As always, I intended on posting this weeks ago before leaving Saudi but ran out of time. I'm so glad you all are patient people!Instead I'm typing from the deck of a lovely house in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. As I gaze at the peek-a-boo view of the mountains through the tall trees, a cool breeze brushes lightly over my face and the sun gently warms my feet. The air smells clean and fresh and I can hear the water rushing over the rocks of a nearby water fall. Born and raised in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains, I'm a mountain girl to the core. I just can't help setting my scene for you...
But back to the desert...This year seemed to go by much faster than the first, and the differences didn't end there. The boys started the school year confident and ready to see their friends again. They ended the school year successful and proud of their hard work. I not only conquered the fear of online classes, but also completed 2 difficult math classes and a world history class this spring.
In a nutshell this year was just more settled. Everyone felt at ease with our new community, made good friends and relaxed in the lifestyle. Let me tell you - it was a welcome change from that horrible year of transition.
The question I'm getting asked most this summer, (after "do you have to wear that black thing over your face," which I'm certain I answered last year as well) is whether we still like it there. Overwhelmingly the answer is YES. The things we love the most are, mostly in order: Steve's strict 7am -4pm (five days/week) workweek / family time, the travel opportunities, the close knit community, the good schools, the money of course, the expat lifestyle, and the amazing weather 8 months out of the year. The boys are flourishing in school, I'm hitting a groove with my decades-old quest for a BA degree, and Steve..., well he just loves that the rest of us are happy, as well as the year-round golfing opportunities.
The downsides of living in Saudi still exist: the unbearable heat during the summer, the relatively narrow variety of goods (though it's improving slowly all the time), the oppressive Saudi culture outside the compound, etc. But I can't emphasize enough how little these things matter to us when we put it all in perspective at the end of the day.
The next question is generally, "...how long do you plan to be there?" This is a job for Steve, not an assignment (thanks for the definition, Lisa). We can be here until 2026, at which time Steve will be turning 60, the mandatory retirement age. We basically approach our life here on a day-by-day basis. Let's face it, political stability in the region is absolutely crucial. We have no illusions about the fact that things can turn and if they do, we will be done.
We haven't nailed down a definite time frame. I think we are realistic and flexible enough to go with the flow - and thankfully we both have the exact same frame of mind. If you really want to press me on it, our general plan is to finish up this stage of our life in Saudi, possibly another 9-10 years. Jake will be entering college at that point and it seems to work out on paper. We love living here and all the lifestyle benefits it brings. We honestly can't find a reason to stop until the bad starts outweighing the good...hopefully later rather than sooner.
