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The departure from Dubrovnik went smooth, thankfully, this we of course credit to Levi. What a trooper, such a little boy walking through the new streets and airport ramps like he knows it.
I can see what he sees when we are in a new place. Even if it’s a new block of the same old place. I get the same way: a certain exhilaration of wonder that comes with this wander.

And so I make my mamaMantra: 

Well the day was here. Sabine’s apartment (our fave Airbnb host) is all packed up and the Uber makes its way to get us. The wind is strong, as we have experienced cool nights (no pun intended) of lots of wind leading to beautiful sunny days with the shine of the pearl of the Adriatic.
…. until next time, with love.

We get to the airport and as my #1 tip of traveling with a toddler would be is that we arrive early enough to:
1. not be rushed. it helps to feel calm.
2. Allow flexible time in the case that suitcases need rearranging for weight or something comes up (in our case we had to pay 200 EU for overweight extra, does not usually happen to us so just went with it to avoid troubles with Turkish Air who were great other than this)
3. Coffee? snacks? souvenirs?
3. Levi needs his running around time!! Give the baby time to be out and about and play and discover before sitting in a seat for X amount of time.

bye bye apartment…. on lichtenstein put.
I will miss you! this dreamy apartment! it felt like home for so long. I can’t believe it is over.
The airport has Legos!! a nice DutyFree in DBV.
a whole lot of this!!! Allowing Levi to run, discover, and get energy out so he can rest nicely on the airplane!
 …. way up high………..
And so we arrive and make it to the Lounge in Istanbul.

(thanks to our Sapphire!)
Josh kindly walked and seeked out the airport while putting Levi to nap, such a relief when he is sleeping more than 50 minutes. Once you reach that hour you know that when he wakes all will be OK b/c he made it to REM area.

I love being abroad with the boys.

The beginning of March is cool because we have become more adjusted to the Croatian lifestyle. the best part? We like it!
i Liked this. i recall being in a yoga class when I first started to practice – about 5 years ago – and I found that when I listened closely to the teacher guiding the breath, it connected me to this inner voice within. A positive voice. At the same time of introducing meditation to my life, I began reading the prayer book (Siddur) that I haven’t been with for a while.
During this I noticed that when I bring the breath from my yoga mat to my prayer, or synagogue even, the songs and words of praise bring out the same inner voice of good feelings. Of performing the right actions in my life to become the manifested version of me. The mom i want to be, the wife, the friend daughter sister etc etc etc…
ANYWAYS, here we are in Croatia and I refound a yoga quote I had saved to my computer, & it took me to that same feeling of seeker the inner voice. Through the prayer book, or the breathe – maybe a mix of both.

There is something to being in a beautiful view, something that I hope stays within – because I LUV IT!

Our usual day goes something like this now that we are adjusted to the time:
630am: wake up! (in NJ it was 730am, but I kinda like this because we can do a lot in the morning, when the sun is out!)
830am: Finish up breakfast/cleaning up – sometimes some “baby TV” an english channel w americana songs – and get dressed to make our way out! Everyday we walk in a different direction. Or in the same direction and then make a diff turn down the road. Or towards a cafe or park that has been on the list to do. Either way we make it somewhere for Levi to play and interact with other kids. Mama finds a way to a coffee, sometimes, but is also very happy w the coffee machine in the airbnb.
1030-11am: Start heading back. Stop for a croissant on the way.
1130: Make it home, whip up some lunch:
-Hard boiled eggs and chummus (on good days)
-Cut up tomatoes/cucumbers
-Toast with butter, and fig jam we bought from the locals with some anchovies
-a sweet, such as a fruit (pear, apple, orange, kiwi), or a Croatian Nutrigrain
1230-3pm: Nap zone. Settle Levi with books, songs, resting for nap.. get things done, laundry, cleaning, Yoga readings, and occasionally going for outdoor run and meditation near the ocean>>>> videos to come on that.
3-6pm: Head to the supermarket!! Depending on the time and how nap went, and how weather is, we find a park near a beach to watch the sunset, usually many kids and parents are out!
6-7pm: Make it home, take of bath, and prep dinner of pasta, switching off with sauces, freshly baked fish, and a salad! We also started boiling vegetables, smearing it in butter, along with a fresh baguette. After dinner snacks are usually some fruit, and a yogurt drink that Levi has before brushing his teeth.
730pm: Bedtime routine/gnite Levi!

So, looks like our Croatian schedule isn’t very far off from the NJ way. The This is why when we go on a trip it is key to extend for as long as possible. To ensure that we can make it to the point of being on schedule without rushing the process, in order to have a crank-free baby! (and mom+dad).

We made it back onto the plane and after 2 nice hours (thanks to Levi’s hotel nap… and free olives and crackers on the airplane) – we land in Dubrovnik!
We arrive at night to the small airport and it has been a full 24 hours since we left New Jersey. It is 9pm and we are relieved to see our luggage and a man waiting for us with our name on a sign AKA our way of feeling mature and COOL.
He takes us to the AirBnb and voila! It is a dreamy apartment in a safe, quiet, nice area. Thank gd! BH! We learn from the taxi driver that this apartment complex was built less than a year ago, and the host I have been working with did not exaggerate one bit by how well set up it is. The crib is ready, so I give Levi some comfort snacks from America and spend 30 minutes introducing him to his new room, reading books, singing the same ol’ songs, and thankfully he dozes off for a 12 hour night sleep…

I always try to lie to myself and say I am above jetlag, but then it hits hard. Joshua is better than I am and allows the jetlag to take him into a weird sleep phase, so I try to follow the boys and go along with the jetlag, but I am TOO excited to be here that it is hard to sleep! We do our best though, and here are some tips I came up with for other moms w/ babies traveling to a new timezone:
1. Go Wit It: Allow your baby to go to sleep when you sense he is tired, and stay awake even if it is his regular scheduled sleep time. it will pass! he will get on track! Baby is just as excited as you are to be in a new place! this is not exactly the “Cry it out” time.. just let him seek comfort in learning his new room and figuring out that his parents are in the room over as usual.
2. Stay nearby: While it is within us to want to explore and plan trips when we land in a new city, the first week must be dedicated to helping baby get on track with sleep. Try to stick to learning the neighborhood, finding the parks, checking out the markets within a 30 minute radius so if you feel baby needs his sleep you get a crib sleep rather than stroller. This helps with the adjustment to a foreign crib.
3. Awake times vs. Sleep times: any sleep training mom knows by now how many hours your baby sleeps vs. how many hours he can be awake for. Be strict with the awake time! and make it active! For example, I know that Levi’s awake times on his schedule are usually between 5-6 hours, meaning that regardless of the time difference, he should still be going to sleep after the same awake time from home.
4. Stick with the Same: Routine! Do the same exact bedtime routine you do at home, introducing the newness around him. While reading books, take a break to take in the new room, examining and appreciating the parts of his room that might confuse him and cause him to wake. For example, I noticed that the shudders in Levi’s room shake with the wind so from the get go I taught him about wind (which he remembered from our time at the beach…) and use it as a lullaby.
5. Do Fun, Don’t Fight:  Thankfully the human body does adjust in time. But for the first days, have 0 expectations and enjoy the long evenings (Levi’s bedtime was pushed to 10pm due to late nap wake up) and don’t let it upset you if it takes time. Sleep when the baby sleeps, to avoid getting sick, or crazy:). While keeping in mind his awake hours, make sure to fill that time with activities that will make him sleepy enough to get right into the crib, happily. These are the days that make it good to have a pacifier (or comfort blanket of the sorts)…

Feel free to reach out on any more tips re: baby and the adjustment to a new timezone!

In NJ, having a sat night to clean the kitchen from the smell of Shabbat while the parents are out is a pastitme.. since i am a LITTLE GIRL.

Thankful for being able to be warm when its cold outside and just hope to get the itinerary for our upcoming trip done!! it is fun to login and to write here, part of my #procastinationproblems even though every part of this Step i am to Soak In!!

My mom/dad are at a disco part. my bro is somewhere in Ketucky. and my sis is lying on the den couch with her hubby. my hubby is working bc hes a dream angel. all we hope for is that the children sleep well – and sleep!! well!! (and #travel well)

Salad is good. Yoga is good. Being prepared and organized is good. It is good to bring GOODness, and that is what I hope to pray for. just goodness. And work for it.

   …..true…..        

So the yoga book reads,::

yoga helps me.

He should gradually inhale the breath and as gradually exhale it. He (she) (jk, i love it)  — should also restrain it gradually.” – Yoga , your home practice companion by the Sinananda Yoga Vedanta Center

#hatha yoga

CHECK OUT MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL:
I Filmed most back in Israel in Spring 2018, but would love to share and hear feedback!

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxCycCDjAicvvM8wmZ69Fhw?view_as=subscriber

check it out!

here is a peep:  a sneak peek:

Make sure to leave a comment, thanks :)!!! Check out all that is up on my channel!

Puns. I’ve always been a fan of them, even without blowing air. (get it? fan, ha.)

So when the New Year comes around and there is constant chat about our new years resolutions, I couldn’t help but use the word resolution in terms of photo taking and video editing.  While I was traveling with my family (husband&baby) I began to blog about our daily life abroad, but as I looked back and read it seems to be more like a diary and less of something that would benefit a reader.

I even created videos (youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NHI1-k_ukGs&t=1s)

But as is my nature, I haven’t followed through with a project I long to work on. I have admiration for people with discipline to get work done when their baby is napping – and I have a desperation to be the mom that gets work done in the evening in an effort to create a career where I can be at home whilst somehow getting a paycheck.

So my resolution (for the new year) is to create content that will benefit others, while using good resolution (on my camera) to capture important footage on what it is like to travel with a baby.

It is now January 6th – my Levi turns 21 months today!!! – and a few weeks ago was my birthday so it is time to take what I learn on the mat and apply it off of the mat. F O C U S. I want to Focus on my baby. and on becoming the best mom for him, while also working on my yoga. Perhaps on my career. and if you put that to together you get… a yoga career! 😉

Last time I opened up to write, my baby was just a baby and we were somewhere in France. Our experiences traveling to Israel and France encouraged us to take another chance, or in our case another flight.  While some think we are crazy for traveling with an infant, maybe we are, with the help of travel sites and blogs it is more feasible now than ever. So, with gds help, Josh’s job is giving us an opportunity to once again leave the comfort zone.

We came back to the drawing board to figure out how we can spend maximum time in the homeland of Israel. No matter where we are, though, one thing remains constant: Levi’s nap schedule rules my life !!!

2018 in review: Levi turns 1, we head to Jerusalem! From there we fly to France – drove from Paris to Cannes – fall in love with the French Riviera – and then headed back to Tel Aviv for five fabulous weeks at an apartment down the block from the beach. In August we landed in New Jersey, my hometown of East Brunswick, and spent 3 months living a suburban lifestyle. I LOVED it My mom, aka GRANDMA, has been the helping hand in helping me transition from being the mom of an infant to a toddler. I appreciate this time more than anything! Summer turns to fall….  the weather gets cold so we head to Miami for 2 weeks, Puerto Rico for 2 weeks, and now we are back in NJ with a whole lot of experiences, with gratefulness, in the rearview.

There was a keane song that I never really knew what it was about and only now did I want to start this by saying “It it any wonder that I did not live write about our last week in Jerusalem…”

Each day was so fun that I would tell myself at night “I don’t want it to be over so I’m not going to write it down”. A  mix of those thoughts with an inclining towards not spending time on the computer, I am going to write down how I felt during the last week now as I already am in France and blown away by it all– but feel nostalgic towards our time on Sokolov St! And I can’t stop comparing the new place to Rechavia.

The week went like this:

Lots of park time, lots of food time. I make sure to make the most out of the nights, trying to soak in the neighborhood day after day, night after night. I start with the “this is my last time doing this on Tuesday….” etc.. etc.

Levi finally is very used to his room and gets excited when we are walking home, I can tell he knows where we are by the way his legs get excited!

On Thursday we head to Ein Gedi with our cousins- Ram and Tahel Yitzchaki and their 3 boys. We meet up at a kibbutz on the way to the dead sea and make some coffee with some cookies while being in “the midbar”… dessert. My mind already begins to feel relaxed just by being here, in the nature of Israel land!  I also can’t believe the day has come to do this excursion because it means that this is our last days, and I was not looking forward to feeling like it is changing soon. But our day continues and we drive to the entrance of a park surrounded by palm trees in the south Desert, located by the Ahava headquarters. I am wearing Levi, it is around 95 degrees! Hot! We start the walk of “Nachal David” and reach this beautiful waterfall. As we were hanging with the most experienced and adventurous israeli family, I had no choice but to get Levi naked and for us all to head to the wasterfall that was the main attraction. it was SO COOL, SO REFRESHING, and Levi LOVED IT! He sat with our cousins as Josh and I enjoyed the waterfall– we spent some time there, and then continued the hike (this time much more free feeling as the water was fresh) and made it to the big Ein Gedi waterfall. The water below was all clear, the rocks were shiny- and the sprinkle of this freshness brought a clean and clear feeling. (And under control, wink wink). I want to take this in, and I mostly love to see how Levi is reaching for the water. We walk back through the path, overlooking and facing the dead sea! My heart FEELS it, my whole body does. I love to be here, I love to finally love being here because it is good for my soul. (When I would go on teen tours, I was never into the hiking parts etc). We get into the car and all head to a natural “bricha”, AKA pool, about 15 minutes away this time on the dead sea side. They are so casual about how organized and meticulous the food and all was packed – we arrive to grounds and I of course am the first to get into this pool! made of nature!! Tahel unloads her coole rthe size of my closet with all types of goodes — including shakshuka and a new (hence Kosher) pot to make it all in! She starts cooking up on a stove made for this that all Israeli soldiers seem to use to cook with so it sticks with them, and we enjoy feta cheese with watermelon and other fruits. The boys love playing with Levi and BH Levi is eating nicely.
We devour shakshuka, keep drinking and swimming, and eventually it is time to go home.

We make it back to Jerusalem – it is impressibly not too far! So cool how you could leave the holy . city for just 30 minutes and be in such a different atmosphere!

The last days of our time in the quiet Rechavia apartment were meaningful to me. Every night when Levi goes to sleep I go on a walk to the garden behind our spot and soak in the desert feel and the quiet. I feel emotional that this part of our adventure is coming to an end, so much that I could not even write about it.

Perhaps it is better that I didnt open this to avoid me opening up on “sad” feeling emotions. I want to lose my “attachment issues” , as this #nomadlife is teaching me to do. Our last Shabbat on Sokolov street was just how we would want it to be. Lots of challah, chummus, wine, and of course cheese. We packed up and on Sunday morning said goodbye. With a tear in my eye. That rhymes, but it is also true.
This is what I try to tell myself all the time!!! But it is hard. I hope that by the

I will not be controlled by my baby’s sleep, I will not be controlled by my baby’s sleep, I will not be controlled by my baby’s sleep, I will not be controlled by my baby’s sleep, I will not be controlled by my baby’s sleep..
I am living abroad so therefore must accept flexibility, I am living abroad so therefore must accept flexibility, I am living abroad so therefore must accept flexibility, I am living abroad so therefore must accept flexibility…

JUST KIDDING! 

A peaceful Shabbat, to say the least. In the morning we woke up and made our way to the Great Synogogue — a huge Shul with a choir of 15 men, so all the songs of prayer are really able to get into the heart… until after 5 minutes when Levi won’t sit anymore and I ran out of cookies so we go into the hallway and he crawls around, while still getting to hear the peaceful music from afar.
I end up talking to an Israeli mom of an 11 month old boy, his name is Noam, and he and Levi play around while we discuss the art of child sleep. This topic, something i finally feel experienced in enough to have a strong opinion on!!!
We head home afterwards, and Josh and I enjoy a huge spread of dairy bliss while Levi naps. We have salads with cheese, more cheese, lots of dips, and some herring and wine – of course.
If I could think about the Kotel notes I put into the wall when I was a teenager, I feel very sure that there was at least one that said “Please find me a boyfriend that I feel comfortable enough to eat herring around”… so, THANK YOU, UNIVERSE, HASHEM!

Sunday, the Monday of this country, and Sonday for us. We are still New Yorkers at heart so we spend the day with sort of adventure. The weather was HOT so we decided to head to a pool and let Levi crawl around, swim around, and be free. On Shabbat we spent a lot of time walking, so a lot of stroller time for the baby, so it’s important that the day after we allow him to have lots free & floor time! It is a fun day– we finished the day by eating leftovers from Shabbat in the park. (the park AKA in front of our apt!) Now I let Levi eat a watermelon by himself, which causes a mess, but even his mess makes me happy.  Plus we have a washer dryer in the apartment so have been doing laundry every other day! (not really by choice, keep in mind we had to pack our lives for 3 months in 1 suitcase)

Monday morning Joshua made his way to Aish for cool classes with interesting Rabbis, I was so glad he finally was able to make time to get some Torah time in as it can be hard between the workload and hanging out with his family. While he was there Levi and I got spiritually fed on our own too! We went to the OU center (located on Keren Hayesod, a 3 minute walk from our home) and went to a “Parsha Parenting” class. 2 Jewish moms from the area brought great insight on how we can learn from this week’s portion lessons on how to handle children. I took away some good thoughts, what really stuck with me is that from a young age it is important for your kid to learn that Mommy knows what is best, and knows right from wrong. If a child asks his mom to do something, and the mom says no, and the kid says “WHY NOT?” …  instead of reasoning with your kid over why he may or may not do something, a mom should just be able to say “because mommy said no”, and the kid will understand that means it’s right.
On the more positive way of putting that, I am going to think of a complete hypathetical “yes” version of this:
Son: Hi Mom, Can we go swimming in the pool instead of the beach today?
Mom: No, we are going in the ocean today, the pool is closed and we will go back in a few days.. (while reading the local news that the pool is closed for the week)
Son: BUT I WANNNAA GO IN THE POOL!
Mom: Son, mommy said no pool this week, but I promise you a good time at the beach and GD willing next week I will take you back to the pool and it will be even better!
Son: Ok MAMA, YEY!
….  made this up and since Levi is only 1 I probably have 0 idea what im talkin bout!!

Anyways: we stuck around the OU center for the class to lead right into our weekly Monday Music class. The music teacher, Jackie from Australia, wasn’t feeling well so she sent her friend in to teach us yoga… it was AWESOME!
An hour of yoga followed by a stroll home through the garden filled with dessert plants, and a nice 2 hour nap that Levi took after his fun filled morning. I feel really proud of Levi for sticking around and playing nicely for 2 hours straight. Sometimes I feel that his moods could be a hit or miss — but lately maybe because he is getting older if I stretch the time between his naps he has been handling better than he did even a couple weeks ago.  I don’t let more than a day or two in a row go by without him having his “regular” schedule, and perhaps that is why on days we want to do something different he handles it well because generally I have him get his full crib naps.
When he woke up from his nap, we went to a cafe I have been wanting to go to– “Caffit ” — located on Shlomzion street, across from the entrance to the Old City. Levi and I shared a carrot/orange juice, an israeli salad, and of course some bread. He is so much fun to go on a date with!!! I put my phone away (no instagram during the moments i must soak in) — for there is nothing more exciting to Scroll while I Sit with my little love.  I love that my scrolling time has decreased majorly here!

 But, as “free” as I do feel here from the phone, I am still a mother of the millennial, so I did take a photo, or 2…

Once we ate a little we then headed to Teddy Park and met up with my friend Carly and her daughter Noa to jump around the fountains! I have never been here before, a newish area located right across from the Jaffa gate leading to the old city.

I don’t know how to explain how the water flows other than finding an image online…  As you can see here it is a popular place and obviously all the parents in the neighborhood know that at 5pm the sprinklers turn on. At first I didn’t think Levi would “fancy” it, as sometimes he cries when I put him into the bath, but thankfully I changed him into a bathing suit! He could not get enough! He was smiling that square angel face that I love and mentioned in my post about the first time I saw him at the shore loving the waves. The same face I get to greet when he sees me get him from the crib after his naps… that little face that I created 14 months ago that keeps finding deeper parts within my heart.
This little face of pure glee as the fountains of pretty rough water were shooting out of the ground!  he crawled around cracking up and I got soaked but I really didn’t care. AT all. It was so refreshing, and fun, and afterwards we had a peanut butter sandwich — his first time ever!!
That was fun. He changed, I remained cold, and then we walked to Hillel St. to hang out with cousin Shimmy. Josh met up with us for dinner and we enjoyed NEW DELI for the first time since I got here!! I had half a steak sandwich and half a chicken sandwich…  so delicious. Levi was definitely tired at this point so we went home after a full day and he was asleep by 8pm. #ANGELSMILES.

I miss him when he sleeps… yet I spend my whole day making sure he gets some!! #MOTHERHOOD.

Tuesday AM Levi wakes up on the earlier side so after morning cuddles and breakfast I take him to a 9:30am baby yoga class at the Studio I love here, located on Ramban street! Even just walking the streets and learning the street names is enlightening me. ( I think!) I am continuously learning the area and find it funny that just this week we start to feel comfortable except… w e a r e l e a v i n g s u n d a y. Wow i couldn’t even type that without spacing it out.
Shooot… here I go again with #attachmentissues.
Yoga was FUN! The teacher, Elisheva, was amazing and there were about 10 other moms there – all english speaking this time around. Levi stayed on the mat for a total of 5 minutes, max, most of the time pulling at me until I hug or hold him. .  my favorite feeling…
He had fun crawling around the studio, laughing as we moved into new postures, and hardly made a peep so I dont think any other moms minded that my baby was doing his thing. WHEREAS in NYC, I would’ve felt judged and slightly embarrassed that my kid was roaming around. When a baby cried in class, people don’t turn to look and the teacher hardly reacts. Just that in itself is what makes Israel a happy place! People have an underlying kindness, and I think it all stems from a true contentment with being in Jerusalem. Every person I have spoken to that lives here, maybe it is specific to our area of Rechavia, is soo happy to be HERE. When I chat with other moms in old yoga or music classes of UES, there is always a complaint! ALWAYS.  (well, I am trying to steer away from words like “always” and “never”) so for now i will just say that a grand amount of mothers I have interacted with in NYC either:
1. forgot how to give a kind look to a person that is not in their iPhone screen OR
2. the start of the sentence is complaining about actions of husband or baby
IT IS SO REFRESHING TO be in this environment, i want to feel this underlying FRESHNESS at all times. Please Gd Help Me Feel This Always.

We leave yoga, come home, and I feel that he needs to release a little more energy before nap time so we head to the park for some swing and crawl time in the grass… 
And then he naps so I sit here to write in this so I can keep at current and up to date with how I am feeling! YEY for being caught up!