Dancing in the streets

I am back in the kibbutz after an exciting and memorable weekend. The last stop before the return was Ashdod and it turned out to be a very nice city. Most of it is very new. It's still being built up just like many other cities in Israel. Ashdod has a huge port and a decent industrial zone. For me, I got an impression of clean, white buildings on sandy dunes and the wonderful sea. However, what left a huge mark in my mental picture of Ashdod was a walk along the sea shore. I saw people dancing Israeli folk dances in the middle of a square near a shopping center. There were many of them and it was open to anybody passing by. Music was blasting, everyone seemed happy and it was as if I was in a magnificent dream. I know everything is either magnificent or wonderful or exciting when I talk about Israel right now, but it's just how I feel. I was told that this may last for a couple of months and then people get back to reality and some disappointment. However, whenever that happens at least I will have these great memories of my first moments of living here. Regardless of the above mentioned phenomenon, I've met so many people who still love living here that I can only hope that I will follow in their footsteps of commitment to this country. It's not as if every Israeli wants to live in America. A lot of people here, I'd say the majority, love being here and don't want to leave.
On a more practical note, I'm finding myself subconsciously thinking about whether I'd want to live in the particular place I visit. So far, I wouldn't mind living in Tel Aviv, Haifa, Jerusalem, and Ashdod. I'm sure that the list will continue to grow as I visit more places.