In a few days I'll be celebrating my 20th month in Israel. I can hardly believe that I lasted so long, am still here and not planning to leave. I am set up with a great job and a cool apartment, completed my compulsory military service and am pursing an MBA degree in the evenings. My interest in staying has never been greater - more and more friends are making the move here and very soon I'll be buying a car.

Twenty months may not be much of a milestone but I am nevertheless compelled to ask myself a few questions. How was I able to get to this point without going crazy or home? What were the tools that served me so well to this point? And, finally, what will be the tools that continue to support my productive and determined stay in Israel? Maybe its naive to ponder such issues, after a mere 20 months in the country, but here goes anyway.

The mere passage of time without my going insane is a goal in and of itself. I am not rushing to do anything. Staying sane, grounded and constantly reminded of my overarching goals for remaining all have positive effects. The very passive act of time going by helps me adjust more to Israel because it forces me to deal with normal, every-day life. Riding buses, waiting in lines, talking to cab drivers, paying bills, going grocery shopping, and the other continuing, ongoing small activities of every day life help me stay grounded and allow me to learn about the culture in a passive way, thereby adjusting to it.

In a similar fashion, I haven't rushed at all to do any of the activities that people visiting Israel must do. That means I haven't done any site-seeing, haven't hung out at the beach too much and, in general, haven't spent too much time relaxing. This may seem contradictory to what I said above but there's a difference between living normal life, with its common anxieties and issues, and feeling a need to take advantage of my time here. The thinking is that I'll have plenty of time to travel around the country later. Right now I'm focused on leading the normal life of a resident and not acting like a guest who's about to leave.

That is where I differ from many people who immigrate to Israel. Many come here and spend 6 months on a kibbutz or just pursue part-time internships. I think that sort of approach makes you forever an outsider, a temporary resident. It was important for me to get into the mindset of a regular citizen, living his normal every-day life as soon as possible - no traveling, no spending months picking melons on a kibbutz or anything else like that. If you come here, come and hit the ground running. Living in Israel is nothing like visiting Israel.

Another important part of coming and surviving is to find - and not be afraid to rely on - a close group of friends. Many people are super kind and friendly when it comes to helping immigrants. There are countless organization, groups, etc. where a new-comer can go to meet people and get help.

Above all else, what continues to fuel my commitment to making my aliyah a success is an unrelenting focus on what I really came to Israel for - Zionism.

I came for Zionism, not for the land. I came for Zionism, not for the religion. I came for Zionism, not because of the current state of affairs in Israel, its culture, humor, art, cinema, restaurants, attitudes, etc. Of course all those elements are important - there would be no Zionism without the religion and no Israel without the land - but what I mean to say is that the primary reason for my move is Zionism, not the belief that all Jews must live in Israel, or the belief that Israel should occupy the largest amount of land that it can, or an affinity for the weather (or even the people) and certainly not always what they do here.

I came for Zionism. That doesn't mean I necessarily have to like what the Israelis have done with the place. I can still think the music sucks, the humor sucks and lack of common courtesy sucks, the obsession most people have with making sure they're not being taken advantage of sucks, the paranoia sucks, the occasional regressions into attitudes and customs of third world countries sucks, the agenda sucks, the approach to business sucks and a lot more sucks.

But I came for Zionism, so my belief is that with enough hard work, determination and idealism I can have an impact. I can do something to support Zionism and, therefore, help to continue to build Israel and help in making it the best country it can be. Sure, there are problems, but my idealism means I think there's actually a chance that through positive engagement I can make a difference. That's what keeps me going - my desire to be a positive actor in the Zionist movement. In such a small and young country one person can make a difference, and a bigger one than elsewhere.

So, come on, join me!