In the next six days, I will attend the Fulbright Distinguished Teachers’ orientation conference, readying me for my research in Israel and the West Bank. I would not have known about, applied for, or received this grant if not for Hilary. On her 11-hour flight to Jerusalem, Hilary and my mother will be handing the girls fun games and activities every hour, having researched and gathered all the tools to amuse two preschoolers on long flights. She will arrive in a country she has never been to before. She will manage the seven bags of belongings she carefully selected, balancing between our lightweight travel habits and what we might need for a year abroad. She will prepare to move into the apartment she found for us. Hilary will ready the girls for the Jerusalem American International School, which she researched and with whom she has been corresponding.

We often praise the girls, when they deserve it, for being “good teammates” when we travel. I could not be more grateful for my most valuable teammate in this new adventure.