The Silent Voice of Disconnect - From Kibbutz Life to Pittsburgh

I finally figured out a BIG piece about readjusting to life in the States after years of living on kibbutz in Israel that has been SO HARD. And why that difficulty has often created stress and anxiety.

On the kibbutz, everything was within a 360 degree mile radius - well, almost everything - mailpost, doctor, (not for emergencies), supermarket, laundry and dry cleaners, garage and mechanics, bike store and babyhouse, secretary offices (important for paying bills), dentist, haircutting. Well, you can see how convenient! And when we last visited in 2011, we were amazed at the number of businesses had "popped up."

However, when we realized we both couldn't be professionally fulfilled - we knew we would have to sacrifice something. Something BIG. That something was the superbly convenient lifestyle of living on a kibbutz we had come to know for many years.

The fact that we are surrounded by concrete and live above a computer store and art supply store and next to a dry cleaners and across the street from a synagogue and a block away (a long block) from Murray Avenue complete with supermarkets is probably the best compromise for the USA and the best in Pittsburgh lifestyle. But every now and then, something in me feels the DISCONNECT and wants to feel more connected.


Everything here is complicated with decisions - from the small to the large.

So let me share with you a simple scenario of grocery shopping. Even though the store is just a few blocks (long city blocks) away, here's what I end up thinking:

Should we take our white shopping cart to carry the groceries or should we take our tot bag?

Oh and don't forget to take the correct key set with the bar code so you can benefit from the fuel perks at Giant Eagle!

And our shopping list.

And of course, our decisions change with the weather - right?

If we forget these things, then we have to walk back three long city blocks. On a kibbutz, I would bike - zip - zap -zoop and in 1 minute I was home.

Now you may be feeling I'm still not quite settled here....

Well, I'll have to save that for another post.