Well, it seems kind of strange to be saying good bye to Saudi after all these years, but there it is. I shipped all of the pets back home earlier this week and all of our earthly possession went the week before so our house is sort of like living in a Motel 6, devoid of personality and it actually echoes.
First of all, I am really happy to be going home, because simply put, there's no place like home. (Thanks Dorothy, it has sort of felt like Oz.) I miss my family and I want to get back to some semblance of normalcy. And I want to preface this that until I actually started to really think about going home, none of this stuff ever really bothered me at all. You know, like being able to buy bacon that comes from an actual pig, instead of a cow or a turkey. Like having a glass of wine whose vintage is by year, not by week and well aged in plastic. I want to be able to have a Mellow Mushroom pizza and listen to Grateful Dead tracks in the restaurant while I'm waiting. I want to be able to get dressed without having to go through a checklist of what I should or shouldn't wear. If I want to go shopping I want to be able to get in my own car and drive myself to a store that will actually have something I might want to buy. I want to be able to go to the grocery store and know that if I want Special K it will be there. I want to be able to use a phone book and find places by the address instead of "Go to the fist (not a typo meant to say fist) round about and at the next intersection turn left. Look for a McDonald's on the left. You've gone too far so take the next U-turn and come back up the street. It's on the right near the fish store but not the first one, the second one." Seriously those were the directions to the frame shop from our house. I want to be able to actually try on clothes BEFORE I buy them. One of the tricks I learned was to ask if they had a broom closet and then lock myself in so I could try things on. I want to be able to go to the gym and work out with my husband instead of in a separate facility. This is what I mean by a return to normal.
What about what I'll miss? The lifestyle for sure. No way will I have a housekeeper and lawn care back home. I'll miss getting my nails done every week and having a 2 hour massage every week because it only costs 30 USD. In some ways, I'll miss having a driver instead of dealing with traffic myself. I'll miss having the Red Sea a block away. I'll miss being able to dive whenever I want to. I'll miss being able to walk into a drug store and get whatever I want right over the counter. I'll miss being able to buy a complete meal( salad, entree, dessert, drink, etc) for 3.50 US. I will dearly miss some of the people I met here and may never cross paths with again.
There is a book in the making...
First of all, I am really happy to be going home, because simply put, there's no place like home. (Thanks Dorothy, it has sort of felt like Oz.) I miss my family and I want to get back to some semblance of normalcy. And I want to preface this that until I actually started to really think about going home, none of this stuff ever really bothered me at all. You know, like being able to buy bacon that comes from an actual pig, instead of a cow or a turkey. Like having a glass of wine whose vintage is by year, not by week and well aged in plastic. I want to be able to have a Mellow Mushroom pizza and listen to Grateful Dead tracks in the restaurant while I'm waiting. I want to be able to get dressed without having to go through a checklist of what I should or shouldn't wear. If I want to go shopping I want to be able to get in my own car and drive myself to a store that will actually have something I might want to buy. I want to be able to go to the grocery store and know that if I want Special K it will be there. I want to be able to use a phone book and find places by the address instead of "Go to the fist (not a typo meant to say fist) round about and at the next intersection turn left. Look for a McDonald's on the left. You've gone too far so take the next U-turn and come back up the street. It's on the right near the fish store but not the first one, the second one." Seriously those were the directions to the frame shop from our house. I want to be able to actually try on clothes BEFORE I buy them. One of the tricks I learned was to ask if they had a broom closet and then lock myself in so I could try things on. I want to be able to go to the gym and work out with my husband instead of in a separate facility. This is what I mean by a return to normal.
What about what I'll miss? The lifestyle for sure. No way will I have a housekeeper and lawn care back home. I'll miss getting my nails done every week and having a 2 hour massage every week because it only costs 30 USD. In some ways, I'll miss having a driver instead of dealing with traffic myself. I'll miss having the Red Sea a block away. I'll miss being able to dive whenever I want to. I'll miss being able to walk into a drug store and get whatever I want right over the counter. I'll miss being able to buy a complete meal( salad, entree, dessert, drink, etc) for 3.50 US. I will dearly miss some of the people I met here and may never cross paths with again.
There is a book in the making...
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