Traveling without a car in Israel

Last month, we decided it was time to find a new home. It will be our third home in Israel, but I guess good things come in threes so maybe it will be a perfect fit. We've been traveling by foot, by stroller and by bus. I am proud to say that we are much better packers, walkers and people because of it. I used to be such a baby about traveling. I remember during my first year here, I would always opt for the taxi cab, and I felt the money was well worth it. Now, I couldn't feel more differently.

The bus system is set up really well in Israel. We have multiple bus stops right outside our apartment building that have lines which go all over Jerusalem. Of course, if we want to travel further out, we have to get to the central bus station which is about a 25 minute walk. (In my time, not Shua's) So every Friday for the past month we've had a routine.

• Wake up as early as possible
• I take a shower and get dressed while Shua plays with Ziva
• Shua takes a shower while I feed, diaper and dress her
• Shua gets dressed and then keeps an eye on Ziva while she plays
• We both frantically get our backpack of clothing together, half of which is Ziva's
• I put on my make up and complain about how I can't find anything and I need more head scarves
• We try to manage to eat something, if we're lucky
  
• I probably have to feed Ziva again, just to make sure she's okay for the walk ahead of us
• We debate what stroller to bring and whether we should take a cab to the central bus station
• We never take a cab
• We pass by the shuk on the way, and pick up wine or dessert for our hosts
• Then we literally walk as fast as we can, without talking, to the central bus station

Sometimes Ziva will be fussy and I'll have to hold her while Shua pushes the empty stroller or I'll wrap her in the baby wrap. (Which I love, but after awhile I start to feel pressure in my back-She's almost 20 lbs now!).

So far, this has worked pretty well for us, except for...well, there are a couple exceptions. On our way to Ma'aleh Adumim a few weeks ago, we put the backpack in the bottom of the stroller. We even said to each other that there was NO WAY it could fall out without us noticing. It was one of those hiking backpacks that are fairly large.

Anyway, we got on the bus by the central bus station and could not have felt more relieved to be on our way, when Shua says, "Where's the backpack?"

OMG! It was no where to be found. He quickly folded up the stroller and put it to the side with some of our random bags hanging off it. I was already sitting in my seat with Ziva on my lap. We decided he should get off at the next stop and run back to look for it. It had all of our toiletries, nice Shabbat clothes, along with some of the cutest things from Ziva's wardrobe. He got off, while I stayed on headed to Ma'aleh Adumim. Phone rang. Couldn't find it. Phone rang again. Still couldn't find it. Phone rang. I missed it. (Ziva was becoming very unhappy.) I called him back and heard yelling in the background.

I called again, "#$#@@! (Shua hardly ever swears) Rivkah, they just blew up our backpack and they are going to fine me for it!"

Tears starting rolling down my cheeks. I was sweating, uncomfortable and I had no idea how I was going to get off the bus with Ziva and all of our stuff without Shua. I didn't even really know which stop to get off at.

Apparently, Shua had run down to Rechov Agrippas (Street of the shuk) when he realized where we might have dropped it. We stopped there to take Ziva out of her stroller because she was exhausted and wasn't falling asleep. As he approached the "scene" he yelled out to one of the security people, "That's my bag...." and BOOM! Hardly any of the remains were usable. My phone charger survived.

Someone started taking down his ID number, and told him he was going to get fined for his mistake. Another person came up to him and told him he wasn't going to get fined, and he should take the items to a place to get money back for them. Then a store owner on the street started screaming at Shua. He said that we lost him business because of all the chaos, and that the right thing to do was to pay him 1,000 shekel. "If I had 1,000 shekel to pay you, I would."

The store owner ended up bringing him a trash bag to put our blown up clothing in, and made a comment that it was too bad all the diapers were ruined.

And that was that. I was so upset that I thought I would never laugh about it. Yet, here I am writing this with a smirk on my face. As corny as it is, when it comes down to it, materialistic things mean so little. When I took a deep breath, and wrapped my arms around the two people I love most, the backpack didn't seem like such a big deal anymore.

Oh yeah, and this past week, we lost a wheel on our nice peg perego stroller (it got lost under the bus where everything is stored). We just looked at each other and didn't say anything.

One day we'll have a car. DEFINITELY before our second baby, G-d willing.