To Do List

To Do List

I have several to do list right now.  They are listed on my computer, on paper, and in my brain.  Just as one list is close to having all items checked off, another list seems to gain endless additions. I have to admit that my head is spinning a bit.  Here are some basic items on my list

 Sell furniture

 I have used a combination of Craigslist and local Buy/Sell Facebook pages to accomplish this.  After researching the cost of storage units,  I decided that I’d rather just sell my stuff.   So far, I have had positive experiences doing this.  In fact, I’ve decided that the people who are buying my stuff are like free movers who leave money.  It’s pretty cool.  I do use universal precautions with this.  I make sure that someone else is present when buyers come because I hear that crazy Craigslist killers are less likely to attack when you use the buddy system. 

 Stock up on makeup, feminine hygiene products, and hair care items

I have learned from my new coworkers that these items will not be readily available to me.  For the past few months, I’ve been 

grabbing my favorite Shea Moisture hair products when I see 

them on sale in stores.  Additionally, I have purchased extra 

make up for my skin tone.  I’ve also learned that tampons are not commonly used in Kuwait.  The idea wearing prehistoric giant 

maxi pads fills me with terror.  I’ve ordered a diva cup and lots of tampons just to ensure that I have multiple options.

   Pack it, Donate it, Or Store it

I estimate that I will be able to take about 4 fifty lb. bags of luggae with me, so I have to pack wisely. The store it option refers to storing a few boxes at my parents home.   This task is where I have the most trouble.  Lets just talk shoes alone.  I have a bag of shoes to donate, a few pair for my parents house, and still have 20 pair of shoes that seem like absolute keepers.  Clearly, I need to revisit this task later.  I already have one suitcase solely devoted to schools supplies.  I can’t have one for just shoes.  I also need to pack, sort, or donate kitchen supplies, decorative items like wall art, clothing, jewelry, office supplies…You get the idea.

I keep trying to remind myself that I am moving into a fully furnished apartment in Kuwait.  I don’t have to take everything. 

  Make Good on “Let’s Get together before you leave”  

      I really love the love.  I’ve been blessed to connect with awesome people while living here in Raleigh, NC.  However, I am not getting any packing done if I keep skipping off to dinners and coffee dates.  All future “getting together” has to occur at my apartment.  You don’t have to work.  You can just keep me company while I work.  But just be warned that I will accept your offer to help and assign you to wrapping dishes, painting a wall, or hauling a few bags to Goodwill.

      Undo my DIY projects. 

      H ave you ever heard of removable wallpaper.  If you research this on Youtube, you will find examples where this wallpaper is applied easily and can be removed without any trouble at all. LIARS!  Sherwin Williams I am really disappointed in you!  I’m mad at myself for believing it.  Somebody tell me how to get this wallpaper off of my bathroom wall without peeling off the paint underneath.  I don’t want my apartment to charge me for this.  I also really like the grey accent wall in my bedroom, but the apartment says I have to change it back or prime it before I move out.

   Change my address for all of my accounts and forward mail to my parents address.  This one is pretty self-explanatory.

 

     Download a VPN

    It seems that censorship is pretty strong in Kuwait.  I won’t be able to watch programming like Netflix or Hulu if I don’t have a VPN to override this. 

.         Pray

It’s a pretty simple concept.  I don’t know where stuff is right now because I’m packing it all away.  My emotions are overwhelming to me.  I pray for the ability to prioritize what is really important right now.  I pray for sanity so I don’ go crazy with these list.  I pray for my coworkers who are going through the same thing that I am going through right now. Prayer is a conversation between me and God that can yield some pretty powerful results. 

Things I will miss about Raleigh

I have lived in Raleigh, North Carolina for 6 years now and have come to love several things about it.   Here are some things I will miss about living in this cool Capital city.

1. Green

Raleigh is the greenest place I have ever lived (ok, I’ve only lived in 3 cities).  I never knew that trees were so appealing to me until my first visit here.  This is of course a nightmare for people with allergies, but that wasn’t a problem for me. This is what I see when I pull into my apartment complex:

and the only thing better than green trees are Flowering green trees

2. Raleigh Black Girls Run

I have enjoyed running with these women.  They inspire me by sharing with the group for accountability sake.  I have ranged from observing the Facebook page post, actively participating on a regular basis, and participating sporadically.  Whatever the case, I am always a welcomed participant when I show up.  BTW, if you are working on building up your running endurance first so you will be able to keep up then you’ve got it all wrong.  The group will help you go longer and faster.  You’re not in this alone. 

3. Best Greenways

I’m never “thrilled” to go exercise, so it helps to have beautiful scenery as motivation.  There are so many trails around here. Here are two of my favorite locations

 

Shelly Lake

Beautiful view at Lake Johnson.  This is a great place for walking, running, cookouts, and watching the sunset.

3. An abundance of “stuff to do”

If I am bored on a weekend in Raleigh, it’s because I haven’t put much effort into finding anything to do.  There are activities for singles and families. Before I had close friends, I found meetup groups and did things like game nights, karaoke, hikes, volunteer projects, and sporting events.  Being born and raised in the Midwest, I have gotten a kick out of being able to participate in outdoor activities with comfortable weather for a majority of the year. After I made friends, I put a lot less effort into finding things to do.  Isn't that sad?  Maybe it's because I enjoy spending time with people who chose to enjoy themselves no matter what setting we are in.  

4.  The Snow Panic

My amusement with this never got old, having grown up in Northwest Ohio where snow is common scenery from November until March.  On my first year here, there was a snow storm on Saturday and we didn’t return to work until Thursday.  When flurries start falling, people rush and pick their children up from school early (bonus!) and rush to the grocery store to prepare to be snowed in.  This is hilarious for me.  Sometimes  the ice is the real culprit that causes car accidents.  Sometimes it never develops beyond flurries.  If more than 2 inches actually accumulates, everything (stores, restaurants, malls) is shut down. People here say “we just aren’t used to this”, but it happens enough that the county should invest in more than 20 bags of salt and 4 snow plows (that's my estimate).  I’m just sayin

5.   This question “It that inside or outside of the beltline?” 

I’ll admit that it took me months to even figure out that the term beltline refers to a highway that loops around the city.  To a newcomer who has not yet gotten a sense of direction, this question is puzzling.  I opted out of using the beltline as a point of reference for direction and instead used proximity to shopping malls. For example, The Kia car dealership is on 70 before you get to Brier Creek Shopping Center, but the Party City is off of Capital Blvd. by Triangle Town center.

6. A fun “Singles” Scene

Dinner and a movie is cool, but it’s certainly not the only option around here.  I once did a speed dating event where all participants were in full Halloween Costume.  I’ve done rock climbing, dancing, cruising on a motorcycle, go cart racing, and a lock and key party where the ladies wore lock necklaces and were approached by guys holding keys to name a few.  And yes, I’m still single.  I know, I don’t get it either!  I’m sure I will miss this abundance of dating opportunities when I move to Kuwait where any type of PDA is illegal and I think there are rules against dancing.  Why am I moving again? 

7. This building.  I actually am not fond of the building as much as the beautiful mural outside.  It makes me smile every time I am downtown. I have to remind myself that the branches don't actually move like I initially thought, and that I should pay attention to the road rather than look up at the mural. Don't judge.  Unless I rear end you while look up at the mural while driving....then you can judge.

Raleigh Convention Center

8. World Overcomers

I saved the best for last. I belong to a great church.  I will miss it!  I’m happy that I can keep up with them with services streamed online live at woccrtp.com. 


This list just sums up some of the things.  I did not and will not try to list the people that I will miss.  I would become too sad and dissolve into a puddle of tears. I'm sure I'll think of more things as I pass them running around town on my last 2 weeks here.  Only two more weeks! 

Australia Mate!

In June, I went to Australia! I spent 9 days visiting Adelaide and Sydney.  I happen to be a member of an awesome small group at my church, and several members of my group went to participate in a conference hosted by Influencers Church.  We also just wanted to experience Australian culture.  The trip to Australia involves over 25 hours of air travel.  We flew about 6 hours to San Fransisco from Raleigh, NC.  Afterward, we had a 16 hour flight to Sydney and 2 additional hours to Adelaide, Australia.  That is a lot of air time.  Here are a few things that were helpful for me with this long flight:

• I watched Youtube videos with suggestions about long haul travel
• I charged my mobile devices back up to 100% while in the airports.  There were not outlets and USB ports available on the flights. I also packed a portable charger to recharge my tablet when it died
• I packed both earbuds and over head earphones in my carry on.  The earbuds are great for listening to the in flight radio and drifting off to sleep. The over head earphones are better for blocking out the sound of the engine, upset small children, and additional background noises
• I packed an empty water bottle and good travel food such as canned chicken, nuts, dried fruit, and cheese sticks.  Nothing like blowing a quarter of your travel budget on airport food and airplane snacks.  The flight attendants were always willing to refill my water bottle when they came by with the snack carts.  I will never pay $5 for 16oz. of water in an airport again with this simple piece of advise. 
• One thing I failed to do was download movies to my tablet at home before leaving.  Airport service can be unreliable and isn't always available free of charge.  It is also not wise to take out your credit card in public to enter payment information onto your device.  

When we arrived in Adelaide, our host was waiting for us at the gate.  Imagine that! Australia trust it's residents to walk through the airport without a ticket to a departure destination.  One choice that I regret about my walk through customs is my decision to use a self-serve kiosk.  After 25+ hours of travel, the 2 mile line to make it through customs was not an inviting sight.  We learned we could skip it by using a self-serve kiosk.  However, this also meant that we skipped having our passports stamped.  :(.  I would like to have that stamp so that I can document all the places I have traveled to when I flip through my passport.  Lesson learned.  Highlights of my trip to Adelaide included shopping with friends at Rundle Mall, attending the BU Women's Conference, and seeing wildlife up close at Cleland Wildlife preserve.  I fed kangaroos and held a koala!  There was no guide.  You just walk through the park amongst the animals.  If they are hungry, they come and eat the food that you offer.  The little joeys were adorable.  The bigger kangaroos had teeth that I could feel when they were nibbling.  That was much less cute, as I enjoy having 10 whole fingers.  The park offers guest the opportunity to pay a bunch of money to hold a koala for about 90 seconds and take a picture.  I dished out the money.  When else will I get a chance to hold cute koala?  He was a bit heavy and much more interested in the eucalyptus leaves that were used to bribe him to climb into my arms that in me, but I enjoyed my special 90  seconds with him.  

The malls balls! These women make wonderful travel mates. We stopped our sightseeing and shopping at Rundle Mall for a photo. 

a beautiful view from the wildlife park

kangaroo selfies

we totally bonded....for a minute and a half

awesome fashion show during BU women's conference weekend

Don't judge.  I ate some kangaroo.  It was like having a piece of steak.  Yum!  Maybe that wildlife park I had visited the previous day was to protect the animals from curious, hungry tourist like me!

After Adelaide, we went to Sydney.  By we, I mean my mother and I.  I invited her to come from Ohio to join me on this trip and she didn't need any convincing. Guess my wanderlust came from her! We were originally going to head right back to the states, but decided to extend out 2 hour layover into a 2 day layover.  FYI, there was no additional charge with the airline for this extended layover.  We took a great walking tour in downtown Sydney that took us to several of the local tourist attractions.  I recommend this tour http://www.imfree.com.au, because it was free of charge and gave us an overview of Australian history, tourist attractions, and tips on how to use Sydney's reasonably priced great public transportation system rather than pay for taxis and water tours.

a more attentive tourist would have remembered the name of this cathedral.  Oops, sorry.  It's pretty though

Mom and I.  She started off laughing at my selfie stick, but was jumping in my selfies by the time the trip was over

the Sydney Harbour Bridge at Sunset

A view of the Sydney Opera House from a ferry on the Harbour.  I personally think this famous building is much more beautiful from a distance. It didn't impress me from up close.  

Another  beautiful photo in Sydney.

Overall, my trip to Australia was memorable and exciting!  I enjoyed doing the traditional tourist things.  I enjoyed sharing this experience with my mom and a group of awesome friends. I didn't love the fact that it was summer for us and winter for them, but everything can't be perfect.  I loved hearing the accents of Australians constantly.  It is funny how you can speak the same language and have so many differences.  It took me several minutes to order a sandwich at Subway one night because of confusion over the words that each of use was using.  I'll close out this post with a few words and phrases that have different meanings



Form a line here- Queue here
Public Restrooms- Toilets
How are you doing? - How are you going?
Would you like ketchup- Would you like tomato sauce?
For here to to go? - Dining in or take away?
You're welcome, No problem- No worries
Gum- chewies
Green peppers- capsicum
Friends- Mate
sweater- jumper
trunk of car- boot
hood of car- bonnet
french fries- chips

You are moving Where?

In less than a month, I will be living in Kuwait.  I started researching this move several months ago when I decided to look into the possibility of teaching in an international school.  I created profiles on two websites designed to assist teachers with this task.  The first site was free and is called www.teachaway.com.  The second site www.tieonline.com required me to pay an annual subscription fee of about $40.  I began searching these websites regularly.  It was a bit exciting to think about working in Malaysia, Japan, Colombia, or the UAE.  Ultimately, I chose to focus my search on the Middle East because of the proximity to a variety of travel destinations and the great pay and benefits packages available.  Many friends, family, and curious people have questions about my decision.  Here are some common questions and responses:

1.  Kuwait, isn't it dangerous there?

Sadly, many US citizens associate Kuwait with the Gulf War in 1990.  The war is over and has been since 1991.  The Middle East as a whole gets kind of a bad wrap in our media, but I am not moving to a dangerous place.  I am much more likely to be a victim of a dangerous crime in America than in Kuwait.   Check out this interesting link for a US to Kuwait comparison https://www.ifitweremyhome.com/compare/US/KW

2. Will you be traveling with anyone you know? Do you know anyone in Kuwait?
No and No.  I have made connections with coworkers who already live and work there, but I am not moving on a "buddy system.  I used Nomadness Travel Tribe group on Facebook to connect with an expat who was happy to answer my questions about being a single woman living in Kuwait based on her own experience prior to accepting the job.

3. What will you do?

I will teach kindergarten at a private international school.  I am using my degree and certification that I gained here in the US to teach the US common core curriculum.  The setting will just be different.

4.  Do you have to wear that long dress and cover your head?

No.  Modest dress is required, but I think I can survive without my butt and boobs showing on a regular basis.

5.  Where is Kuwait?
Kuwait is bordered by Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and the Persian Gulf.  Check out a map.  I had to check to make sure myself.

6.  Do you have to learn the language?
I hope to learn some Arabic.  The local languages are both Arabic and English.  English is commonly spoken there in places of business.

7.  Are you going to live in a tent in the desert?
Hah, hah and hah!  Do you know me?  I'm not living in a tent anywhere.  This is a modern society and I will live in an air conditioned apartment with internet, modern plumbing, and  a washing machine.

8.  Are you becoming a Muslim?
No.  I've spent decades trying to get this Christianity thing right.  I'm not trying to study a new religion.

9.   Why Kuwait?  Why not Europe or South America?
I think this will become more clear to me in time.  I really do feel like this was a God-lead decision.  There was no burning bush or voice from the sky (of course that's not how I generally experience God anyway), but I have felt at peace throughout this process.  The location allows me to travel extensively.  The perks of my job include tax free income and living expenses such as rent and utilities are covered by the school that I will work for.  Europe and South America didn't offer the perks and earning potential that Kuwait had to offer.

10.  Is it modern there?

Yes.  Kuwait is a modern society with a lot of wealth from the oil industry.  They have huge modern shopping malls, restaurants with familiar names, and the same techy gadgets, tablets, and phones that I am accustomed to here.  I will be able to connect with my family and friends using FB, FaceTime, Skype, and whatever other video chat options are available.

That's enough with the questions for now.   More information to come in time.  Until then, keep joining me on my journey!

a view of Kuwait