Saudi National Day

Once again I am finding myself behind in my blog.  However, today was a holiday so we decided to take go on an adventure with a great group of people and then finishing our evening my celebrating Saudi National Day at our waterfront. 

Falcons play an important role in Saudi tradition.

They are used for hunting and sport.

Cameron pushed his way to the front of the line.  We have found we need to be pushy or else we lose our place in line.

Carter was told he had a very strong arm.

Carter was very excited to hold the sword.

Hopefully this isn't a glimpse into our future.

Some traditional Saudi items.

The sun is setting by 6:30 these days.  You can see our beacon off n the distance.

We made our way to the fish and chip restaurant.

We also woke up early today and ventured out into the desert on the hunt for a Wadi.  Pictures are soon to follow (Hopefully tomorrow). 

 



Back To Reality, or is this actually Reality?

We have now been home for almost 4 weeks and I have yet to blog.  I promise to get better at blogging because so many of you told me how you love reading my blog. I am glad I could entertain you.  I was given a few suggestions on things I could write about, but if you have a particular subject let me know and I will find a story.

We had an amazing summer and went a little crazy in all we did.  I guess that is what Expats do on their first summer away.  Hopefully next year we can still have some fun but come back home with some cash in our pockets.  Did I say next summer?  Coming back home?  I guess many of you have now realized that the Johnsons are on the incredible journey for an indefinite amount of time.  We will keep you posted. :)

We came home to hot weather.  Many of you never have and never will experience the temperatures that we get here.  One day it said 106 but feels like 117!  Those are some sweaty days.  I know it sounds terrible, but it is just the time of year when you stay inside more, just like winter for you. My glasses fog up at least twice between my front door and my short walk to the garage.  Today we went to the pool, which has chillers installed and you can actually get goose bumps if you are in too long.  The hot weather is also helping me with my personal goal of relaxing more.  I can't stop moving when I am inside, so I am now doing puzzles.  I can't believe I have a goal of doing puzzles.  Crazy Reality!

Last night Bryan and I attended an Embassy dinner.  We had fun with about 15 friends and then about 150 other Embassy guests.  We were on American soil for about 5 hours!  Woo-hoo!

Our project this weekend was creating a map with pins pushed in for the places we have been.  It was a fun activity and it made me feel a little crafty at the same time.  We have realized that we actually haven't been to very many places!  I think this map project is going to cause us to spend a lot of money on plane tickets just so we can get a pin on that side of the world.

The boys have settled in great!  They love their new teacher and classmates.  I am so proud of them!  Bryan is now in grade 5 as a student teacher and I am once again in grade 3.  We are all four quite happy!

We did add a family member (or two) to our home.  It was so difficult not having pets last year.  We tried to bring our cat from home, but he was just too big and the traveling would have been difficult for him in cargo.  So, yesterday we got ourselves a kitty.  Her name is Yala, named after Yala National Park in Sri Lanka.  It should be a destination for all of you that like adventure.  Yala is just a baby and is so cute.  I even catch Bryan holding and playing with her.  We also added a lizard to our family.  As you know we really like our reptiles and it has been very sad for us to leave Yoda behind in the states.  We have adopted a green iguana named Alice.  Her family has leftt and she needed a home.  The best thing about Alice is that she lives outside.  Bryan is working on turning a balcony area into a lizard habitat.  The difficult part about Alice is that she is aggressive.  At the moment I am the the only person that can handle her.  We are hoping that we can tame her, but we just might have to find her a new home if she doesn't get a better attitude.

That is what has been happening these past 4 weeks.  I promise to do a better blog in the near future. I am also too tired at the moment to go get my camera to download photos.  Here are two for you.

Riding the Tornado

We were told to expect a whirlwind our first vacation back home, but it feels more like a tornado.  Trying to balance friends, family, and our own kids has been such a focus that we forget that we are actually on vacation.  We are loving seeing everyone and spending quality time with our friends and family, but how do we get out of this tornado that is sweeping us away?  How can we balance things and still stay sane?  Maybe this is just the way it is and we need to get used to our summer holidays being crazy.

Many people ask us what we miss about our home.  We usually pause before we answer, which leaves many with a sad expression.  It is just a very difficult question and it is something we tried not to think about to much our first year away.  It just could have been to painful for us to think about everything we miss.  Of course we miss our friends and family, and then a few small things like going shopping and trying on clothes.  I also miss a good grocery store and costco!  Also, missing the freedom of just driving anywhere and everywhere.

We do not miss the crazy, busy lifestyle that just makes your life zoom right on by in a blink.  We also do not miss gas prices, car payments, driving the kids everywhere, and teaching in a classroom with 30 students and a lack of technology.

The below link explains a little on how we are feeling.  However, I wish we knew a 2nd language!  Maybe next summer we will be able to relate to that point of the article.      

Have We Changed?

Koh Samui, Thailand

Since we were taking a detour on our way home for the summer, we decided to leave Sri Lanka and make a stop over in Thailand.  We spent one week in each place and now we know we must return and spend at least two weeks in these wonderful, unique, and adventurous places.

We decided to follow our good friends, Justin and Rebecca Somerville, to Koh Samui.  They live about 4 houses away from us in Kaust and have been a family we immediately connected with.  They are from New Zealand, about our age, have three awesome kids, and area also a little looney like us.  This is our second adventure with them and we look forward to making more memories in the years to come.

We also decided to fly Gracie, our niece, to meet us.  She flew to Bangkok on her own and then we continued to Koh Samui.  She did a great job!  Her words: "I love airports!"  She enjoyed the independence, courage, and adventure it took to make this long journey.  We are so glad she spent this week with us.

We didn't spend too much time on the beach.  I think we are a little spoiled by living right on the Red Sea. 

Our place was quite large, but when you shop around you can find some great deals.  4 of the bedrooms faced the pool.  We also had a lovely view. 

Sorry ladies, but I had to post this picture.  Notice how the mommas are hiding behind the cute girls.  We all bought the same suit in different designs from a beach vendor. Rebecca S. worked us out a nice deal.  I did not appreciate being told I was extra large and had to pay more!

Our home!

You can buy gasoline in bottles.  It must be for all the scooters that are racing around the island. 

The food was so delicious! 

This was the name of our villa.

The Big Buddah was a great find!  The shopping was amazing and it is always fun to learn about the customs of the country you are visiting. 

This is a typical boat.

Shopping!  Everything is so cheap!

Carter lost his tooth right when we arrived.  The Thailand Tooth Fairy delivered 50 bot for this front tooth.

Gracie's first night.  She did a good job of not falling face first into her food.  Catching up on her sleep was an important task for the first few days. 

Our good friends.  The Somervilles!  We hiked to a waterfall, which was barely flowing, and a did a little swimming.

Cameron being blessed by a Monk.

Gracie was blessed too.

Bryan and Cameron just had to go to the Snake Farm.  I can't believe I gave in.  It was the most miserable experience of the entire trip.  The snakes were kept in awful conditions, but the people were so happy to show us around.  I tried to be upbeat, but I really thought I was going to pass out. 

This is the snake charmer!  He also had pet scorpions and wanted to prove to me that they were friendly.  It did not work.  This guy also had a USA tattoo.  Very strange!

This has been bit 324 times!  He is missing several fingers!  

Carter wanted a massage.  He was lubed up with coconut oil and a little Thai lady rubbed him down for a 1/2 hour.  Gracie also enjoyed a massage, but mine was awful.  The He-She that massaged me made me feel like I had been in a boxing ring.  I am not a fan of the Thai massage.

Now we are back in the U..S spending time with our friends and family.  We missed everyone dearly, but did enjoy our adventures over the last 11 months!  We will be flying back to Saudi in August and look forward to the adventures that are still to come. 

Sri Lanka

We believe Sri Lanka is a hidden gem that our adventurous friends should discover.  North Americans are the least likely visitors, which is probably due to where it is situated (below India, Far Away), and most people have never heard of Sri Lanka.  It is an amazing place and has to be home to the friendliest people in the world.  It is a place we will be visiting again soon!  

The majority of Sri Lankans are Buddhist.  You can visit these temples all around the country. 

Each of us took a turn being blessed by the Monk. 

He told me that he blessed me with the hope that I will someday have a daughter.  Ugh!

These boys were studying to become Monks. 

This little girl is three and she loves Carter!  I am pretty sure I could have offered the family money and we could have come home with a daughter.  She was precious, happy, and very poor.  Her mother asked if she could be our nanny.  

Bird watching was taken very seriously. 

We loved our time in the Tuk Tuk and had the best driver ever!

Flying Fox bats!  The largest bat in the world!  They eat fruit, so don't be afraid!  

They can have a wing span up to 5 feet long. 

Visiting the local school was amazing!  

These kids were so thankful for the one pencil we gave to them. 

Cameron was quite popular!

After our amazing school experience we went to our Tuk Tuk drivers home.  His friend decided we each needed a coconut.  He climbed quickly into this tree to bring down a treat for all of us.  

We came home to all of our beds decorated with flowers.  This place was so much fun!

Yala National Park was amazing!  They have a healthy Asian Elephant population. This little guy is about 5 months old. 

Many of the mommas had a 5 year old and a baby.  Seeing them in the wild was an unforgettable experience. 

We spent 13 hours in this jeep.  

I little creepy!

The sloth bear was an amazing find!

Most people go to Yala to see the leopard.  They are not easy to find.  We were able to find 2!  They are difficult to photograph. 

After being on our Safari for 13 hours we ended up sleeping in a tent.  We went for the full meal deal!  We had 7 helpers at the campground and we were not allowed to do anything.  It was so awkward being served.  We slept in the tent while the rest slept around the campsite.  They had to be on the lookout for elephants while we slept!  

We taught the staff at this hotel how to play Uno.  They loved it!

Our driver for a few days. The roads are crazy in Sri Lanka, so hiring a driver is a good idea. 

Our picnic while on Safari. 

Cameron in his underwear relaxing. The animals hide in the heat of the day, so we spent a few hours eating, swimming, and just hanging out. 

Amazing place!  Great guides! 

Camping in the middle of nowhere.  I kept thinking where we were on a map.  Far away from home!

There are so many good things to say about this country.  It is untouched by tourism, which is a good thing in my eyes.  It is home to so many different animals and the adventures are endless.  We will be back but have a few more (lots more) countries on our list.  Good bye Sri Lanka!  Thanks for an incredible experience!