Goodbye LA

I still am surprised at how well I handled this week. This week I had my last day at AIPAC, my Otzma Send-Off, and moved out of my condo. I also said "L'hit" to many of my close friends and roommates that have certainly shaped my year.
I'll start with leaving AIPAC... This week started differently than most; we had our staff retreat. For me, this time ended up turning into many different opportunities to express my feelings about AIPAC as an organization and my co-workers as my friends. I truly have learned so much from this job, more than I could have ever imagined when I accepted it last August. For my co-workers and myself, the work we do is not only a job but a calling. I don't think I have the ability yet to grasp how unique and inspiring this work environment is. My co-workers were an extended family, to whom I literally opened up my heart, and was able to learn incredible amounts of information on the Middle East and life. In my intimate relationships with my two bosses, I was able to be kicked in the butt when I needed to be and felt like I was better because of it. At this point, I can't quantify how much I will miss my co-workers and the environment and passion we shared, but I am grateful to each and everyone of them for this year.
My Otzma Send-Off was on Thursday. The four fellows from LA (Michelle, Brent, Larry, and me) all joined with staff and lay leaders from the LA Jewish Federation. Elliot Brandt, my former boss at AIPAC and Otzma alumi, also attended. Each of the Federation staff spoke, to educate us on the opportunities and services that the Federation provides. The most interesting speaker was in charge of the LA/Tel-Aviv partnership. For those of you that I haven't told yet, I will be spending the second track of my time in Israel in the city of Tel-Aviv. Initially, I was ecstatic about this because of the weather in winter there. Tel-Aviv was the only place I was warm when I visited Israel in December 2003, so I am so happy that I will not freeze in other parts of the country!! However, the weather is only the tip of the iceberg. There are social action projects already set up in the city that I will hopefully be able to participate in like Cafe Europa. Cafe Europa is a project that essentially brings together Holocaust survivors living in Tel-Aviv for dancing and socializing. There is another educational project set up for underpriveleged kids whose parents have to work. The project sets up after school tutoring and programs to keep them off the streets. As I was listening to these programs being described, I could not help but become incredibly excited and anxious to start this important work!
And finally, I left my apartment in LA. This was a gradual process, over a couple days, but all of my things were out by Friday. I always find it strange the last time I walk out of a place where I have experienced so much. Leaving represents a concrete point that I can reference as a moment of change. Leaving AIPAC was another one of those signals to me that I am moving on to the next stage in my life. My roommates Kristen and Meredith and I went to eat lunch at Il Fornaio in Beverly Hiils before we said good bye and went our separate ways. I will certainly miss them, but I have a hard time believing that I will never see them again. In fact, that is how I feel about leaving my job at AIPAC and LA. I think it is only a matter of time that I will be back in some capacity, and perhaps that is why I am okay with it all.