milla while I ran to the bathroom and 2 young Israeli guys even carried my bags for me all the way to passport control. It’s nice to be reminded that people are inherently good and that we should try not to sweat the small things! Anyway, I’ll put down my kombucha now and get back to our arrival in Israel!

I am so lucky to have my aunt Simonne in Jerusalem. She has done so much behind the scenes for us – she checked out my apartment before I signed the contract and prepaid. She came to collect us from the airport (balloon and all!) and even stocked our fridge and pantry for us! I have no idea what we would have done without her!

We spent the most wonderful morning walking the streets near Simonne’s gorgeous home, including a lazy lunch at The First Station (http://firststation.co.il/) which I can only describe as Israel’s version of New York’s Highline but with less vegetation. When we arrived at our apartment (talk about a logistical nightmare, we needed 2 taxis due to all of our luggage!) it became very real that this wasn’t just a leisurely day out, I was on the other side of the world with one of my daughters and we now had a new home to settle into! The apartment is cosy but functional and our landlady who lives behind us is so lovely, she was so eager to make sure Milla felt settled right away! After a bit of time unpacking while Simonne kept Milla entertained Milla and I went for a walk to the local supermarket, got some chicken nuggets and salads and came home for an early dinner, shower and both of us collapsed into bed by 7pm, only to wake at 7am the next morning. I have no idea the last time I slept 12 hours! What a treat!!

It’s so strange that we had such a wonderful day even though we are so far from Mr V and Lulu. Though it will be tough it’s a reminder that we have this wonderful opportunity and we should make the most of it. And maybe we will have so much fun that Mr V will want to come and visit too!!

J x