Tales from Turkey: Lots of Work and Lots of Traveling Since Last Blogging Part I

I know I know it has been way too long since I last blogged about life in Saudi Arabia or I should say my travels and adventures. The selection of our new students was right on course and then spiraled out of control during the final interview stage. Almost as crazy as the last minute scramble to find qualified national students last summer. But alas I have survived and managed to get away some in the midst of it all.

Some of the highlights since March...

In April I traveled to Beirut to spend a long birthday weekend with my good friends Carol and Rob Easton. They have lived in Beirut for about six years and moved back to the US- Rhode Island! this summer. Rob is an Elementary School administrator and was at the American Community School in Beirut and Carol does college counseling moonlighting gigs- I have known her since she was recruiting international students for Clark University. They had an AMAZING apartment on the corniche right at the foot of the American University campus. We started our days with coffee and oatmeal (which Carol turns into a gourmet meal) on the balcony watching Beirut wake up- newspaper vendors, bread vendors, walkers, kids going to school... and ended our days with gin and tonics on the balcony watching the sun fall into the Mediterranean. I really could have just sat on the balcony all day long watching the life of Beirut go by.

EASTER!! Colored eggs with friends Yvette, Jeremy and Sierra with egg coloring that I picked up when I was in Beirut. Sierra LOVED putting as many eggs as would fit in each mug and then moving eggs from mug to mug.

In May my friend Aida's mother visited from Tunisia. She hosted us for an incredible dinner. The chicken tangine was delicious but what I enjoyed most was something called a 'brick.' It is a very thin crepe like pancake that is filled with tuna and a runny egg. Incredible!! Here is the recipe from the internet: http://www.theworldwidegourmet.com/recipes/brick-egg-tuna/ Her mom made them to order in terms of egg doneness but if you find yourself in a Tunisian restaurant ;) try one!

And then I combined work (an international education conference) and a long weekend with one of my bestest friends Chris. (traveled to St. Petersburg with Chris last year) The weather was perfect and we managed to take a day to drive up to Whistler where the Winter Olympics were held in 2010. To come from the brown brown brown desert heat and humidity of the Red Sea to the green greeness of the Pacific Northwest was like traveling to heaven. I kept taking deep breaths of cool crisp air. Snow capped mountains still at the beginning of June!! And yes- food-- fondue and crepes suzette that I couldn't get enough of. Exercise too though... rented bikes and biked around Stanley Park one day.

Back on campus we hosted a baby shower for Yvette who you may have noticed was pregnant in the Easter pictures. She gave birth to a beautiful little girl Nicole in July!

In July the summer really kicked off! I was so lucky to be able to spend three weeks with family and friends between New Jersey and Boston. I celebrated the 4th of July weekend in my absolute favorite city to celebrate America- Boston! My friends Katherine and Tim from BU conveniently planned their wedding that weekend at the Omni Parker House- the oldest remaining hotel in the country and smack in the middle of Boston's historic Beacon Hill. What better way to celebrate America's Independance than walking the Freedom Trail with the NJ Duschangs who joined me for the weekend. Making lanterns at the Old North Church, visiting Paul Revere's House, watching reinactments of the Revolutionary War on the Boston Common (more fun for the boys than the girls), touring the Public Garden Lagoon on the swan boats, visiting Make Way for Ducklings, eating ice cream and pastries in the North End, going on the playground and carousel with the Kelly girls, Annika and Elena.

On to Connecticut and HOME SWEET HOME!! I think no matter how old you are or where you travel there is nothing like sitting in the backyard you grew up in and sleeping in the room you slept in as a child. The swings may change trees and the vegetable garden bigger and paint a different color but there is still that feeling of being safe. So don't ever move Mom and Dad!! :) Camp Bongo is now in its fourth year- a week with my nephews at my parents. This year we welcomed Michael, our newest camper who turned 4 in August. A little timid and shy at first he learned quickly how to get his cousins wet and eat watermelon like them. A day at the zoo and arts and crafts and dancing in the living room and lots of time in the backyard made for a fun week.

And Cooper and Cole love visiting with their 'second' cousins Emily and Alexis! And I love catching up with my 'first' cousin Jen and Matt.

On to Narragansett, Rhode Island to visit the Thomas family and my bestest friend Mary Beth. Beach time!! and my favorite lunch of the summer-- Lobstah Salad Roll. I know my grandmother would have been pleased with the amount of lobster in the roll.

I know you are thinking all of this in three weeks... but there's more!! A much needed and appreciated mani/pedi wine evening with my college friends Chris and Jeanne. I don't know how it is possible for Chris to have TWO children in high school when we just graduated from Emmanuel like yesterday.

On to Sturbridge for Danny and Jill Keller's wedding... nothing like being with family though we missed the missing cousins!!

And I was fortunate to be home for the christening of my newest nephew Peter who was born in May... Congratulations and thank you Mark and Beth!!

I will readily admit it was VERY difficult to get on that plane and return to Saudi Arabia. If only life were just one big holiday! Last day in the US... just hanging out in the pool with Cooper, Cole and Lilly.