Big News

Amazingly, the army called me today. Just one day after receiving the letters demanding to know my draft date. I got some extremely surprising news, I will be going into the army May 4. Just 13 days away. I am shocked. With how long and brutal this process has been, I never expected to hear from the army so soon. I figured August if I was lucky.

A number of emotions are going through me right now. Shock. Excitement. Nervousness. Stress. Fear. It’s pretty overwhelming. It’s such short notice that I don’t know what to do with myself. I’ll start running again and I started doing some push ups, crunches and curls. I’m not to worried about the physical part of the army. I’m extremely worried about the language. My hebrew is terrible, and while I’m going to an army ulpan where pretty much everyone doesn’t speak great hebrew, I know mine will be among the worst. I’ll have to study very hard and listen and try to speak it as much as possible. Kind of makes me regret not trying harder the last 7 or 8 months. Too late to stress on that now, I suppose. I have to report to the Hof Ha-Carmel bus station at around 7:30 a.m. on the 4th. From there, I assume, we will take a bus to the base.

Once at the base, I will have to tell the army that I want to be recognized as a Lone Soldier and that I want to appeal my profile. I will then have three months to get my profile changed. I really hope I can at least get it to a 72, so I can do tanks, at least. Not totally sure what I have to bring with me, so I will find all of that out.

In a way it’s nice to be going in so soon. What would I really have done for the next 3 + months. Yes, I would’ve taken classes, but in the army ulpan I’ll learn the hebrew I need. I’ll have no choice. My teacher at my kibbutz ulpan told me, “you won’t learn with this (pointing to her head), you will learn with your legs.” Meaning, that when I’m getting my ass kicked and being ordered to run or do push ups or whatever it may be, I’ll learn faster. I hope she is right.

Tomorrow I will go and set up a bank account and then hopefully get a cell phone next week. Not really sure what to think at this point in time. Pretty nervous to say the least. It all finally feels so real. It’s pretty weird. It’ll be a hell of an experience, but right now I’m just looking to enjoy my last 13 days of freedom.

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Bokar Tov,

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On another note, I’m hoping to hear from the army today in regards to my draft date, but I doubt I will hear anything. I’ll keep everyone posted.