“It’s a small (Kuwaiti) world after all…”

I don’t know that I’ve written much about how small the world has started to seem now that we’ve been living here for just a few weeks. Before we left the U.S., Michael and I had a few amusing experiences that synchronized with our coming here; in Florida we learned (after a series of annoying rental car mishaps) that our Enterprise agent was Kuwaiti and had nieces and nephews that graduated from ASK. I also found out a couple weeks before leaving Tucson that one of the staff in a different area of my teacher certification program had lived in Kuwait and worked as a teacher, assistant principal, and principal at our school (speaking of which, I need to ask my team leader if she remembers him…she seems to know everyone and everything about the school…remind me, MS!).

Now that we’re here, the geography of people continues to intersect constantly. Michael has parents in his class from Boston; another new fifth grade teacher also flew out on our Logan flight. My second grade team members have also lived in Arizona, California, and Florida (one attended the same teacher program as Michael at the U of A for a time and another lived for years in Bellingham, Washington – a city we’re considering seriously whenever we move back to the states). Oh, and for all my Ohio relatives out there, my team leader attended the University of Cincinnati (and met her Kuwaiti husband – also attending the school – during this time)! To top it all off, I made a point of saying in my welcome newsletter that I grew up in Orlando, and had the father of one of my students mention going to UCF and living in Oviedo. The world has indeed become a much smaller place by leaving the country.

After basing our international teaching decision on the school first and location second, the Middle East ranked high because it puts us so close to so much. A flight to Paris or Bangkok is only six hours, just in opposite directions! (Okay, and I’ll admit I always enjoyed the shock factor of announcing the move, especially as a petite – formerly blonde – woman; what can I say, I fear the unlived life.) So, for anyone considering a travel rendezvous with us in the not-too-distant future, here’s what we’ve been discussing (or had recommended to us – in no particular order):
1. Turkey, especially Istanbul (not Constantinople – thanks, TMBG); this might be our Thanksgiving break trip.
2. Amman, Jordan
3. Prague/Amsterdam/Budapest/London
4. Thailand/Vietnam
5. Africa (I want a safari trip while I’m within spitting distance of the continent!)

More Europe is there and very tempting, but the currency exchange still costs a lot (even going from the Kuwaiti Dinar to Euros instead of getting U.S. dollars involved). However, I would really dig a little Spain, Greece, and Italy in 2010.

That list (other than Amman) hardly includes all the travel recommended to us within the Middle East. We’re already talking about possibly doing summer school in June, so mark your calendars for the winter break and July 2010, folks, ‘cause that’s when we’ll be making the rounds.

Love to you all!
xoxo
Abby & Michael

Posted: September 7, 2009 / 6:00 (ish) p.m.