You guys want me to meet you WHERE????

Several months ago when Yannai was still sitting at the desk opposite mine at the Derech Hateva offices at SPNI Jerusalem we talked about how amazing it would be to meet him and his Chana on the trail sometime in August. A good idea. One of those ideas that may actualize but could very easily not. The west coast of the US is very far from Jerusalem.

Fast forward to early-August, high on the success of an amazing summer at Derech Hateva where 5 groups of diverse Israeli and American teens have just finished - healthily and happily a month of backpacking on the Israel trail. I have booked a ticket to the US for a work and family related trip. It may actually work out. Excitedly, I e-mail Yannai & Chana-- I would love to meet them on the PCT (Pacific Crest Trail). No response. They are apparently deep in the wilderness without WIFI. Days pass. More days pass. Uh-oh!

My travel agent is now calling me several times a day to book my travel within the US. I give her tentative dates with the hope that it will buy more time. The airlines have become less forgiving and don’t like to hold seats for people awaiting responses from the wilderness. Decision time. No e-mail. Decided. I am going to meet them – worse comes to worse I’ll be accused of stalking – decisions without consensus – a hazard in group dynamics as Derech Hateva participants are truly aware – but hopefully okay in this case (they did agree five months ago, what could have changed …). I pick a date that works in my schedule, book a VUSA ticket which allows travelers to change dates/times without a fee or penalty and hope for the best.

I arrive in NY, it Thursday, 8/16, I still haven’t heard from them. Eager to confirm my plans, I call Yannai’s mom. She tells me that on Sunday night they (the parents) are flying to Washington to meet them at Steven’s Pass – WOW! They will have a cell phone and can call me – EVEN BETTER – two way, real-time communication. They call. I was however on vacation with my family and rural Pennsylvania with bad dial-up internet and no map of the Pacific Northwest. We discuss dates and places to meet. The date I had chosen didn’t work for them. Okay – we move it to the week before. No problem. Where? Stehekin. Okay. “It’s accessible?” “Yes – it’s a town. You may need to take a boat.” “Okay, I naively say.” I try Google maps. They don’t like dial up. We set a window of time and a place and say adieu until we (hopefully) meet on the trail. I am happy.

Barnes & Noble does have a map of the Pacific Northwest albeit hiding behind a map of Washington, DC. I find Stehekin. No roads. Uh-oh x2. Only accessible by boat, “okay,” down a 55-mile lake, once a day. The town is 10 miles from the trail. Challenging. I’ll fly in a day & a half before I should meet them. Hope for the best.

In Kansas City, minutes from leaving to the airport to fly to Seattle. Yannai tracks me down via my mom. Chana got sick and they hiked out. They are off the trail. Change in plans. I am running for my flight, I agree to meet them at the Darrington Motor Inn in Darrinton, WA. I arrive in Seattle at 11:30pm. Get my bags. Rent a car. They only have a Jeep. Not the compact I ordered, not so sustainable. I argue. That is my only option; I take it and start driving the 2 hour drive north and west. Arrive super late and fall into bed.

It’s Wednesday morning August 29th. I am in Darrinton, WA. Yannai knocks on room #2. Reunion. YAY! They look amazing. A little shaggy, but it’s great to see them. We shop for food at the local IGA.

So we are off to the PCT for a couple of days. Time to pack. I’ll write on the other end.

Love,
Yael