OUR STORY & VALENTINE'S GIFT GUIDE

Noam (my husband) and I have known each other since we were 6 years old! We both grew up in a small town in Israel, Nazareth Illit. He was my neighbor's cousin who played in the same rock band as my brother in high school, and Noam always came to watch them play. Growing up, I saw him all the time. We even dated briefly in sixth grade and I always went back to him when I got my heart broken throughout high school although he told me later that I broke his heart. I still really liked him in high school, but I always went for the bad boys and he was always so nice to me. After high school, when I started my military service at the IDF we had an hour long break before bedtime every night, for eating, showering, and preparing for the next day. Noam was serving in a special platoon unit and I would call him crying all the time. After the IDF, Noam moved to NYC. I hadn’t seen him in years and I was shocked when I ran into him on the street in my hometown! He introduced me to his wife, can you imagine my face when I found out he was married?! We kept in touch and nothing really happened after that but I still felt something for him in my heart.

In 2006 after I graduated college I decided to travel to explore a new place and ended up in NYC for the year. I didn’t know anything or anyone in this new city but Noam told me about the cool neighborhoods to live in and where I could find a job (he suggested craigslist). When I moved back to Israel I met a guy and I moved in with him in Tel Aviv. We dated for almost four years. I was working for Big Brother TV and Good Morning Israel. One day Noam called me to tell me he was visiting Israel and that we should meet. He told me he was getting a divorce and wanted to know if something was still there between us, but at the time I didn’t see it. One night about 2 years later, I was thinking about Noam and decided to call him. We spoke on the phone for more than 10 hours! After that conversation I was so happy that all of my girlfriends asked me what had happened. We spoke all the time for the next two weeks; I would even call him from the public phone on the street. I was 29, and I couldn’t believe that I could still feel butterflies like a teenager and be so in love. I told my boyfriend at the time that I needed a break. I knew he was about to propose to me and I knew it wasn’t right. Noam came to Israel to test the waters and see if there was still something there. Two weeks after he came to Israel, I booked a ticket to NYC. I left my apartment with all of my stuff and quit my jobs. My family was in shock, they thought I was going to marry my ex boyfriend! My parents came by later to pick up all of my stuff from my apartment in Israel. 3 months after I moved to the Big Apple, I was shocked to find out that I was pregnant. Noam and I were so happy and our parents came to visit us for the first time when I was 6 months pregnant. We decided to go to the city hall before they went back to Israel. I remember that night so vividly. I went to H&M and bought a $20 white “wedding” dress and we went to the City Hall the next day.

This valentines day, after 6 years and 3 kids, we are still dreaming about our big jewish wedding where my oldest son will bring us our rings! Maybe we will do it this year ;)

What's your love story...? and check out the gift guide for Valentines Day below!

Neshikot= Xx