I'm not lost- I'm on an adventure!: Summer

I do not have a good excuse- I just have been lazy and haven't felt like blogging. I've thought about it many times but never got around to actually doing it. So before I fall too massively behind, here's an update.

After the student's last day the teachers are still required to work for another week. We have to pack up our rooms and stuff. I don't even remember what exactly we did because we were all so ready to leave. When we were free, about half the staff flew out that night on what they call the Freedom Flight- first flight out. I stayed here for a little more than a week and it was awesome. I stayed home and did all kinds of stuff that I had been meaning to do but didn't. I rearranged my house and FINALLY unpacked everything that I had brought. Yes, I still had an IKEA bag worth of stuff that I had never got around to unpacking. When I left I felt so organized- which brings me happiness.

On the way home I had a small layover in Frankfurt, Germany. I posted something about it on Facebook and received a message from a friend I had been in Peace Corps with. We hadn't seen each other in 14 years and she too was at the Frankfurt airport. Turns out, she was on the SAME flight to San Francisco. How crazy is that? It was so much fun to see each other and catch up. It also turned out that a family that lived in my building (and taught at my school) in Kuwait was also on the same flight. They had been in Spain on vacation since we were free to go and were just heading back to the States. Small world moments-- I love them!

The trip home was great. I was only home for just over two weeks, which was both a long time and not very long. It was long because I hated being away from my cats that long and worried about them. I made the people who were watching them WhatsApp me photos of them to prove they were doing ok. (I had one man that came twice a day during the week to feed them and then a family that lived in my apartment over the weekend so they had people with them)

BUT my time home was also short because I had so many people to see. I started in the Bay Area and was able to see some of my awesome friends from church- Trina and Annette- and my friend via my sister, Jan, who is also a crazy cat lady. :) I also got to hang out with my sisters who live there for a bit before I left to Utah to hang out with my other sister, BIL, and my nephews. After Utah I made it to Idaho where I got to see my parents, brother, SIL, and nieces. I also got to see some cousins, two aunts, and my uncle when I talked my mom into letting my cousin burn her face off. My cousin is a dermatologist and he was test driving a laser he was thinking about buying for his practice. He needed some people to try it on so my mom and my aunt let him.

I couldn't let him burn my face off because I had a high school reunion the next day- otherwise I probably would have. I went back and forth on this reunion thing. I wasn't sure I wanted to go. 3 years ago I would have been all about it, but when I moved back to the US after Korea I gained A LOT of weight. To be fair, I weighed a lot in high school so no one was really surprised, but I had a that brief moment of about 4 years where I actually looked like the person I feel I am inside. I've got to get that feeling back-- but that's another story, another blog. ANYWAYS- I was really nervous about the reunion but it actually turned out to be really great. Everyone in our class is so chill and laid back. The venue was so super casual that it was a very unusual place for a reunion-- which is a long story- but it worked perfectly. Everyone literally just stood around and talked and caught up with each other for hours. This was the first reunion we had, our 20th. We haven't had any before. We had so much fun talking that I didn't take any photos. In fact, looking back though my photos-- I didn't take many photos at all this trip. oops.

While in Idaho I also was able to spend a few hours catching up with some of my really good friends from Korea- Corinna and Amber. It was so good to see them too. I had to head back to California where I was able to spend some time with two of my favorite teachers- Sandy and Katie. Sandy was my mentor teacher but Katie did A LOT of mentoring as well. I student taught with Sandy for one semester and then I worked with both of them the second semester as a long term sub for one of the other kindergarten teachers. We have a standing summer lunch date for the next several years. :) I had dinner with my friends from my teaching program- Jeannie and Steve. I love those guys too. I couldn't have made it through the program without them. Seriously. (Heather and Toshi too)

After making the rounds and seeing everyone, I headed back to Kuwait. I've been here for almost a month. I've been teaching at summer camps half the day, which is good because it makes me leave the house. I might not otherwise because it's too freaking hot!! 50c/122f daily. UGH! The extra money will be nice- and needed- but I'm starting to feel a little stressed about having enough time to do all that I want to do, in terms of organizing my classroom and myself, before school starts. :( I've been going in and organizing my classroom in the morning but I feel like I've just gotten started when I have to leave to go teach at camp.

Before I came back from the US there was a bombing at a mosque here. I know that makes people nervous, but I still feel really safe here. I don't feel like there's an additional threat at this time. I still take the usual precautions and just try to be smart about things.

Oooo- added bonus of being gone and leaving my cats for two weeks- they now get along. They even cuddle and groom each other. I think not having me here forced them to figure things out. I still think Tux is a little too rough with Bumble at times, but things are much better. Yea!

In about 11 days I will leave for Germany which will also be a trip full of reunions. I realized this when I was booking things and making my plans. Turns out I pretty much don't have time to see anything because I be too busy seeing people. That's ok, it just means I'll have to go back. :)

My rearranged apartment-- although I have since switched the couch and the chairs.

My friend Erica at the airport in Frankfurt.

I pretty much had bacon or some kind of pork everyday

Hung out with my sister at her class. She's going to be a stenographer. :)

I missed these babies-- even though they wouldn't let me brush my teeth and go to the bathroom.

Got my hair cut for the first time in a year. I need to find a place here....

Babies!! I love them!

We went out 4 wheeling in Utah with the nephews, sister, and BIL

This is the grave marker for a bear-- I forgot his name- who caused a lot of havoc with the ranchers and was very hard to track. They had so much respect for him that they have this monument to him.