Farm Life

Heyooo,

Been back Stateside for a couple weeks and have a couple more to go!

KatieDale and her brother drove down from Indiana on a camping trip and I joined them on the way back up!  On the way to Indiana, we camped in Missouri and visited Meramac Caverns and the Gateway Arch!  It was really cool and chill.  The car rides didn't seem that long (and that's probably because I didn't drive...).  We finally arrived in Indiana on the Double D Ranch!

This was my first time ever being on a farm for more than a couple hours and it was so cool!  We threw knives and a tomahawk, we shot guns, I drove a tractor and moved bales of hay.  We made tutus and pillowcases and totes.  We laughed and had a dance party and ate biscuits and gravy.  Saw a mama cow about to give birth (but probably a miscarriage) and played a lot.  Double D Ranch was a blast.  I can't wait to go back again.  Hopefully next summer.

While I was up in Indiana, I also visited Veedersburg where a friend of my parents' lives in the summer (in not the summer she is also in Kuwait!).  I stayed with them for a night and I just felt so at home and comfortable there.

I feel so lucky and grateful for these experiences and can't wait for more.

Peace, love, & friends

Oops - here's what's been happening

Well, in the past three months things have happened and I have sucked at writing about them.  Sorry!

Here's a quick recount:

• my KGs graduated
• went to Oman
• everyone left Kuwait and I stayed
• I worked at Sylvan for a month
• came back to America, now I have a little less than 3 weeks left

Stay tuned for my next post on AMERICAAAA!

Time Flies When You're Having Fun

Yesterday, I realized that four years ago [now] two days ago, I graduated from college.  Whoa.  That's crazy.  Today, the class of 2013 graduated.  Whoa. 

So, it got me thinking, "What have I accomplished since I graduated from Roanoke College???"  I, personally, don't feel like it's a lot, but I guess, to some people, it is.  Here's a little list:

• graduated from a TEFL course
• taught for a year in Korea
• visited 10 new countries (if I counted correctly)
• have lived in Korea and Kuwait - teaching!
• started ITC

Yea, I think that's it.  Honestly, it doesn't seem like a lot, but I feel proud of myself because of where I am and how my life is.  I feel like I live a great life, a lucky life.

Peace, love, & to more accomplisments!

Yikes!

Less than SIX weeks left with my kiddos!  Time has definitely flown by. 

This summer, I'm going to (Insh'Allah) stay in Kuwait until mid-July participating in a summer camp, then fly back to OK for three weeks.  Yay for "set" plans!  (As set as they will get when it comes to me, anyhow...)

Peace, love, & 27 SCHOOL days!

Egypt

So, a lot has happened between this post and my last post.  On this post, though, I will just talk about my spring break!  I went to Egypt with my parents.  We went through a travel agency and it was super easy.  I barely had to pick up my own bag.  I'm okay with that, sometimes.  Egypt is so full of life and history, it was a great experience.  In light of recent events (and the 6th year anniversary of the Virginia Tech shootings, which hit a little too close to home), I can honestly say that I am a very grateful person for my life and all of my experiences, good and bad. 

I'm finished with the sap stuff.  On to the Egypt stuff!  We left Friday and came back on Friday. April 5th - April 12th.  Here we goooo!

Friday - fly to Cairo.  Had dinner with Daddy's friend.
Saturday - fly to Luxor.  Board the cruise ship. Horse and buggy ride.  Karnak and Luxor Temples.  Belly dance and whirling dervish show.
Sunday - Valley of the Kings, Valley of the Queens, Queen Hatshepsut Temple, Alabaster shop.
Monday - Horus Temple in Edfu.  Sobek and Haeroris Temple in Kom Ombo.
Tuesday - Aswan - High Dam, Temple of Philae, unfinished obelisk in quarry, papyrus shop, fly back to Cairo.
Wednesday - Sakkara, Carpet shop, Memphis, Pyramids, Sphinx, Fel fela (restaurant -- SUPER GOOD!)
Thursday - Egyptian Museum, Citadel/Muhammad Ali Mosque, Khan El Khalily bazaar, Koshary Tahrir near Tahrir Square, Arkan with Ahmed and wife
Friday - fly back to Kuwait

I forgot to mention that we did a Nile cruise from Luxor to Aswan.  I'm so happy we did that.  Not only were we chillin' on the Nile, but we got to see all the cool things on the Nile, too!

Peace, love, & life.

Catch up!

Hola.

There's loads to catch up.  I'll make it quick (taking a page outta Katie's book with the bullet points.)

1/31 - Kanye West concert in Abu Dhabi
2/1 - Ferrari World, Abu Dhabi Grand Mosque
2/7 - Katie Dale comes to Kuwait!
2/14 - ValentinesDay at the Kuwait Towers, Fly to Sri Lanka
2/15 - Arrive in Colombo, taxi to Kandy
2/16 - Kandy City Tour-Elephant orphanage, spice garden, temples, culture show
2/17 - Train to Ella, Tuktuk to Thissa, camera stolen
2/18 - Sunrise Safari at Yala National Park-(elephants, leopards, birds, monkeys), first time in the Indian Ocean, camera returned, travel to Hikkaduwa
2/19 - Beach day, learned that sunscreen that does not specifically state to be water and sweat proof does NOT work, Gin Rummy
2/20 - Beach, more crap sunscreen, theme night for curry dinner
2/21 - Beach, Kings in the Corner
2/22 - Beach, shopping(artwork, pants), tattoo, packing
2/23 - Train to Colombo, Tuktuk to Negombo, Boat ride, Midnight flight to China
2/24 - Flight to Bangkok, flight to Krabi, reunited with Michele, new friends from Colorado
2/25 -  Maya Bay with new nurse friends, buckets
2/26/27 - A bunch of islands with new nurse friends, last night out with them, fire dancers
2/28 - ferry back to Krabi, get lost trying to find nonexistent night market, shopping
3/1 - fly back to Bangkok, fly to Mumbai, fly to Kuwait
3/3 - back to school

I'm currently in the States, Alabama to be exact.  Needed a visit with the gramps and family for a bit.  I'm jetlagged.  Have loads of school stuff to do, but I'm procrastinating and doing this instead.  Whatever.

Peace, love, & travelinggggg

So, there.

I'm tired of being told what I should and should not look like, how I should and should not behave, what I should speak, what I should and shouldn't do.

I am proud of who I am, where I've been, and where I'm going. If you don't appreciate that, that's your problem, not mine.

Yee!

Today: Sports Day!
This weekend: Pakistan for Baji's wedding
Next weekend: Abu Dhabi
Next next weekend: KATIE DALE!
Next next next weekend: Sri Lanka!
Next next next next weekend: Thailand!

YAY!

Peace, love, & YOLO (haha)

Reason # 98324982734917

I love KatieD.  This is one of the many reasons why: 

Sophia, my pet
When you help me, I am set.
You are so good to me
I can't wait till you I see
Somewhere it is warm and dry
So we can look up at the sky
And talk about our dino tattoo.
Maybe we will go to the zoo?
But I don't really like those,
so perhaps we can buy new clothes?!
Just so that we can be ready for theme night
Because you know those are always allright.
A serious question I have for you
How much money will I spend at the place you leave your shoe?
It is your home Kuwait, I speak
Why doesn't a monkey have a beak?
If you were to guess how many dollars I should bring,
What would you say to me o'er the string
That has held us together these long years;
it is skype I speak of. Duh! Clean your ears!
I am so happy to see you soon!
I will probably just swoon.

Peace, love, & less than a month!

Big Moments

This post is dedicated to big moments that I have shared with my students this year due to our lack of "normal" holidays.  I say "normal" with quotations because the holidays are actually normal for an Islam-based school.  They are not, however, "normal" for the Western staff.  That's my explanation for the quotations, just in case you were wondering.

Big Moment #1: My 25th birthday.  Spent the day with my kiddies, receiving loads of hugs and "I love yous"

Big Moment #2: Obama's reelection.  In the States, we would get election day off.  Here, however, they care, but not that much about it.  So, I shared the victorious moment crying, jumping up and down, and screaming with my babies.

Big Moment #3: Thanksgiving.  Once again, in the States, we get this thankful day off.  Here, not so much... it's not even taught... even though I'm in an American-based curriculum school.

Big Moment #4: Christmas Eve.  The school is set in Islamic ideals.  That's enough of an explanation??  We got Christmas Day off!

Big Moment #5: New Year's Eve.  Big big moment, but it was fun talking about it and explaining it to five year old minds.  They feigned interested just long enough for me to be excited about it. 

Big big big moments!  I'm sure there will be more to come.  Insh'Allah.

Peace, love, & special times with loved ones.