Paris, Part 2: Joyeaux Noel to all!

Vacationing with a 3 year old reminds you that there is a difference between your plans and what's going to happen. I got a taste of that a bit this leg of our trip. Maddy needed more time then I had scheduled to recover and relax. So, of course, after many attempts to fight it I had to give up and let her rest.

We enjoyed some lazy time around the apartment and I think in the end we all benefited from it. We finally headed to our local bakery and grocery store to restock. We stumbled upon a local farmers market and got some local wines and spent the rainy morning walking around the market. We even went and got a crepe wand so I can start experimenting with making my own crepes. No better place to learn right?? 

The rest was much needed as we conquered our first Disney experience as a family. This was the part of the trip that Maddy couldn't wait for and I think the part we dreaded the most. We arrived at Disneyland Paris right as it opened and was cattled into the park. It was decorated beautifully for Christmas including fake snow down Main street. Maddy was all about the characters but sadly didn't Paris didn't have as many characters out and about as I think Disney in the US does. She got to see 3 characters, including Mickey after a hour and a half wait, ride 4 rides, and watch one parade. All that took us 10 hours! Maddy is sure lucky we love her! We were all SO tired after that our comfy beds were a welcomed relief that night.

It was Christmas eve and after recovering from the busy day at Disney before we decided to head out to find some seasonal cheer. It was interesting to see how little the Parisian's seemed to be in a holiday spirit throughout our stay their but that seemed to completely change on Christmas eve. The metro was busting with people headed out for the evening, gifts in hands and smiles on their faces. It was wonderful to be a part of. In our failed attempt to go to the Christmas market at Champ-Elyse's we had spotted the Ferris wheel and maddy fell in love. So once nightfall set we ventured down to Concord station (the right metro station makes the difference sometimes) and rode the Rue de Paris. Maddy loved it and was pointing out all different kinds of stuff from up top. We took an evening stroll down the Christmas market and found more Christmas related things including ornaments, the only thing we collect from every place we've ever been. More Christmas spirit to spare going around! Santa was even driven down Champs Elyse's with a police escort to the amusement of all the kids. The lights down the street were nice too and it was good to continue a tradition even being so far from normal. Before headed home we ran to the grocery store to make sure we had everything for our Christmas dinner at home. In addition we went to the bakery and got some traditional Christmas desserts. Maddy has found a new love in chocolate bread so we had to take a break and grab some!

Christmas day was wonderful and even though we just did a few gifts it was so wonderful to just be together as a family. We heard maddy wake up and start whispering in the living room about how santa came. She ran into our room with her new hat and stocking in hand and told us " santa brought me a hat and a shoe!".  After a minor meltdown about Santa forgetting to bring a baby doll with a pacifier, what was he thinking? the rest of the gift opening was smooth. I got to try out my new crepe wand and recipe for breakfast while maddy played with her new gifts. Then we called our families to wish them a good holiday. Maddy enjoyed talking to everyone and telling them all about Disney and her Christmas morning. We had debated on doing a fancy Christmas dinner but decided to opt for a more toddler friendly version of cooking at home. Yesterday, we meet a nice local in the supermarket that gave me a recipe for a sauce for our meal. It turned out delicious and was very authentic food, I was proud! We enjoyed a Christmas evening of building legos and laughing, a good one for sure!

Decided to treat Maddy to some more fun today in addition to buy another ornament thanks to a ball mishap yesterday. We headed to the other side of the Christmas market since we ran out of time on Christmas eve, Maddy got to experience her first roller coaster and as expected she is an adrenaline junkie. We rode some carousals, Christmas trains and enjoyed some more shopping. We headed back to the apartment after losing a battle with Maddy's need for a nap. While she slept, Trey and I packed, it was sad to see our last day in Paris come to an end. Had another couple battles with the washer/dryer machine, which I lost of course, damn steam dryers! We walked around our neighborhood for the last time and were greeted like locals when we went into the bakery and grocery. It made my heart swell, i was happy to set my mind on a feel for our time in Paris and be able to achieve it. Of course there were things we didn't get a chance to get to but overall it was a memorable Christmas and I'm so lucky!

After a quick morning of cleaning our apartment and packing the final bag we were on our way to the train. We decided to take the Eurostar to London for a change of pace from flying. After a little confusion at the HUGE station that is Gard de Nord we were on our way to London. The train was quick and comfortable, we didn't buy maddy a seat and we worried about being cramped together but it was plenty of space.

We had to pick up our keys at a hotel for the apartment and was prepared with directions and subway routes. We got to the hotel with just a little bit of help from the friendly information ladies at the metro station. From the hotel we were assured it was just a '10 minute' walk from the hotel, but I should have been wary when the map had driving directions...we walked and walked. Our 10 minutes quickly swelled to an hour, as we wondered the London streets. We walked through the theatre district and i got my first indulgent tourist photos with the red telephone booths. Maddy crashed out once we got to the apartment and we decided it was best to start fresh in the morning. Looking forward to a busy time exploring London!

Paris, part 1

When I planned Paris, I envisioned lazy days strolling the beautiful architecture and admiring the general feel that Paris has. I knew we would be limited when it came to visiting Museums and sights because of Maddy but wanted to get the most out of our experience. We had visited Paris previously with a tour group and hit the highlights, so most of the must-do's were checked off our list anyway. Now it was time to actually appreciate the city. Plus it being our Christmas destination we wanted to make it ultra Christmas with markets, local cuisine, and of course, Pere Noel!

So far we are on track with what I envisioned, mostly. It was an amazing change of pace from Greece where we had plans all day, everyday. I didn't realize how exhausted we all were until we slowed down a bit.

We spent the first day taking care of all the important stuff. On the agenda: get Sim card, buy groceries, find Christmas tree and ornaments and get Metro passes. Seems like lofty goals for a good day let alone a day in a foreign city. But surprisingly after quite a bit of wondering and asking locals (it's a myth that all Parisians are unfriendly) we finally got it all accomplished! We had to travel 3 European blocks before we stumbled upon a flower shop that sold real Christmas trees. They wanted nearly 100euros for a 3ft tree, I couldn't do it. We only have a week until Christmas and I can't justify that cost. luckily right across the street I spot some fake trees, now I'll admit they weren't as nice but they were nearly 1/10th the cost! The also had some cute ornaments so two done! Groceries was an easy task once we re-found the store we were certain the city had swallowed whole. That is one of the nice things about staying in a neighborhood, you have access to things real people need. The metro passes were a little trickier, they only sell them at certain entrances to the subway but after some stairs and some French we got them! We had dinner reservations at the Eiffel Tower at 6:30 so we left the apartment at 5pm, a breeze right? So wrong. After getting on the completely wrong metro line in the wrong direction and having to take to transits to fix it we finally got to the Eiffel Tower at 7:45 epic fail. Luckily, they had space for us in the 9pm seating! Maddy really liked seeing the Eiffel tower up close and was very surprised about how big it is. Sadly due to construction on the first floor they had to cancel ice skating this year but we still enjoyed the view. The food was meh and the view isn't that grand from the restaurant itself but it's a once in a lifetime experience. So we enjoyed a mediocre meal in an amazing place. As we left the Eiffel tower we saw a bunch of bikers dressed as santa, maddy LOVED it. We talked to a couple of them and they were bringing presents to widowed firefighters families for Christmas, it's nice to see so many good people. With no metro snapfus we were home in about 30min

Day 2 in Paris started out wonderfully sleepy, we woke up and made breakfast together then spent the early afternoon putting up the tree and decorating. Our tree is very Charlie brown but every time I see it I smile. It reminds me that the holidays are really about making wonderful memories with your family and everything else just gets in the way. I think I've lost sight of that simple fact over time. Our second goal of the day was to see Santa and get some presents bought. Confession time, the me that I know should be freaking out that it is 5 days until Christmas and I haven't bought a single thing. Luckily I have been pretty successful about keeping my crazy locked up when it comes to the previously normal standards. We decided to venture to Galleries Lafayatee, because I heard they had an amazing tree, window displays and Santa. We all dressed in coordinating colors and I was intent on getting a cute Christmas picture, let me lower your expectations now it didn't happen. We got to the store and it was filled with people and hot, like I think I started sweating when we walked in. We went to the top floor where the children's section is. Maddy got to sit on Santa's lap and luckily he spoke English, she's been talking a lot about what she wants to tell santa she wants for Christmas and I could just imagine him only speaking French. She talked to him for about 5 min and we snuck a picture, the smallest size they had was a 15x20, I don't need a huge picture of a skinny santa. We ventured into the toy section and got all our shopping done. Another confession moment, it was so hard to buy that stuff at retail price! I just kept thinking I could get this stuff so much cheaper somewhere else. By this point I'm considering taking off my leggings because I am so hot so after a couple pictures of the Christmas tree and some poorly taken family shots we head outside, I have to get out of this store. We were exhausted from walking and shopping, I hate shopping. Decided to head home for a quiet dinner and movie night.

Day 3 I got up early and took a stroll around the neighborhood, this is my favorite time to see Paris, early in the morning when it seems almost abandoned. Ran into a couple stores to pick up odds and ends then headed to the bakery to pick up breakfast. Waiting in line I thought through my French lessons and when it was my turn I ordered entirely in French, much slower and with horrible pronunciation I'm sure, but I still think my high school French teacher would be proud! After breakfast we decided to head to a Christmas market. We picked the one at the foot of the Eiffel tower. It was picturesque and we got to enjoy our favorite thing to eat here, ham and cheese crepes! The Christmas market itself was more just local vendors trying to sell stuff then anything to do with Christmas but the atmosphere was nice. Maddy got to visit with santa again and we tackled ice skating together. We tried to head to another Christmas market near the Arc de tromphe but after multiple meltdowns we decided it wise to head for a nap instead. After maddy's nap and mommy/daddy's wine break we all headed out for our evening dinner cruise on the river seine. After the food on the Eiffel tower restaurant we were a little worried but it was wonderful. Great way to admire the city and a local cuisine all together.

With a new plan at hand of splitting the day to allow for more rest we have a lot more planned for our remaining time in Paris!

Greece Part 2

It's roughly the halfway point in our time in Greece. I have surprised myself with how much I've enjoyed the history and culture that is all around. From everyone's advice Athen's only warranted 1-2 days and I was concerned we would be bored, man was I wrong!

Morning of day 3 we head to Delphi with a Chatour group, it's a 3 hour bus ride and on the way we get to see more of the rural side of Greece. Farmers and small towns dot the countryside. Delphi is on the second tallest mountain of Greece and lays mostly in ruins. It was still an amazing place to visit but took some imagination to appreciate it at it's greatest. They also have a museum there with houses the statues and other pieces to precious to leave outside. It had some nice pieces and enriched the experience for us. Maddy was very interested in some of the statues, namely the male ones with intact genitals. I guess if your 3 ft tall that would be the first thing you'd notice. Delphi was a long day and we arrived back to Monastraski square just in time for the lively dancing and partying of a Saturday  night. Maddy danced for a while in the circle, impressing everyone that watched. At the end of the night her favorite part of the day was of course, dancing with her friends.

Day 4 was our final organized tour, it was the one we were supposed to do on day 1 but got rescheduled. We headed to the islands! We were a little early to the meeting point and got to see the Parliament with the guards in their traditional outfits they wear on Sundays and holidays. On Sundays they perform a full changing of the guards ceremony with marching band at 10:45. Although we weren't able to see that, it was still nice to see their ''fancy' uniforms. When we arrived at the hotel we sat and had coffee with a 4th generation Athenian, it was amazing to hear his family stories. So welcoming and interesting to talk to, he told me his grandfather died at age 108! Finally it was time for the bus to take us to the port.  We boarded a ship to cruise to Hydra, Poraes, and Aegean. Initially, I was a little put off by the "tourist trap atmosphere" that the ship had but soon we went down the lower deck and maddy had more space to run around. Our first island was Hydra, we did Rick Steve's walking tour and experienced thing that I don't think we would have otherwise. It was a relatively small island where no vehicles are around, only donkeys. Maddy loved the donkeys and tried on several occasions to sneak off onto one of them. The next short stop was Poreas, the route to it is through a cannel that separates it from another island and was very picturesque. Our final stop was Aegean and we decided to duck into a little café for hot chocolate and bacavila. Delicious dessert and time to head back to the mainland. After our final stop the crew put on a show of traditional greek dancing with audience participation. Of course, Maddy was all of this! She soon became a hit with the large group travelling from Malayasia and China. I'm certain that she is an internet sensation somewhere! She soaked up all the attention like a sponge and after she finished every dance she would bow to her adorning fans. Such a ham already! We got back to the meeting point around 8:30 pm and headed right for our apartment, a homemade dinner and early bed was exactly what we needed!

Our final full day in Athens got off to a slow start. We enjoyed sleeping in and taking our sweet time to get ready. Around 11am we left our apartment and we're amazed how lively the neighborhood was. All the other mornings we left around 8am and practically nothing was open but this morning it was alive with vendors and locals sitting around enjoying cigars and coffee. We walked to the ancient Agora, which is the remaining ruins at the foot of the Acropolis that was once the main square of Athens. It reminded us of the Roman forum although the building at the forum were found more intact and excluding one most of the Agora was in ruins. It had started to sprinkle when we arrived so after starting the Rick Steve's audio guide we headed into the small museum they have there. It is set up chronically and outlines the discovers on the site. The museum is housed in the rebuilt south Stoa, it was rebuilt in the 1950's by American architects. Wondering around the artifacts was a true reminder that people are all the same and although our lives had adapted throughout history all the same needs existed. Some evidence of this we found, a 4th century B.C. potty training chair, multiple examples of ancient BBQ's and different polling ballots for government election. When we left the museum it was cooler and more rainy, after getting lost twice with the Rick Steve's guide we decided to just head to lunch. We found a nice cozy place, Dia Tayta, and enjoyed a delicious sampler plate on traditional Greek dishes. We sat for a while and enjoyed the lazy pace of the day, sipping coffee and talking. Around 3pm, Maddy and Trey headed back towards the apartment and I headed to the Hammam Bath, what I had been waiting for all trip! It was a quick walk to the location and when I entered it felt like a traditional spa with some special touches. I was promptly taken upstairs and explained what to do. I was instructed to bring my bathing suit because nudity was not permitted. I was quickly reminded that nudity means something different in Europe when I opened the door the bath and saw a bunch of boobs. After getting adjusted I relaxed for a while before being taken to the next room for the Al-Mama which is essentially a washing ceremony. It was quite an experience like no other spa service I'd had before! Afterwards I enjoyed a 60 min massage and another short stay in the Hammam bath before heading back to the apartment.

This final morning we woke up early to assure everything was packed and headed to a local bakery for breakfast. After some funny language confusion we ended up with some breakfast pastries and what I thought was donuts (turned out to be powder sugar covered round cookies). I headed to a local market and picked up a couple things for Maddy's stocking and enjoyed visiting with some very friendly locals for a while. Then we were off to the airport. We had allotted a total of 3 hrs but after an unexpected train exchange and 30 min wait on the platform it proved to be nearly not enough. Luckily for us the Athens airport was running well and made it to our plane on time. Maddy and I were sitting next to a Parisian on the plane and got some good advice about things to do for Christmas.

Our journey to our apartment in Paris was an adventure! Paris' metro is always so intimidated to me at first because I feel like every map I see looks different. After 3 trains and a lot of stairs we arrived at our apartment. Mid-transit heading down a flight of stairs a man tried to pickpocket trey, luckily he was carrying everything in his inside jacket pocket and the guy quickly fled when trey started yelling at him. He had one suitcase and maddy and I was in front of him with 2 other suitcases. We knew we were big targets with our hands full and obliviously tourists so we were on hyper alert the rest of the way. It was a scary moment and we were glad to get out of the subway for the night. After getting settled into the apartment we headed to a local café for a late dinner. Maddy immediately squirted Dijon mustard into her eye, screaming and running downstairs to the bathroom, crisis was mainly adverted. We settled in for the night and hope that Paris will prove better in the morning. 

Athens, Greece Part 1

We arrived in Greece after a relatively short flight and long day. Our plan left Bahrain at 0350 which meant we left Las Dunas at 2400. We got to Athens at 1320 to a slow airport and helpful people. The metro was surprisingly clean and self explanatory. Our host meet us at the metro stop and walked us through what seemed like a seedy neighborhood to a building down an alley covered in graffiti. Maddy kept saying the whole walk, "this place is SO nasty, why is it SO nasty." I started thinking where did I put our family?? But talking to people and wondering around we found that this neighborhood is exactly like the rest of Athens, rough around the edges but wonderful. That night we walked to a local restaurant with a menu completely in Greek and ordered some "specials", I experienced my first greek "salad" which had no lettuce but instead tomatoes, cucumbers and onions.

Our next morning started early with a "short" (European 10min, slow Americans with a 3 yr old ~20mins) uphill walk. We were supposed to go on a tour but with the weather it was postponed. We went to Parliament and watched the changing of the guards at the base of Parliament, the tomb of the unknown solider. The guards wear traditional uniforms and every hour perform the changing of the guard ceremony. We walked around the National Garden, enjoying beautiful orange tree lined streets with guards all around the Parliament building. We ventured to Panathenaic Stadium which hosted the first Olympic games in 1896. They had a great audio tour and surprise collection of all the Olympic torches and posters from all the games inside. We even got to climb to the top and view Acropolis from there. As a replacement for our cancelled bout tour we did an afternoon tour to Cape Sounion. It was about an 1 1/2 bus ride to the ruins of a temple to Athena and the mostly intact temple of Poseidon overlooking the Aegean Sea. The site was beautiful but very cold! We got back just in time to grab gyros from a walkup stand and head back to the apartment.

This morning was another early morning but in place of enduring the "short" uphill walk we decided to take the metro. We meet our group for the Athen's city tour and headed to the Stadium for some history we didn't get yesterday, including the history of the Marathon. Then we headed up the Acropolis which sits high above the town and we soon found out that the bus stops at a parking lot and you walk the majority of the way up! It was a good tour and the history of the Acropolis is amazing. In it's life it has been a temple to ancient gods, a church, a mosque and a storage room for weapons. Trying to explain ancient ruins to Maddy was a bit of a challenge but she enjoyed playing in the rocks and following around the stray cats and dogs. Next stop, after making it ALL the way down the stairs, was the Acropolis museum which houses all the ruins discovered relating to the Acropolis. Our guided tour ended at the museum and we decided to wander around to find a place for lunch. After our recommended place being closed for the winter and everywhere else being super pricey we decided to just head back toward Syntagma square and head to the apartment. On the way we stopped at bought a local round pastry covered with sesame seeds to snack on and some fresh coconut sticks (delicious!). Then we enjoyed the lively Saturday afternoon in the square prior to getting on the Metro. We made it back to our apartment after grabbing some more gyros and greek salads from the walk up window, can't beat a 2euro lunch! Feeling exhausted, it's an afternoon of relaxing before heading out for more adventures! Trying our hardest to become temporary residences and enjoying every second! 

Are you a Christian?

This is a question that I would expect in some places I guess, especially being from the bible belt. But here? In the closest thing to a Japanese 99cent store in the middle of a most holy Muslim nation? All of these reasons are why the question shocked me.

Backstory: I decided a couple days ago to decorate for Christmas even though we are leaving soon. I think I was just feeling homesick for trees and decorations and holiday spirit. We brought assorted color felt with us to make a tree and ornaments. I had found a couple winter decorations before we went back to Houston so I thought I'd go look again.

When I got to the store I found some garland and put it in my buggy. I made my way to the back of the store to look for a couple things. A worker followed me and asks me in a low voice if I'm a Christian, I feel afraid all of a sudden and just smile. He asks if I'm looking for Christmas decorations and still I really don't know what to do. I tell him yeah I'm decorating for the holidays and try to walk away. Suddenly my irrational fear is returning that he's secretly the religious police and is going to arrest me. I can see the headlines now: American Woman arrested buying garland in Saudi. I keep one eye on that guy for the rest of my shopping trip terrified that he was going to try and arrest me! When I went to leave he walked up to me as I was getting my stuff. He said "I'm a Christian too, Merry Christmas"

It hit me like a ton of bricks, I'm truly amazed about peoples commitment to their religion. Here is this man willing to share his religion even somewhere so restrictive. Although I'm not particially religious myself I have a lot of respect for people that believe something so deeply that they are willing to share it with a stranger.

The Istanbul mishap and related vacationing fails

The latter part of this year being the only time we could vacation meant that we had a lot of vacation to use in a short amount of time. As the year comes to an end trey took an extra week to use up vacation. Which left me with the best kind of dilemma, planning a last minute week long trip wherever we want!

 After a long night of searching I decided on Istanbul, Turkey just a short 4hr plane ride and mild start to winter. Doing more and more research got me super excited to do Istanbul, tons of amazing adventures. We were scheduled to fly out at 8am but had to cross the causeway and wanted to be early so we left Las Dunas at 4:30am. It was scary foggy! I don't think the driver could see the end of the hood, and multiple times had to stop just to find a turn or exit a round-about. As we got to the causeway I was relieved that we left early. We hand over our passports and the guy checks our exit visas on the computer. When he gets to Trey's he says "not valid, come inside". My heart sinks but I'm holding out hope that it's just a mistake of numbers. The driver and Trey go inside and he comes back out a short while later, I give him a thumbs up and he shakes his head no. Somehow his visa got cancelled, so that means no leaving Saudi for us, no trip to Istanbul. Driving back to our compound the true weight of living in a closed country hits me.

We were determined to make the best of our forced stay-cation. With assurance that the visa issue was being resolved we enjoyed some lounging days around the compound and a couple adventures out. Since I thought we were going to be gone I threw most of our left overs away, so the grocery store was a must. Towards the end of our week of doing nothing I was feeling cabin fever and decided to try and plan a local adventure. After all we are in an amazing foreign country. I looked around and talked with some people and found a town about an hour away that seemed interesting. As I read up about it the have a camel market where people come from all over Saudi to buy racing camels on Thursday, plus in the town is an old fort that is a historical site, and their were really nice mountains with caves you could explore and a local pottery makers onsite. Sounded like a perfect mix for our family. Of course, planning even something as simple as a day trip in Saudi isn't easy. No websites easily explain anything and a lot of information I can find is old. But after piecing together about 15 different sites I feel like I have an idea of what to do. Only wild card left: the driver. This is a rude awakening moment, in Texas I would jump in my car, turn on the gps and go! Here I am at the mercy of a non-English speaking driver to get me there, well atleast he will have a gps (or so I think!)

The day of our trip to Al Hofuf, I wake everyone up early (6am) because the camel market starts early and I want to see it while it's busy. I've read cool things about it and want to see them picking up the camels with forklifts. I go out and meet the driver and again confirm he knows where we are going, he says yes. We start driving and he has to call and ask where the camel market is ::Warning sign #1::, we drive on and finally exit the freeway and turn down a dirt road. In front of us are bins of sheep and men standing around with hay all around. I ask him where we are going and he says this is camel market. NO CAMEL in sight. Frustrated I tell him nevermind just go on the Al Hofuf and we will do the rest of our plans. ::Warning sign #2:: He instead rolls down his window and begins speaking Arabic to a gentlemen and asks us "How many kilos camel we want". After much refusing I get my point across that we did not come to buy a camel (or so I think!). Another 30 min goes by and we get into Al Hofuf, I tell him to take us to the fort and show him the paper with the information, he drives around a minute and then pulls over in a parking lost and calls someone, he's lost again! After sitting there for about 10 min I see a guy walking around and decide I'm going to take matters in my own hands, ignoring Saudi law and talk to this man. I tell the driver to unlock the door and I'm going to talk to that man. He gets out instead talks to the man, after a couple min conversation he gets back in the car and assures me that he knows where we are going. He drives us into an older part of town and stop at a butcher shop with whole and pieces of camel hanging in the window. He's still trying to buy us camel! Again we explain it to him that we want to go to fort and show him the address again. We get the bright idea to ask him to get out his gps (all drivers are supposed to have gps' in their cars) and he replies that he doesn't have one. ::Warning sign #3::  By chance at the next intersection I see the fort in the opposite direction and we head over there. It is an interesting structure and of course closed! Not just closed but gated up and dilapidated. It was such a shame to see how poorly they maintain their historical site. Graffiti carved into the walls, glass and trash everywhere.The driver had dropped us off and told us he was going to get gas and come back to get us. 30 min later we call him and he says he's on his way. When he gets back we are just defeated, tired and hot. He had no idea how to get to the mountain to go to the cave so we gave up in defeat and went home.

Better vacations to come, promise!!

Return to the US and our first minivacation: Dubai

This is our first vacation that takes advantage of being on the other side of the world. It's hard to imagine that a week in Dubai is comparable to a mini vacation. I truly am amazed as to how quickly life changes. We just returned for 6 weeks in Houston. Hubby had a lot of work to get done and we took advantage of every free second. We celebrated my favorite holiday there, Halloween of course! and Maddy's 3rd birthday party. It was interesting to go back so soon after leaving. Maddy and I had only been in Saudi for 2 months when we returned. I was amazed at the evidence that time doesn't stand still, in many ways we truly felt like visitors and no longer like residents. I vowed to myself to not visit with anyone I wasn't interested in investing time in, it worked out well. It was a nice luxury to have to, in reflecting I've discovered that I waste a lot of my time trying to please and one up people I'm not even invested in. Trying to turn over a new leaf on that one. I think the thing that struck me the most about being back in the states was how much i missed Saudi. Not in a forever home way but more in a that's our life and routine kinda way. Just surprised myself as to how fast I adapted, didn't know I had that in me.

After a couple travel troubles we arrived in Dubai around 5am this morning. Driving to our villa and passing the main city it has a very US big city feel but then you look up at the signs and the people and realize the Arabian influence. The only place I've ever been too that had this same type of feel was Rome, holding on to old world beliefs and culture while steadly expanding and building. I'm truly prepelexed by this city and am so excited to explore it. We took the first day for relaxing, thank goodness with our travel delays. The following day bright and early we were supposed to start our city tour and exploring. But in typical middle eastern fashion the driver is almost 2 hours late with no notification at all. And I get my first return to culture shock of being hung up on, welcome back! It was an interesting tour and I found out quite a bit about Dubai although it didn't go downtown. The next day was another lounging around and an evening Dhow Cruise around the water separating old Dubai and new Dubai, it seemed kinda touristy but something you do once. There was a cool dancer that spun for what seemed like an hour, I truly wondered how he didn't fall down. On our last full day in Dubai we got up early and headed to the Mall of the Emirates. They have a giant ski park IN the mall, it's amazing. I can't wait to go back to Dubai when we aren't so jet lagged and enjoy more of the city. We ended it with the best day of parental irresponsibility. We took maddy with us off roading on the sand dunes, got in a near head-on collision with another driver. Rode a camel, got henna tattoos and ate dinner with a man that spoke 3 words of English. Then because of our wreak ended up sharing the car ride back with the belly dancer and two guys from Spain. It was a true adventure and something not most 3 year olds get for their birthday! Then a short hour flight back to Bahrain and we morning drive across the causeway. Welcome home to Saudi!

Finding our feet and moving forward

We have been enjoying a busy week with some wonderful folks. Maddy and I went to a ladies lunch to get to know some of the other women in the compound. It was what we've come to find as regular Saudi business: drivers got lost and restaurant gave away our reservation but in the end we all were able to eat and it wasn't a big deal. I've decided that this time is going to be a wonderful practice in patience.

Maddy is adjusting better. Potty training in the middle of a strange country is hard! I just keep reminding myself to cut her some slack I did uproot her entire life and move her across the world. So it's really not that big of a deal that she's isn't potty trained yet. Just got get my mom craziness under control. We've been having fun days fighting boredom with painting, chalk, pool time and running around the house. Took Maddy to a really fun indoor playground to get out some of her wiggles, we feel like we are getting our 'Saudi feet' (instead of 'sea legs' :-P ). Figuring out how to request vehicles, where to go/when and where the best places are.

I can already feel the change that being here has on us. It will be weird to be somewhere I don't have to constantly monitor prayer time, or not wear an abaya. I'm sure the transition will be quick back to what we grew up as normal.

Planning some trips has helped me fight some of the frustration of being here. Really looking forward to finalizing some travel plans!

Lonely Days and other craziness

I decided that I would do this blog to keep record of the experience that we are having moving half way across the world. I always think that I will remember everything the way it happens, with the same intensity but I never do. Memories fade but words are forever. We are both travelling souls and when he called me and told me about the opportunity over a year and a half ago I didn't hesitate. Of course we would go, what else would one do when confronted with such an amazing option. Now that we are here I think I'm understanding the reasons that people said no. Don't get me wrong I'm still super excited that we came but I can appreciate the challenges when faced head on by them.

So here it goes bitch-fest that may get everything off my chest and let me sleep again:
- I'm worried that being here during such an important time in Madeline's development is going to change her view of a strong woman. She is free, strong willed and independent but living in a society that I feel like children, especially girls, should be seen and not heard has to take it's toll eventually.
- I feel like a circus act every time I'm in public. Growing up in the melting pot that is America I never gave much thought to the minority mentality. But oh boy is it crazy here! Which is funny because I feel like I see about as many expats as Saudi nationals. I think it's just the paranoid judgment I'm feeling with all the looks. Plus they think Maddy is the best zoo exhibit. Blond hair and blue eyes is not so common here. We got accosted in ikea yesterday, grown woman wanting to take her picture and kiss her on the mouth! Just added to my anxiety of confronting yet another hurdle of people.
- This is not the woman I am! I am strong, independent, proud and have never needed a man to do anything for me. Here I can't go into multiple stores without my husband, can't go anywhere without a man driving me and can't even sit in the front seat while he does drive me! My neighbor said she could feel herself shrinking and I think it's the most accurate account of the feeling. I've only been here a couple days but it feels like a permanent feeling as if I won't be able to switch myself back on.
- My anxiety is in hyper drive, I don't want to break rules but I don't feel like I know half the rules. The closest feeling I can compare it to was when I first took Maddy out as an infant. Not having any idea of the crazy society I just joined and certain that someone was waiting around the corner to catch me being a bad mom.
-I'm lonely, I feel like aside from my husband few people can quite understand our situation because it takes both an intimate knowledge of Saudi and an intimate knowledge of me. Sadly not many people have both.

Okay done dwelling on the things I can't change and moving on to the things I can. Time fixes a multitude of things and I'm certain that's the case here to. With time I will find creative ways to show my daughter that these women are strong just in a different way. I will find a balance of my self and the rules. I will calm the fuck down and realize that breaking a rule isn't the worse thing ever. I will make new friends and take this precious time to build the relationship with my husband. If nothing else, I will embrace the attention from being a circus act and just smile!

Welcome to Saudi!

After a long journey from Houston we arrived here at 10pm on 8/22nd. We were meet as we got off the plane by a non-English speaking gentlemen who escorted us out a back door to the VIP customs area. Maddy ran straight into Trey's arms when she saw him. We were in our temporary home by 1am and fast asleep within 10 mins! Now it's just adjusting to the little differences like ketchup and women only waiting rooms. Planning on spending the week figuring things out.