Got it, I’ll focus on translating the Hebrew to English while keeping the structure intact.
—
“Yonit, this is Karen from the crew scheduling team. We’re flying you to New York tonight for flight 001.” What? But I’m not even on standby – how can this be? Besides, Rosh Hashanah is tomorrow, and I’m already with Yehli and Alma, and how will Liran manage with them on the flight?… Once again, the same dream, which returns to me especially during the holidays. It’s been five years since my last flight as a flight attendant, but at night when I sleep, I’m still serving coffee (or tea).
The truth? I don’t miss that job very much. That lifestyle, which was so cool at first, eventually became exhausting. The second and a half after waking up when I need to get my bearings, remember which country I’m in, and how many hours I have until pickup… Ugh! What do I miss? Abroad.
Like many other things, abroad is actually a state of mind. For me, abroad is the feeling of not being on autopilot. Making an effort to decipher the subway map and how to get from place to place, reading the unspoken signs, and understanding how I’m expected to behave in each situation… I think this focus sharpens my senses and makes me see more things and discover the world. Let’s be honest, there’s plenty to see in Israel too, but over there, I am my better version: marveling and getting inspired by everything.
Photo: [Eli Singalovski](https://xnet.ynet.co.il/architecture/articles/0,14710,L-3108885,00.html)
There is a place five minutes from my house where I don’t need much to switch into the mindset of being abroad. The Sarona complex is first and foremost a beautiful place, like the other corners left behind by the Templers here in Israel. Beyond that, there’s a mix of stores that are both luxurious and unique enough to excite and at the same time varied and affordable. I know this place gets some flak, but in my opinion, undeservedly so. However, I recommend visiting it during the week rather than on weekends to experience it at its best.
The two design stores in the complex are Bloomingville – Soho and Story, both particularly worth visiting but different from each other. Bloomingville is essentially a pop-up store located on the second floor of the ‘Soho’ branch dedicated to the Danish brand’s items. Soho is not the only store that imports Bloomingville, but their selection is certainly more extensive than the others. Beyond their well-known origami vases and candle holders, they also sell other household items, textiles like decorative cushions and TV blankets, and even furniture like coffee and side tables, armchairs, and sofas. All items are made from natural materials and designed with clean lines in a typical Scandinavian style.
For more stylish photos, visit their [website](https://bloomingville.com/).
What did I buy? The truth is I bought quite a lot from this store because I’m simply in love with their aesthetics…(and whoever identifies the most Bloomingville items [here](https://sterninteriordesign.com/home-ever-im/) will win a macaron from Fauchon ;-)) but my favorite purchase is definitely the house-shaped shelves I hung [in Yehli and Alma’s room](https://sterninteriordesign.com/%d7%a4%d7%95%d7%a1%d7%98-%d7%9c%d7%90%d7%9e%d7%95%d7%aa-%d7%91%d7%9c%d7%91%d7%93/):
Savings tip: The beauty of many of Bloomingville’s products lies in their simplicity, and if you Google Bloomingville DIY, you’ll find many great tutorials for things you can create yourself.
Story, on the other hand, is a store that imports various brands from Europe and mainly from Scandinavia (surprising, right?!). What I love about Story is that, like its name, you can really feel like you’re inside a story in this store. Everything there is so well-designed and cool, and the choices are precise… it’s a real pleasure! I also love that the store includes both fashion items and home items; I find that not a few stores that combine the two manage to hit the mark in both areas.
Photo: [Amit Gosher](https://xnet.ynet.co.il/articles/0,7340,L-4804765,00.html)
What am I going to buy? This Pinterest-worthy home for a particularly charming children’s room that I am currently planning:
Savings tip: Even though it’s worth visiting the store just for the inspiration, [Story Online](https://storyonline.co.il/) offers a 12% discount for new customers.
If you have ideas about which stores from abroad should come to Israel, share them with me, and if there are other places in Israel that give you that feeling of being abroad, I’d love to hear about them!