"Lonely" No More

Until this past October, I had the trying experience of being a chayal boded, a lone soldier. As I've touched upon more than once throughout the duration of this blog, being a chayal boded, despite the perks, is incredibly challenging. Whether it's after what can be considered an “easy” week in the army or after two weeks of being in the field, seeing the Israeli soldiers go home to their parents, home cooked food and already-done laundry, can make the perks pale in comparison

As of October, I am happy to announce, I am no longer a chayal boded. My mother has made aliyah. While her reasons are plenty, both common and unique to all new immigrants, she has settled into her new life with her partner rather quickly and the past few months with them have been incredible.

Understandably, most of the readers of this blog will be interested in how this massive and wonderful change will affect my service as a soldier, so I will do my best to keep on topic.

Gone are the double salary, the money each month for groceries, and the stipend for rent. I've also lost my right to a mandatory yom siddurim (errand day) each month. Considering my father still lives overseas, however, I've retained the right to fly once a year, albeit for twenty-one days instead of thirty.

Losing what were admittedly major benefits has been but a small price to pay. My quality of life has increased ten-fold. Being able to come home and hug my mother after a brutal stretch in the army, kick my shoes off and relax, used to be somewhat of a dream for me. All of that has certainly become a reality and I couldn't be happier.

While the benefits have dissapeared, so have the usual challenges I used to face on my typical weekend off: making it to the grocery store before it closes for shabbat, battling with twenty other soldiers for the use of the laundry machines, finding time and the energy to make food over the weekend, and just generally spending the entire time off trying to get by rather than recovering from the army.

I understand that until this point, my blog has been a story told through the eyes of a “lone soldier,” something some of you may have considered pursuing. While the story is now one of an American living with his brother AND a parent in Israel, it is still an entirely unique perspective, one I hope will be interesting and relatable to many of you. There are still many ups and downs to be had, and many challenges to be overcome.

The adjustment has been huge and I think it will reflect as such on the blog. The changes until now have only been for the better, however, and the difficulties of an army service will certainly be far more bearable as a result.

More posts coming soon!

-Brett