Great expatations

When you start on this crazy expat journey, very few of us have any real idea what lies ahead. There are the few newbies that have grown up travelling the world but to the rest of us there is very little to prepare you.  Like most of life’s experiences, there is a lesson everywhere and I guess its my duty to let anyone considering a life abroad, it may not match your great expatations, but in some cases can actually surpass them.

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Fall for Galle: Sri Lanka Part 2

I have been back in the Land of Sand a little over a week and I haven’t stopped gushing about our Sri Lankan adventure, to anyone that will listen. I think I have convinced a few folk to take the plunge and go visit but just case you are yet to decide, whether this tropical, untouched country is for you, let me take you on the second part of my round up, moving away from the beach bliss  and onto a historical town. Why did Hubby and I fall head over heels for Galle? 

Home Truths

There comes a time in every expat life, where the novelties have worn off and it just becomes life. Routines are forged, every day flows into the next, without major discoveries or incident, and before you know it year 1, 2 and 3 are behind you. As Hubby and I approach the same time period in the desert, as we did in Prague we can’t phathom where that time as gone and how our desert life will have more longevity than our European adventure. I for one never envisaged that would happen, but love that it has. Like many expats, we entered the new year contemplating the last and having that annual discussion of whether we are happy, bored or indifferent to our current location and what plans should be made. As we are eager to continue on our sandpit journey, our travels will be for pleasure and Kuwait remains home. 

The pies the limit

Have you ever wondered about what 5 items you would take with you on a desert island? What your last meal would before before the world ends? How would you react if suddenly you weren’t able to have your favorite things or do you habitual activities? Those creature comforts, that are quite literally comfort, are no longer there…….Welcome to expat life! 

Scream if you want to go faster!

Since we last “met” dear readers, my week has been a busy one. As I flit like a social butterfly, from one occasion to the next, there have been moments where I have not stopped, contrasted by quiet moments of reflection. As I pondered about what this weeks post should be about, I realised that the last seven days, have really been a mixed bag. Forget the seven deadly sins, I am talking about the seven desert moods that I have journeyed through, in just one week! No one tells you that this expat lark will bring you a plethora of feelings in such an intense way, one minute you’re up, the next you’re down. In the words of Ronan Keating,  (expat) Life is a roller coaster. 

Older but am I wiser?

As I celebrated my 30 something birthday this week, one thing became abundantly clear. Ok two things were abundantly clear, one I am now officially in the realms of late thirties ( how the bloody hell did that happen?!) and two (once I got over point one) was that I had not celebrated a birthday at home, with family and friends, since my 30th. I used to be one of these people that would obsessively insist that I had to have my birthday at home in Jersey, even when I was a student in London I went back every year. So now here I am 3,000 miles from home and celebrating my 4th in Kuwait and 7th abroad (ah shit, the cats out the bag on my age now!).  This got me thinking about as an expat, how do I cope with missing and hitting milestones without my loved ones? 

Me,myself and I

Here I am, back in full swing of desert life and as I suspected there really is no one around. I have experienced 3 Augusts in Kuwait now, each one the same as the other, hot, uncharacteristically humid and a ghost town. I don’t know why I am surprised, as the mass expat exodus is far from over with school still a month away from resuming. So as my phone is as quiet as the streets, there is only one thing to do, spend time with me, focus on myself and realise, for the next few weeks at least, there is only I. 

Tug of war

How is it already June?! I can not believe that time is passing so quickly and that the summer escape is nearly upon us.  As the temperatures rise, Ramadan continues and the kids are entering end of term craziness, the desert girls and I are running down the social events and looking ahead to months away from the sandpit. Now whilst most of my friends are eager to escape, some literally counting the days with excitement, I have a very real, inner tug of war going on. I am so ready to see my family and friends, but there is a massive part of me just not ready to leave. The fact that I am less than a week away from heading to the motherland, should have me planning every inch of my first few days on The Rock and have my “getting off the plane” outfit all picked out, but this time there is something holding back. Has my desert life stopped being full of randomness and now truly become home?

Vexed lyrical

After laying my soul bare last week, you will be glad to know that I am over my little blip and back into the land of sand with gusto. What I would like to say is a huge thank you to everyone that took the time to comment and let me know that I was not alone in experiencing this expat black cloud, we all get it and have the exact same challenges wherever we are. To my desert girls, you were awesome, you rallied around me, went out of your way to make sure I didn’t spend too much time alone and friends back home whose texts meant so much. Last but not least to my wonderful, ever supportive Hubby, who was his usual understanding, sympathetic self, patiently holding my hand till I was through the other side, we are in this together every step of the way.

So after a bit of a downer and somewhat depressing post last week, I thought I would return with somewhat of a rant! I know, at this stage you are probably thinking what is going on with this girl, does she not have one ounce of emotional stability right now?! Before you go carting me off, I can assure that I am very happy and still love this desert life but there were a couple of days, where all me and my girls could do was scream in frustration. We love it but at the same time aggghhhh! I am sure there are moments where expats unite around the world, as we experience those “special” moments, when there is simply only one reaction and we simultaneously cry ……….FFS!

A motherload

Since we last saw each other, we have had the strangest week of weather. Yet more sand storms blew in, leaving their usual dusty mess behind and these were followed by thunderstorms and torrential rain. I mean this was proper rain, only dirty,  caused flooding in some areas, and made major roads impassable. The desert can’t cope with the rain and quite frankly neither can I.

So after a weekend indoors,  yesterday the sun finally made an appearance, I was making the most of it. To any outsider that had spotted me, all set up on my lounger, kindle in hand, sipping on my almond milk cappuccino, I was the epitome of relaxation and living the dream. What they wouldn’t have seen, is that, under my big floppy sun hat and large sunglasses, tears had filled my eyes and I was anything but relaxed.