Dear Savta,

We finally arrived in New Jersey after a 12-hour-long flight. It was hard to leave our home in Israel and especially hard to leave you behind. I miss you already.

Winter here is much colder than in Israel. The jackets we came with weren’t warm enough, so we had to go out and buy all new winter jackets right away. It is so cold that the puddles turned to ice. The ice is very slippery and if you stomp on it, it cracks.

This morning it snowed for the first time this winter in New Jersey. It is my first time ever seeing and feeling real snow. It snowed a lot and I was so excited that I forgot to put on my coat before I ran out into the snow. I let the cold fluffy snow fall onto my tongue. It tasted wonderful and it was so much fun. After I put my coat on, Dad showed me how to make a snow angel. We made snow angels all over our yard until our fingers and toes started to get numb.

Mom says that a lot more snow is supposed to fall tonight. Dad says there will be enough snow to make a snowman tomorrow. I’ll finally get to build my first snowman and I’m really excited.

Today was Bindi’s first snow experience, too. We did not think our dog would like snow so much. At first she sniffed it cautiously, but then she dug her nose into it like she was trying to make a tunnel and then began to roll in it. Next, she ran all over the yard like a puppy. The snow made her jumpy and she hopped all over the yard like a bunny. She was so funny.

I hope you can visit soon.

Love,
Ariel

Dear Ariel,

We have snow in Israel sometimes, too—you know that. But it’s in the north, around Mount Hermon. We took your mom there when she was a kid and she loved the snow, too. I like warmer weather and am happy it doesn’t get so cold here in this part of Israel. So I’ll stay here in Tel Aviv for the rest of the winter. I will come to visit you in the summer. I can’t wait to see your new home. Give Bindi a kiss for me.

Love,
Savta