BRATTLEBORO — My love affair with New England started as a child. I was born and raised in Connecticut and spent a great deal of my time exploring the forested areas. I played in the woods whenever possible, walked in the reservoirs, and took drives in the hills with my father. I loved each and every season and always tried to find a way to be outdoors.
I watched clouds. I looked for reflections on the surface of water and loved to smell the air as the snow gathered grey in the sky.
As I got older, I found myself riding my bike farther and farther into the hills, discovering towns I never knew existed outside of Connecticut. I went to summer camps for cyclists and toured throughout the region. New England was indelibly engraved in almost all I did, and I returned to teach.
In 1990, I decided to take a year's leave of absence from my job and work for a year in Israel. There I met my wife Eva and ended up, for the past 24 years, teaching at that very wonderful school.
Yet each summer we would come back to the states and spend time in New England.
I was drawn to this area. Several years ago, my wife and I stayed at the Latchis Hotel. I had a conference that I was attending at Landmark College, and my wife roamed Brattleboro, falling in love with both the town and the people.
So we began to make a plan for my sabbatical year to live in Brattleboro. We'd rent our apartment in Tel Aviv and come here.
We knew that this plan would be difficult on many levels, leaving our son and his wife as well as our friends, but this would be a chance for us to see this amazing region of the world and truly explore the many beautiful areas that this state and the surrounding ones afforded.
* * *
Though we were not able to find a rental property that really appealed to us, we did find a home for sale. After much thought, we decided to use our savings and invest in this property. Our own house.
This was a first for both of us, and having lived in an apartment for so many years, it took a bit of time to remember all the ancillary responsibilities that owning a home entails. Yet despite unforeseen mold issues and a very disquieting experience with a local insurance company, we persevered.
This past winter was cold! I had forgotten how cold can bite into your skin as it does. Our small dog who travelled with us had difficulty coping at times with the cold and did not enjoy it one bit! Yet once we got the proper clothing (dog booties never worked for our dog, unfortunately) and I gave in to wearing a hat at all hours of the day, the opportunities of winter became abundantly clear.
We learned to snowshoe and once again, I started cross-country skiing, as did my wife, enjoying the immense beauty that the woods offer in the winter. We took walks in the woods with gaiters, and I began to, when time permitted, get images that to some degree captured the great love that I have for this land.
* * *
Making friends at any age is difficult; however, as you age (we are in our late 50s) it is essential that you put yourself into situations where friendships can be established.
I had so many projects to work on that for much of my time here I was almost confined to our house. However, I found a group of riders who trained in Brattleboro in the basement of the bike shop there, and I started attending these sessions on Saturdays.
We also slowly made friends with some neighbors, and my wonderful wife started working at the Co-op and attending yoga classes here in West Brattleboro.
We also happened upon the most wonderful younger family, and we took each other in. They embody the religious values that are important to both of us, and this community, especially the Jewish community, is ever-so-fortunate to have them here.
As the spring progressed, I realized that my sabbatical was coming to an end. Just as the winter was breaking and a vast array of spring flowers that the previous owner had planted began to appear, I realized that this would perhaps be the last time in my life that I would be able to spend such an extended amount of time in New England.
I also had come back to the states to see my mother who is in an independent living facility in Connecticut. She is 89 and this, too, would most likely be the last time that I would see her through the changing seasons and spend so much time with her, especially at the holidays as we had.
* * *
So now it is summer. We are on our last week here and know that we will not return until next June.
The conflict in Israel has intensified, and our son has been called into service, as have the sons and daughters of many of our friends.
I love the landscape of Israel as well. Though it is depicted on our television screens in a manner that is almost foreign to me, the reality is that it is a country filled with hiking trails, great single track for mountain bikers, and many road biking groups for every level of rider. It is a vibrant area that has both a great quality of life and one that is also challenging.
As deep as the hate is that some have for others, there is also a deep love that people have for those in need. Programs like Save a Child's Heart or Seeds of Peace try to transcend the racial and political differences. Good things do exist in that area - trust me, they do.
I am excited to get back to my teaching job and life there, yet I am conflicted, for I also know that what this area offers is as important to me as life itself.
Dirt roads, the smell of freshly cut hay, strawberry picking up the road at Lilac Ridge Farm, and a new group of friends that we will love to come back to during our future summers when we return.
We love you Brattleboro - see you soon.