Lock-down, taking stock & a barrel of laughs

I didn’t think I would find myself perched at the laptop, still writing about the situation the world finds itself in. My last post was a mere week into our lockdown in Kuwait and here we still are, day 70 and counting. I guess I am here because this situation is a unique one, one that I will want to remember and forget all in one go, but also one I want to document. There have been so many questions asked, so many unanswered, so many emotions felt. I can’t be the only one that has been on the verge of breaking down one day, rolling around in fits of giggles the next. Schizophrenic mood swings, transforming me into a positivity guru on Monday and by Wednesday she’s replaced by Oscar winning drama queen! None of this is me, none of this is normal, but I ask you, in a global pandemic what is?

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Life in the time of Corona

Anyone else get the feeling that 2020 is taking the piss!? We are less than 3 months in and already we’ve had Megxit, Brexit and now Covid-19. We all started January 1st with so much optimism for the new decade but looks like the universe had other plans. There isn’t anyone in the world that isn’t aware of the global pandemic that is currently causing havoc but what some people may not know is that this random corner of the desert is in lockdown. It’s certainly an unique experience in my expat journey and one I am sure we won’t be forgetting in a hurry. It is also a personal experience, as in all my posts these are my ramblings and others may not share my view or emotions. Yet, whilst I can’t help but chuckle at the irony that this dry state is fighting a virus named after a beer, I have to say yet again, I am sat in the Middle East feeling safer than I would at home.

The summer make or break

As I suspected, my last post caused a few ripples through my expat world. I knew that not everyone would agree with me, which is one of the things I love about this blogging lark, allowing debate amongst expats and see what different perspectives people have. So here we are again, with probably a less divisive post. Schools out for summer and the mass expat exodus has begun. There are a few that will be literally running for the plane, eagerly waiting to be out of the hot sandpit, have a G&T in hand and know they have the next 2 and bit months to enjoy the normality of their home countries. Then there are a few of us, deemed hard core by the rest, that aren’t running for the hills but instead plan to hang around that little bit longer.  I pondered this vast difference between my circle of friends and asked myself, does the summer break, make or break a desert expat?

The annual agonising

There comes a point in January, when the post Christmas catch ups are had, that latest trip home seems like a million years ago and the typical desert expat starts wishing the year away. I don’t mean it’s unbearable, a slog or there is pure desperation to get out, but there is a definite moment when the planning heads go on and we start to have markers in the calendar. We haven’t even finished January and I bet that most have up to September all planned out! So as Hubs and I are joining this bandwagon and trying to pin down our plans, I ask myself it this really necessary or just a desert thing?

Silent witness

Apologies for the radio silence, there seems to have been a little blogging drought in the desert. Whilst the prospect of writing wasn’t a chore, I definitely wasn’t in the mood to put this post out there. I have always wanted this blog to be an honest one and at times there have been some posts that have come easier than others, but I have never shied away from it. What I have learnt over the past month, is that there was something I wanted to write about, but I didn’t know how it would be perceived or if I actually wanted to vocalise it out loud. So here we are, I guess I am ready and after a few conversations with the desert girls, my feelings on this matter are not exclusive to this Jersey Girl.

Passing ‘ships

Back in the Land of Sand, after a month immersed in island life. The weather was spectacular, family time was comforting and the familiarity of my life that was, made the 4 weeks fly quicker than I imagined. However, amongst all the trips to St Ouens, caffeinating my way around The Rock, something surprising, profound and unexpected happened. Something that made me realise that whilst I have continued to connect with people, who were in my life pre expatting, I have obviously become very dependent on technology. Like most expats, we relish in the fact that the world is smaller because of the ability to FaceTime, WhatsApp and Skype. Gone are the days of long distance phone calls and battling with bad connections. Whilst these new processes are crucial to me, it still doesn’t make up for that human connection and I question whether we become too dependent, allowing some relationships to pass us by?

Life is pants!

After my life changing, or not so life changing as it turned out, news last week I very quickly relaxed back into the status quo. I have to say that I was extremely happy that now the choice was made, I could focus forward and not linger on the what ifs of the situation. One thing that became very apparent, during this period of uncertainty, was how people handled this scenario completely differently. Was this usual? Did I handle this the best way that I could? I pondered that latter for some time, I came to the conclusion that yes, there were a couple of inner freak outs towards the end, but on the whole I was the poster girl for facing it head on.

The greatest adventure

I, like the majority of the world, have become slightly obsessed with The Greatest Showman. There is something about this movie and its soundtrack that speaks to me, motivating me through desert workouts, making my baking sessions, a whole singing and dancing affair and rendering me to tears whenever I hear This is Me. However, the song that has me on an emotional edge, connects with me more than any other………Tightrope. And dear readers, it has become my very own expat anthem.

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? 

Beach bliss: Sri Lanka Part 1

Usually my years travel is planned and organised at least 6 months ahead of time, simply to calm my inner Virgo control freak. So when Hubby and I decided, slightly on a whim to book a trip to Sri Lanka 6 weeks in advance, I did freak just a smidge. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to go, in fact it had been on the list for a while, but I felt like I wasn’t fully prepared, in terms of research or what to expect. I’m not going to lie, I was very anxious before leaving, as this wasn’t going to be our usual 5* middle eastern luxury trip. Instead, what happened over the next 8 days was that I lost every ounce of anxiety and fell in love with this incredible country.