I'd be more openly insane about my ocs if I had a proper grasp on language and could put literally any of my thoughts into words

No, You Are NOT Going Too Far in Pursuit of Financial Independence

I was talking to my buddy and co-worker Craig Curelop recently. It was about 7:00 p.m., and we were having one of our not-infrequent discussions about financial freedom late after work. As usual, Craig was cooking dinner at the office after his workout. I suspect that he was cooking here in an effort to save money on electricity that hed otherwise have to use to cook at home (I cant even tell if Im joking about that or not). I was just here late, trying to catch up on emails. For some time, wed been having a debate about his approach to attaining early financial freedom. I was claiming that Craig goes too far in his pursuit of financial freedom. Craig was politely dismissing my claim and insisting that he was perfectly happy with his situation. Craigs Obsession with Financial Freedom Now, I think I have some good reasons to think that Craig is going pretty hardcore in pursuit of early financial freedom. He does a LOT. Craig house hacksin a house that is eerily similar to the property I first bought back in 2014my first house hack. His home is just a few blocks away from my property, but a bit newer and nicer. Craig, however, gets a far better financial return from his investment than I did and will likely do better with his investment than me over time, even though I bought an investment that has better numbers as a traditional rental property. How does he do this? Simplehe rents out his bedroom on Airbnb and sleeps on the futon in the living room! Craig bikes to workevery day. Thirty degrees and snowing like it is on the day I write this? Craig is still on his bike. Craig rents out his car on Turo, netting positive every month on vehicle expenses. Craig does not eat sugar. Craig does not consume alcohol. Craig is involved in extra-curriculars like Toastmasters in an effort to constantly improve himself. Craig reads incessantly. Craig hang-dries his clothes to save money on electricity. Craig gets up at 5:30 a.m. each morning to pursue his goals. Craig meets investors and potential contacts multiple times per week. Craig has literally optimized almost every part of his life in pursuit of early financial freedom. Is this too much? I certainly thought so at firstand I told him so. I thought so until our conversation the other night, when I suddenly remembered what I did to jumpstart my journey to financial freedom.

Related: 7 Daily Habits of Real Estate Investors Who Seek Financial Freedom My Obsession with Financial Freedom See, when I got started on this journey, the term house hacking (but certainly not the concept, which has been around forever) had just been invented by Brandon Turner in this article. The concept of biking to work was completely foreign to me. In fact, every single person I had ever even heard of (excluding the 40-year-old virgin) drove to work or took public transit. Riding a bike had just had not presented itself as an option until I began reading a blog called Mr. Money Mustache (one of my favorite blogs of all time). In spite of friends and family who thought I was crazy, I bought a house hack. I took this Mr. Money Mustache guys advice and biked to work. I read over 100 personal finance, business, psychology, and career-related books. I quit a stable, hard-earned job with middling corporate opportunity to pursue a highly risky job at a startup. I networked with investors all over the city. I tried to get up early to pursue a version of the Miracle Morning even though I hated it and am a night owl. I cooked all of my own meals and almost never consumed anything that even approached unhealthy. I kept a daily log. I even hung dry my laundry instead of installing a dryer. I did this for years. I still do much of this. I dont regret it one bit. In fact, looking back, I wish Id been more like Craigmore obsessed, more (not less) productive. You Dont Have to Be Perfect Forever! The reason I initially thought that Craig was doing too much was that I am currently growing soft. Nowadays, I still house hack. I bike to work, but much less frequently, and often on a custom built e-bike that I put together over the summer that is pretty awesome. This is partly due to a nasty foot injuryI suspect I will resume with biking more regularly on the road bike as the foot continues to improve and the weather gets nicer in the spring of 2018. I cook less and eat out a few times per month. I love Chinese food and am willing to splurge on it now a bit. I enjoy dates at casual restaurants with my girlfriend. I have a dryer. I still spend very little compared with your average American, but its creeping up a bit. I sometimes forget that Ineeded to do the hardcore things that Craig is currently doing to get where I am. Are they things that I want to do for the next 50 years? Are they things that Im even still doing today? No, not all of them. Am I proud that I did them and happy that they contributed to my current position? Absolutely. But the point of all of this is that I can afford to bring some luxuries back into my life now. I have enough passive income to purchase some of these things and still get ahead. And while my passive income more than pays for my lifestyle as things stand, it is not yet enough to comfortably fund the life I could see myself wanting in the futurea life that will involve fewer still of these optimizations. As my portfolio continues to grow over the next few years, I see a more permanent house in my future. I see potential pets. I see a very nice, large kitchen and a significantly improved bathroom in a future residence compared to my present situation. I see some luxuries that Id truly enjoy, like maybe a backyard or garage filled with home gym equipment (purchased second-hand via Craigslist, of course). I see myself gradually approaching a lifestyle that anyone would call middle or upper-middle class. But Ill be able to live that lifestyle at extremely low cost, with minimal waste, and fund it entirely with a surplus from real estate cash flow. This result will unfold gradually, as I consistently increase my passive income in the coming years. And this is possible solely because of the optimization that I implemented in the past and am continuing to ride in the present. Im starting to get soft, and I may well continue to soften in the future. To plan on living an entire life of perfect optimization would defeat the purpose of pursuing financial freedom. I seek bit by bit to build the exact life I wantand to only increase my standard of living in proportion to my passive incomeand never in excess to the point where I will grow fat and lazy. Im willing to go without some of the things I eventually aspire to in order to make that dream a reality. Craig has a similar vision. Craig will not be living on a futon forever. As his wealth grows, as he eliminates his student loans, and as these choices become less and less meaningful to his financial position, I am certain that Craig will cool it a bit. Related: The Surprisingly Simple Secret to Financial Freedom Most 9 to 5-ers Overlook Once you are at a point where you feel that you can ease off the gas pedal, do it. Do it in certain areas that are most meaningful to you. As your passive income increases and covers your living expenses you can stop making the sacrifices that everyone thinks Craig and I are making! But What About Living in the Present? Notice, however, that neither Craig nor I give up or gave up certain things that are universally accepted as important to a well-lived life. Like travel. Like nights out with friends. Like attending sporting events. Like visiting family. Like attending life events of those we are close with. Like volunteering in the community. Those are the things we associate with living. Craig does not go too far in his pursuit of early financial freedom. Craig is one of the healthiest, most well-adjusted folks I know. In spite of his unforgivable love of Boston sports teams, including the New England Patriots, he is a genuinely funny guy, a hard worker, and has friends who come to visit him from all over the country. Craig is doing this whole thing exactly right and will enjoy experiences comparable to every other 20-something in Denver over the next few years, based on his interests. The only real differences between him and the rest of the pack are that he will arrive where he is going on his bicycle, and he will rest his head at night on a futon instead of in a bedroom. He says these things do not affect his happiness. And I believe him. How could they? I believe that Craig has some of the highest odds of anyone I know of achieving a $1,000,000 net worth by the age of 30. You might look at Craig and think, Thats crazy I could never do what he does and sleep on the couch while renting out my bed! But I challenge you to see things from the other perspectivefrom Craigs perspective and mine. Is it crazy to build that much wealth that early in life? Is it crazy to enjoy the same recreational activities as your peers, yet come out way ahead financially? Is it crazy to create a life that is healthier, more fun, costs less, and sets you up for greater career success or income generation? Is Craig crazy? Am I crazy? Or is everyone else crazy?

You Need to Get Obsessed with Optimizing Your Life, Too! Almost every day since I started optimizing my life, my life has gotten better. Ive become healthier, wealthier, stronger, happier, a better skier, a better rugby player, and more in tune with my family. Ive experienced career accomplishments. Ive since met a wonderful girl who Ive dated for a year and half and love very much, and I have what I consider to be a pretty good, fun-filled life. I believe that this progression of events is not unique to Craig and me. Almost everyone I know who has gone on to achieve financial freedom at an extremely early age, who has accumulated a large amount of wealth in a short period of time, or who has started a successful business has done some version of aggressive, all-out optimization in pursuit of their goals. Maybe successful folks didnt sleep on a futon or even house hack. But you can be sure that they devote outsized time, in the beginning, to getting some kind of venture off the ground. You can be sure that they earn more than they spendby a lot. You can be sure that they become obsessed with the success of the venture theyre involved in. Every blogger on this site is obsessed with their craft. They study it relentlessly for years. You need to develop the same healthy obsession with your goals as well. No one has come to me and said they regret these types of choices. No one regrets giving a worthy goal their best efforts. And even if they do, in most cases, choices like these are easily reversible. You can always stop reading, stop networking, stop biking, and stop house hacking if you decide its not for you. Craig can simply stop listing his room on Airbnb tomorrow if he wants and live at a lower cost than almost every American, in the heart of an expensive city at that! Yes, folks can build a million-dollar net worth as middle-class wage earners over a period of decades. Thats not hard and can be achieved automatically, with merely sane spending habits, buying a reasonable home, and contributing to a 401(k). Im not talking about achieving this result. I dont write for folks looking to achieve this result. I seek to help people trying to achieve early financial freedom in a fraction of that time. And to do that, you need to become obsessed. And if you truly want to give yourself the best chance at achieving this goal rapidly, you need to optimize with a passion and zeal. The part of the journey that Craig is currently in is the part that so many more of you readers need to undergo to truly jumpstart your journey to financial freedom. This should be the fun part. Its where you really make the changes necessary to become successful. Ive met dozens of people who are undertaking this journey and house hacking (yes, with kids) in the bottom units of up/down duplexes. Ive met people who have begun biking to work. Ive met people who read relentlessly or who take action day after day in pursuit of success with their career or side hustle. For the first time in years, many of them are excited to take on life. They identify the correct opportunity, the opportunity that offers them a real shot at achieving their goals, and they pursue it 100 percent, with their best efforts, for years. Dont mistake these folks for the outliers. The folks who achieve financial freedom rapidly without making optimized choices in almost every area of lifechoices that increase their wealth, productivity, and happinessare the exception, not the rule. Conclusion Look, I totally understand that Craigs approachor even my approachmay not be something that you want for your entire life. Frankly, I DO NOT plan to house hack in perpetuity, and I am reasonably sure that at some point Craig will move on from his futon to a bed, then a house that he eventually wants to reside in semi-permanently. The whole point of this is not to live like this forever. It is to do it as long as necessary to achieve your goals. The point is to create and execute a plan to create the life you want and then live that life exactly as you want, as the person in nearly complete control, forever after. And along the way, youll probably find that many of these sacrifices are actually all-around improvements in your day and lifestyle! Im not trying to convince you to live on a futon. Im trying to tell you that doing so will not impact your happiness if you go in with the right mindset. And that it is not and should not be a permanent state of affairs. Im trying to tell you that choices like that are the ones that increase your odds of accumulating money and freeing up time with which to pursue big income and investment opportunities unavailable to folks with tiny savings rates and no free time. You may think that Im strange for biking to work, making my own meals, and living in a house hack. You may think Craig is strange for renting out his bed and car, sleeping on a futon, and biking to work. But to us, this life is better than an alternative that involves long commutes, being handcuffed to a mortgage, and engaging in unhealthy or unproductive behaviors that dont produce results or fond memories! And in five, 10, or 20 years, the folks who make choices like this are more likely than not to be multimillionaires with multiple properties and multiple sources of income. Dave Ramsey famously says, Live like no else now so later you can live like no one else. The implication of this is that you have to give up happiness and sacrifice now to live the life of your dreams later. This is not how I have experienced things. Life was better immediately after making the choice to optimize my lifestyle around my goals, AND it continually improves as I reap the financial, career, health, and relationship results of those choices. I feel good about where Ive been, where I am, and where Im going. You can live better than everyone else now, in an extraordinarily low-cost, productive, and impactful manner, AND live like no one else later. I made the mistake of thinking that Craig was going too far in pursuit of financial freedom. But he can and should go farther and faster if he can and will continue to love his life. Let me state it all again: He enjoys it. And he should enjoy it. He is becoming healthier, wealthier, happier, and more self-confident with each passing day, week, month, and year. I too have enjoyed it and will continue to enjoy it. You should enjoy it, too. I honestly believe that those of us who pursue early financial freedom and make the optimizations necessary to make that a reality experience a better life in the interim while pursuing it, a better life approaching Financial Freedom, and a better life after achieving financial freedom. There is no sacrifice in this way of life. The improvements you make to your life may have positive effects immediately and will likely only continue to grow. I give you permission to choose the healthy, wealthy, happy path that you know will leave you better off when its all said and done. And once you decide to go for it, optimize for happiness, health, and wealth without apology. Were republishing this article to help out our newer readers.

What lengths do you go to in your pursuit of financial freedom? Have you ever encountered criticism for living the way you do? Share below! https://www.biggerpockets.com/renewsblog/pursue-financial-freedom-unapologetically

Israel Part Two.

And so, Steven left me to my lonesome once more. It wouldn't last long as I made a friend who would eventually let me stay with him and my Airbnb host invited me over to make doughnuts for the final day of Hanukkah.

So I moved to the new Airbnb relatively close by since the Yaov had new guests coming. Simply it was a place to put my bags for a few nights. Small, cement and the kitchen was practically in the shower. Once settled I wrote a massive letter to my extended family briefly outlying what this year's been about for me. I'll post that letter too. It wasn't until dark that I mustered the energy to exit my sardine can and head over to Yoavs for doughnuts and festivities. When I arrived they had been eating dinner which they graciously offered to me. Homemade meatballs in sauce, and latkes homemade. Latkes are the equivalence of potato pancakes for Jewish people.

Dishes cleaned and kitchen stations a go for rolling dough, melting sauces into frosting and injecting said balls of now fried dough with frosting. We made about 40 and about 34 were eaten by the bunch in the apartment there to celebrate. There was a little weed, a lot of cigarettes and bountiful conversation between all of us. Different ages, different experiences all in the same room to watch candles burn down to nubs. A prayer was shared as I sat in silence listening to the group fumble through remembering every stanza.

I had told my newly made friend Elad I would make it over to his apartment after doughnuts but hadn't realized it would be an all evening affair. So once this was over it was time to walk the streets of Tel Aviv back to the sardine can. I'd wake slowly adventure a bit, and definitely eat constantly. Traveling has turned into food consumption for me in many cities. What can I say, my high metabolism wants to try everything. Later that evening I would meet up with Elad for wine, a few cigs and dinner in which he felt obligated to buy as I was a guest to his city. We would go back to his place for a bit before I returned home. Cute black cat named Sasha or as he liked to call it, sashinka. The next evening was New Year's Eve and Elad had asked me if I'd join him. Apparently kissing at midnight isn't a thing in Israel so when I asked if that was his motive for the invite, he looked at me as if he should withdraw the invitation. 

Early the next morning I would return to his place with all of my baggage. I'm talking my travel gear, not emotionally! Jeeze I'm not that much of an open book. We would go to breakfast, relax and I'd get to meet a few of his friends. One being the Brazilian news anchor for the Portuguese channel in Israel. Big money that man. After this I'd adventure the city and he'd head off to meet his father for lunch. I meandered parts of the city in which I had seen with Steven. I did a bit of shopping but no purchasing. I really wanted to get a tattoo while I was here but it didn't happen. Still have two ideas that I really want. Anyway, the city ended up being pretty much just another city, with a bit of international influence, good coffee shops and bad ones. Fast and flow foods and many people that won't look you in the eye as you walk by. I'd make it back to his apartment late afternoon in time for some food. We would spend the time getting to know one another. Apparently there are two types of Israeli Jews and basically it comes down to brown skin and white skin. He assured me he was white skinned and my friend Roi was brown. It didn't matter much to me but to them apparently it's a big difference. And with that it was time to get ready to head over to his friends for the year of 2017 to be ushered in.

 Now, I didn't actually want to go with him at first. He's 29 but his friends are all in their mid 30s and 40s. This is very daunting to me. For reasons I may never understand I've always gotten shy around older people and always lost my own personality in times I'd have to interact with them. Maybe it's the line of teacher/student elder/youth sort of thing but I was terrified to actually go. They were all in high paying positions and big in celebrity industries and what not. I was nervous. So we packed the speaker his friend had asked him to bring over and headed to their apartment as it began to sprinkle rain lightly on our heads. We got there without an issue and was greeted to wipe our wet shoes and keep them on. I'd meet his first wakes friend and realize I built up fear for almost nothing. He asked me if I saw the 100 dollar bill on the ground on the way in. A practical jokester. I asked if he meant the fake one and told him I left it for the next guy.

The party would go on and more people would show. It was casual, with a few drinks but mostly champagne and fake champagne for those working the next day. One of his friends brought medical marijuana as she’d be spending the new year of 2017 fighting off a new found cancer. Excited to share her gift she never told me about the illness but was only smiles. And so I'd talk with the people that knew English and eventually try and converse with those that couldn't. A few drinks in and multiple snacks I'd look around. See the clock was ticking down and find Elad. I'd ask him if he wanted to take part in the American tradition at midnight and he agreed. 6 minutes later we would share a kiss in the back garden next to the coi pond. Confetti cannons going off and cheering about. We smiled and shared a picture of the two of us. And then he was off to congratulate everyone for making it another year. At this moment, time slowed down and once again I was outside looking in.

It's hard to know what it's like to be alone until you see what you're supposed to sharing with your intimate friends at a party where no one speaks your language. Pictures and kisses. So much laughter and shared inspirations of the future. Being thankful for one another and forgetting anything negative that might have happened in your friendship. Because what's important is that what you have is real, and it's there in this moment. So with a few tears of mixed happiness and sadness and no idea of how that may be, I called my parents and wished them a happy new year before they experienced it themselves. I called a few friends and talked to the ones that answered. It helped to hear all of their voices to close my eyes and imagine us together. I'd return to the party for some final sips and a few uncertain laughs at a few jokes I mite not have fully understood. And within a half hour cleaning began and leaving guests dashed for bed as they don't get the day after off like we do most of the time. Hey party harder in Hanukkah than into the new year. So the evening was over and Elad and I headed home.

I being super thankful for a place to rest my head and not pay for it. I did a bit of that and most people will find me crazy but it's always worked for me. I have always been someone more interested in finding vulnerability to overcome that walls to build.i spent so long knocking them down that it was always Refreshing to trust my heart in the hands of strangers and accept what was offered to me. We watched a movie and cuddled into a slumber as he started his day at 6am for work. I'd wake up at about nine to him coming back into his apartment with delicious pastries. And when I say delicious I mean I haven't had something so good since the first time I tried my mom’s Christmas cookies. Coffee and conversation would Pursue. We never really talked of anything super prolific. Just chats 

We rented bikes this day and headed up north into the rich part of Tel Aviv. We went to one of his favorite jam packed coffee shops and over to his friends house. You guessed it they were also stoners. It's a huge thing in Tel Aviv apparently. So I took a hit and he took plenty before getting back onto our bikes for the trip home. Halfway through, with my head in the clouds I took a wrong turn. I already don't really like riding bikes so Elad was light years ahead of me. At that point I just figured he'd go home and id stroll the city for a bit until I found something familiar. I didn't but I did get to admire the clouds for floating over such a gorgeous day. Viewed the different architectures and spent a good twenty minutes. Figuring out with exit to talk at this particularly large roundabout under construction. Still, I found. Myself having to. R Ethan and take a different route. And in an hour I was back. Elad was napping from s early morning and I played some video games that I got way too into for a few hours. We spent another dinner together and the following afternoon I'd be embarking to ashkelon. The suburb where my friend Roi Lives and the family I'd be staying with for the next three ish weeks.

Taking trains in Hebrew is hard. I found myself worried without wifi most of the time hoping I'd stop at the proper spot. I asked the girl next to me whole gracefully helped me in my time of need. People are great when you smile. I would try and compare ashkelon to an American suburb but non come to mind. It was definitely completely Israeli and had its own flair with a few westernized ideas. Roi would tell me that Israel is really trying hard to be America. I wouldn't see that for a bit though. Roi was there to pick me up at the train station. His little white care and changed hairstyle would give me happiness in seeing a familiar face. If you remember back to my Thailand post, Roi is the one that Teresa and I made friends with in Pai and Chiang Mai. We swapped a quick synopsis of where our lives have gone and then arrived to his beautiful Mediterranean coastal home, I whipped out the scarf I got for his mother from Ireland and she quickly accepted and smiled. I could tell she was a little nervous every to pull out her English again. But his whole family was excellent with language, there was no need. Roi’s father was an ex military official, who was definitely one of the highest ranked military people I had ever been under the same roof with. Daunting but what a charming man now trying to turn business man. Roi’s middle brother was off serving the army as all kids have to in Israel for 2-3 years depending on gender. Roi’s youngest brother a huge nerd they called tinker bell to get him pissed off. The family was also hosting Roi’s younger cousin who was 14 that could pass for 18. Roi and I both thought he's a closet gay and that's why he was so so so angry and angsty about his life.

I would shower and be greeted downstairs to see Roi's dad cooking sandwiches. Before he could even turn around he would ask me to fill a sandwich with ingredients for him to make me. White cheese, spinach, tomatoes, hummus and a spicy red sauce called Harissa. Not only would I eat Harissa on everything here but also in Morocco and they were both oh so different and oh so delicious. Along with the sandwich I would get a salad of lemon dressing filled with tomatoes and cucumbers and a tiny bit of spice. Devoured all of it in two seconds flat. Roi would take me on a walk after this in our pajamas down to the Sea with his cute puppy named Boxie. What a trooper that dog is, 11 years old and still running like he's a year old.no leash needed we walked and got through awkward pauses of getting to know one another again. Sand between our toes, he would point to the shoreline around the sea and explained to me the different parts of his town. I would nod and agree that I knew what was what. By the time we got back his mother was demanding my laundry to do. Across the world, mother’s everywhere want to make sure their kids aren't smelly and she definitely inducted me into the rankings of smelliness.

Most nights Roi and I would play with Boxie, listen to music and watch music videos, look at the moon from his massive second story patio. Did I mention his family gave him the entire second floor of the house to live in? So we had plenty of space. Also a pot head, this is where I learned how to roll joints to perfection. If there's one thing I can take from this trip it's how to roll a spliff, joint, cig to smoke away our health with a little beauty intertwined. We watched two very strange movies here. Roi wanted me to take these weeks to recharge my travel batteries. He traveled for two years too and knew what it was like. And so I did as he hoped.

The first movie was about mothers raising kids on a lost island just so that the kids would be cut open and starfish babies would be inserted into them to grow. The mothers were all half starfish for some reason and it was a horror erotica film if you ask me. The second was clockwork orange. The film is based off of a very short book with lingo and strange writings that is about four boys that hurt, steal, rape because they find it more fun than anything else in the world. The movie ended up being more than two hours and Roi and I both grew to extreme boredom but we saw the film through.

I would get to meet his best friend Rotem, a makeup artist with extreme talent in neutralizing faces and turning them brightly into social constructions. She had a gift. When we first met she was uber shy to speak English with me, but as we continued to chat that faded quickly. Especially with Roi in the room. She's taking a trip to the US so she needed to practice. I'm hoping she stops by chicago! We would spend time eating and chatting and eating and smoking weed and changing music videos every evening. That was their thing, the music videos - I loved it.

Shabat came to town and I headed to Tel Aviv for the first weekend to give their family a break from me. Also to give myself a break from the television and Transparent. I found myself meeting up with Elad again. Not just for a place to stay, but company in the city. How beautiful it was sharing bike rides with a beautiful man through the warming streets of spring. To find breakfast, coffee and cigarettes in bed. To have somebody tell you that a particular tourist attraction is overrated and to laugh through the day with. These are moments I truly consider myself to be traveling 

We would live the city life for the weekend and I would jump back onto the train to ashkelon. This would be followed by the trip that Roi and I had planned. To the Dead Sea, through the deserts and up to the snowy mountain of Ben Gurion. The driving was long but the music was sweet. We’d arrive to the Dead Sea after driving through Jerusalem to be greeted by a man walking on the stony ground, but naked. Just enjoying life living free. I guess it made since as the water would just simply cover you in salt. Roi and I had a bit more time at the sea than Steve and I had and, Roi being Israeli played in our favor. We found EXTREMELY hot springs to take a dip in. When I say hot I mean unbearable. Being here once in a life pulled me into them.i went slowly then all at once. Feeling the salt minerals burn through my skin and into my small cuts. I am healing. And so we floated. We healed and floated breathing deeply while our heads bobbed amongst the soft surface. I can't necessarily explain what it feels like to have found peace in new places over and over again. But if you can imagine the tongue of a calf suckling at your fingertips, or the moment you come down from your first headstand without assistance - then please do.

From there we would head though the ancient desert lands of Israel `. I might've seen where Jesus walks on water but I would looking for Moses this time. To my surprise we found nothing spiritual at all. Instead, we drove passed...well let's just say it's an Israeli defense mechanism. It stretched for miles and I wasn't to stop the car once. Times have changed just as the colors of sand would before our eyes. We'd make it to another valley gorge area with the intention of waiting for sunset. Our location of choice was the wood chopped mountain. Name given because the top layer of the mountain had shaken off and the remains resembled wood. So we climber it. Short but an endeavor none the less. And to those who know what wadi rum is in Jordan, you would have an idea of this view. Alien landscape. The colors would change in the sky and reflect onto the earth. Indigo, fuschia, teal and so many more that would eventually mesh together into the moonlight. Now David Bowie asks if there's life on Mars and I'm wondering if he'd ever been to Isreal. This place consists of nothing but us, and the earth under the light of the night. Which, by the way happened to be a super moon. Clears skies and super moon power lead to sparkling stone and glistening pieces of wood beneath us. Surrealism at its finest. I can only tell you that we took an extra long walk back to the car that night before returning to ashkelon.

We’d take a day’s long break in ashkelon, gearing up for the long haul to the completely other side of Israel. We were heading to  Ben Gurion, the snowy mountain of the Syrian border. It’s the closest my heart has ever been to a war zone. And even though I knew i’d probably see nothing, by eyes were so curious to see for myself what was on the other side of that Syrian/ Israeli mountain that the news wasn’t showing us. I want to feel what they were feeling. To know what it felt like to be locked away in a town of ruins. But instead, I’d enjoy falling snow over falling ash. And that we did. The roads up to the mountain were nothing but heavy rain and slower cars. There was a small period in which the rain chose to stop and let us see our way up the mountain. As expected we would start to see rain precipitate into snow. What we didn’t know is how much snow.

Living in Chicago you don't realize how often cars and drivers are not built for snow. Well this must have been Roi’s first time driving in such snows and the little engine of his little car just wasn’t doing it. As we turned onto the final road before the ski slopes (which i was so ecstatic about getting onto) we noticed the incline of a roller coaster and our car the coaster ride. So Roi did the only logical thing he could think of right now, which was to ask me to take the wheel. So, feeling like jesus driving like Carrie Underwood, I took the wheel. I’m not too shabby in the snow. I actually know how to fall in love with the cars, swerves and glides and how to give into them for the best result on the road. But this hill, this was an unbeatable hill. I’d gone side to side and revved the engine when needed but yet, I still always came up just a bit short as the streets continuously covered themselves with snow. The final attempt, I was turned all the way around looking at the car behind me. Roi, again never having to deal with these conditions was just fan girling in sheer terror in the passenger’s seat. So instead of trying the hill, we chose to park.

Now it was time for Roi to calm down and enjoy the snow. I rolled a joint. And there at the top of Ben Gurion, we sat ready to venture into the snow, smoking the joint listening to our favorite songs and watching the snow melt against our car windows. When it was time to make our way into the snow, having chosen to give up on skiing we got ready for our snowman building. Ill equipped having traveled the last year, I went out into the some odd feet of snow in sneakers and yoga pants. The shoes were supposed to be waterproofed, but they were not. We spent time building Roi’s FIRST EVER SNOWMAN, and we made them jewish and stuck a cigarette in his mouth. We named them Maura after the character in the show Transparent. The snowman was the best part of the trip. Smaller than we anticipated, we loved Maura all the same. Up on that mountain top, we left a family. And until the next time it gets too warm up there, the family will stay.

 Moist in all of the wrong places, we headed back to the car, taking Maura’s scarf and yarmulke from the top of their head. Maura would be alright without them, she was made of snow! So we’d make the trek back to the car, through the three different weather castings of snow, wind and then rain and onto the main roads before dark. We stopped for a much needed coffee and cigarette break and would continue on to Haifa which is where we may have intended to spend the night, until we asked room prices. They were more than we’d spent the whole trip so we decided we’d stay for dinner and continue to ashkelon. This was where we were served the best heart on a white platter. Artichoke heart that is, we aren’t monsters. It was lightly breaded and fried to perfection in truffle oil, sprinkled in rosemary and doused with a lemon square. I’ve never thought eating in a cave build restaurant would provide such sublime edibles. We’d finish the rest of our equally delicious meal to walk around haifa for a bit more. Then the rains came again. They’d follow us down the mountain. And although extremely chilled rains, I couldn’t help but try and feel the rains for what they were. A message to continue onward. They were the tiny kick i’d need to be leaving Israel in two days headed towards Morocco. I had not heard from my host hostel, nor any online correspondence. Either way, I was going and I wasn’t going to let a little rain be the only reason for moving onward.

That night we returned to Ashkelon, no rains, no clouds; a completely different world in the south and I was safe and sound at my temporary home. My clothes washed by Roi’s mother, vegan dinner set and ready, and a moon as brilliant as the moment itself. I didn’t want to leave and I was ready to call israel my home. So many amazing people, traditions and memories I would hold dearly to myself. There’s only so much one person can share about their lives that people are willing to listen to at a normal frequency. From then on people are prevoked by fear, or disgust or complete shock. I try my best to give what I can while holding what I must. And in this moment I was holding the desire to stay and letting the need to go take over my body.

It would be off to tel aviv for a night of walking around until I headed to the airport at Midnight via the train system. I’d wait for a while before getting to the check in line as I had four hours. Once there my four hours quickly dwindled into one, as the airport chose to question me for two hours. I can’t say why I was chosen but I can say that I gave them the attitude of a lifetime, and the slamming down of every content of my wallet so that they could prove I was who I said I was. They didn’t like that and I didn’t care. It came to the point in which they were asking me their list of questions for a second or third time and I didn’t have time for the first round. Once they were done and I was sufficiently scorching with anger, the questioner walked me to get my ticket, by passing the line. Then he walked me to the security again bypassing the line. This was nice, but when the security guard decided to take my Melburnian coffee after it had made it’s way into his country and through another 4 countries, I was pissed and now just simply defeated. But none the less I made it through just in time for my flight. Notes to those travelling to israel, give yourself the right amount of time at the airports and you’ll be okay. Oh also all food and liquids should be checked under the plane. No chance of saving them otherwise. And so without coffee but with many israeli moments i move onto Morocco.