Here's to New Beginnings

 Wow! A lot has happened since I last posted on March 26, 2020! Let me catch you all up with what is happening with my life and how amazing our God is. 

First off, Corona has effected the entire world in more ways than a lot of people understand. I was in the Middle East recovering from being sick and searching out a new teaching career. Everything shut down for us for a few months (like EVERYTHING). Thankfully, I was working for PalFish at the time as much as I could which helped a ton and I was also finishing up my final semester of grad school. It was really weird not being able to go out anywhere. I can say that I was not scared about getting sick but that I was very cautious about making sure that I did not get sick. Since moving back, I have been off of all my medication for my back and have had minimal pain. This is HUGE news for those who know the difficulties that I have had recovering. God is good and I have stayed healthy and corona free!

Next thing next, I have an amazing job! Originally I was planning on staying abroad and teaching somewhere in Europe or the Middle East but God had another plan. I decided to reach out to remote companies about working part-time so I would be able to take a job that I had been interviewing with at a school in Europe. I reached out to a technology company about being an assistant. My now boss interviewed me and saw all of my qualifications and immediately said I was overqualified but loved what she saw. She talked about me to the COO and long story short, I ended up taking a full-time position with them as an operation specialist. God told (and showed me) in different ways that this is what He had planned for me at this time. This is why He gave me the gifts that He did. This job provides everything that I need and more. The great thing is that I can do this job 100% remote and work anywhere that I want to. I love being able to use my technology, teaching, and organizational gifts on a daily bases. 

Which brings me to my last news, I moved back to (drum roll please....) TEXAS! My best friend picked me up from the airport with Chick-Fil-A in hand.  I am back at my old roots in DFW but in a fun and new area. I am loving being back with friends and loved ones once again. You never know how much you truly miss someone until you are back and know you will not be leaving in a few weeks. Another bonus to moving back, health food stores. With my food allergies, it has always been difficult to eat out or sometimes even cooking at home. Now I cook at home with an abundance of food choices or I can eat out at some restaurants that have nutrition facts online (beyond helpful). I live in a great apartment complex that has a sunroom for my office and a great pool for my lunch breaks. I bought a new car (Knox) and he has kept me safe and relaxed when driving. My apartment is on the third floor and I get my daily exercise walking up and down. If you remember, I could not walk up or downstairs for a few months but now I do two flights on a daily basis. GOD IS SO GOOD!!!

I have been back in Texas for a month now and I have loved every second of it. My travel days are not done but I am glad for this switch in a lifestyle for me. I have loved being able to travel to over 20 countries my three years overseas and I am not done seeing new and old places. For a lot of people 2020 has been really tough, but for me, it has been a fresh start in so many ways. I have been counting my blessings this year and they are numerous. Exciting things are happening in my life, so stay tuned! 

Meet Knox! 

What Really Happened in China???

     I have been debating about sharing this for a long time. I have decided to share my story about how I got sick and where I've come since then. Not to get any sympathy but to be able to show you how amazing and awesome God is.

     Back in September, a lot of teachers at the school I was working at became sick. We all think that it was a little touch of the flu or sinus infections. Going to and from school, you could hear a symphony of coughing or sneezing on our bus. I took some regular medication, just normal DayQuil NyQuil stuff, and I was much better to go back to school on Monday.

     Throughout that next week, I could feel my legs getting weaker. I would squat down and talk to my students then try to stand back up. I noticed that my legs were not able to push me up. I also noticed that when walking up and downstairs, my knees would buckle. One morning I fell trying to stand up and fell down the stairs taking Angel for a walk. I talked to a lady who was an American doctor, and she was concerned but wasn't overly concerned to where I needed to go to the hospital. She did ask me to go to and get some blood work done. I honestly believe that God put her. in my life at the right time. She was my angel in disguise.

      The next day I went and did just that. Now every country is different in the ways of its medical system. In China, you have to see a specialist to have bloodwork (or anything) done. I saw a neurologist, and by that time, I could walk but had a lot of trouble standing up from a seated position. She was concerned and told I needed to be admitted because I would die if I stayed home. So freaking out a little, I did what anyone would do... I called my parents and my doctor friend.

      I informed them of what was happening and what the neurologist had said. My friend said the doctor probably thought it was the same thing she thought of last night. Now at this point, no one would tell me what they were thinking. I did not research on Google because I knew if I read up on it or research possible outcomes that I would get scared. So I went home and packed a small bag, took Angel to a friend's house, got in a taxi, and checked myself into the hospital.

     Over the next few days, I was bored. I had people from school stay with me, come by and bringing me food, visiting to keep me company, or checking up on me. I was so grateful for their company, and to this day, I can see that God put everyone into my life for this reason. I am still in contact with a few of the teachers who I know are lasting friendships.

     Meanwhile, the doctors were trying to do some tests (one test a day) and were giving me medication through an IV. I had no idea what medication they gave me. In China, no matter your age, doctors do not like to talk to patients. At first, I thought it was because of the language barrier but then realized that it is just their custom.  At this point, my parents were trying to get a visa to China but struggled due to embassies being closed for a holiday.

      I was getting worse and worse after I was admitted into the hospital. One day I could not even walk from the bed to the bathroom by myself and that is when I got very scared. I tried asking the doctors around me what was going on but they did not speak English. There was one doctor who spoke a little bit. Bless her heart, she tried to explain what was going on when I asked her, but it was mainly a lot of translating through an app.  I ended up giving the doctor my friend's information, and she was able to talk to her and explain some things to me.

      As things began to worsen, my friend suggested going to Beijing to a westernized hospital that would be able to give me what I needed if the situation worsened. She finally told me what she assumed it could be, which was Guillain Barre Syndrome. This disease can paralyze your entire body and prevent you from breathing. When I found all of this out, I called my parents crying. They agreed with her about having me transferred and so I talked to my school.

     My school was absolutely amazing! They saw the severity of the situation and talked to the doctors and with our insurance company to get me transferred to the other hospital. Some friends brought stuff from my apartment, I grabbed a little bit of food, and we got into the ambulance. We drove 13 hours to Beijing.

     During these 13 hours, I went from scared to terrified. I could not feel from my waist to my knees, and I could barely walk with assistance. I thought at that time that I could possibly die. The thought of dying did not scare me, but the thought of never seeing anyone that I loved again terrified me. I asked mom and dad to pray, and they posted on Facebook was going on so others could pray too. People literally all around the world were praying.

     During the 13 hour drive, I was in and out of sleep, but whenever I was awake, I  cried out to God. I asked God not to let me be alone when I was at the hospital. I got to the hospital, got checked into the ER, then was admitted into a room upstairs. I had about 10 doctors, over the course of the next few days, running every possible test that they could to figure out what was going on.

     I was so thankful to be in this hospital because I had a lot of people around me who spoke English. Since I was alone, they kept me informed several times a day about what they were doing and what was going to happen next. The doctors were able to rule out a lot of possible viruses and diseases. After they ruled out the worst ones, they started to give me IV steroids to see if that could help.

     The day after I arrived, I had so many people who came by that I did not know. They knew a friend of a friend, and I was just happy I was not alone. These wonderful people prayed over me and kept me company. God was showing me that He was with me by having people all around the world who loved Him reaching out to me in support.

     My parents finally arrived, and the doctors updated them even more than I had. The doctors explained there were a few more tests that they wanted to do, but they would be painful. At this point, I had had a few days of steroids, and I was starting to feel my legs slowly. We did the tests and they came back is showing a little bit of nerve damage in my legs. There was really nothing else they could do except continue to IV steroids.

     I was released to my parents and I was finally able to leave and stay at the hotel. I had to finish as an outpatient for the remainder of the treatments. When I was released, I was still wheelchair-bound but I was slowly able to walk by holding onto something. I was excited to get out of the hospital and go to malls for lunch or dinner.  It was really nice to be able to leave, knowing that I was slowly starting to heal. It was nice having my parents there with me. I tried to push myself to do too much but they noticed and allowed me to rest when I needed it. Even though I was the white girl in a wheelchair (que stares), I was happy to be able to roll around the mall and just look at things.

     As I started to feel my legs, some back pain started to appear. This concerned me but my doctor assured me that this meant I was regaining feeling again. He told me to take some ibuprofen for the pain when it got bad. There was some swelling in my back, but it started to reseed slowly. I was uncertain of why all the back pain was happening, but I was gradually able to walk, pushing the wheelchair or walker around the hotel.

     Finally, my doctor said that they had done all they could. He believed that I was doing well enough to go home and get back to work (I just had to take it easy). I was so excited! My friends from school came to Beijing over the holiday and met my parents. Dad had to fly back to work, but mom stayed a little longer. We ended up going to see the Summer Palace and a LEGO exhibition. They flew with me all the way back home and helped me out the first few days I was back.

     I was determined to be able to resume working as much as I could. My school is fantastic and allowed me to go to school so I would be getting paid. My first week back, I was given very light duties, and I am beyond thankful for that. I tried not to push myself too much. I really had to focus and learn to look at signs that my body was tired. I was in more pain than I could ever remember, and I have a HIGH pain tolerance.

     I was absolutely determined not to allow the pain to stop me from doing my duty as a teacher. I wanted to walk again and so I prayed like crazy and forced myself to walk again. I hid the pain from others at school and worked as hard as I could throughout the day. There were days that I cried from the pain when I was at home. I would walk Angel and go straight to bed from exhaustion. Like I said, I was determined not to let this mess with my work.

     During this time I was able to go to Disneyland with my friends in Shanghai and we took my wheelchair (you can read about this trip in my previous post). Now I don't regret going on the trip because it was a blast, but I regret going before my body was ready.  The trip took a lot out of me. It set me back a little bit and I was back in the wheelchair and the crutch more for the remainder of the semester.

     I flew back to mom and dad for Christmas break. Flying makes things a lot worse, and so I prayed and prayed and prayed my entire flights back home to my parents. Air China and Emirates really helped me feel comfortable on the flights. The flight attendants went above and beyond throughout the flight to make sure that I had everything that I needed. I applaud them! I could see that God was giving me people to help through a situation that was difficult for me.

      I saw some doctors to gain a second opinion as to why my back was still very painful and to see what I can do to heal faster. I found an AMAZING neurologist who was an answer to prayers. He specializes in weird Nero situations and has worked extra hours to figure out what was happening.  He ran a second set of tests identical to what Beijing ran, just to see the difference. He was finally able to deem me free of a virus (or whatever it was) and has explained to me we are just focusing on healing the damage.  So, I resigned from my job in January to take time and focus on healing my body.

     Let me tell you, Never doubt your friendships. I had WONDERFUL friends who packed up my stuff, looked after Angel, took Angel as their own, shipped my stuff to me, kept me in thoughts and prayers, and continued to talk to me. Friends that I have kept through this entire situation, are friends that I believe will remain my friends for a long time. So if you are a friend who has helped me out during this time, I thank you from the bottom of my heart!

     I passed my six-month mark of when this all took place. After doing months of physical therapy and exercises to getting a strengthen my back, I look back to see I have come a long way from arriving in December in a wheelchair. Although at times it does not feel like I am very strong or I am not recovering, I look back at pictures and remember at one point I could not even walk. I think wow... God did that. Only God could have healed me the way He has.

     I have been praying nonstop for this entire situation that I could just be relieved of pain. I've had so many people pray over me to be recovered from this pain. Every time they do, God tells me it's not time yet. I have so many questions about why God told me to go to China if I was just going to get sick? Why I have not recovered quickly? Will I regress if I get sick again?

      In the past two weeks, I have done a Psalm 23 study. The author, Matt, talks about how God wants us to find rest in Him. He talks about how God takes care of His children, and we should not want for anything. I fail at that. The planner in me wants to continue to work on my five-year plan, but it should not be my plan. It is HIS plan for my life. I am no longer running away from what God wants me to do but running into HIS open arms.

     My story is not over yet. God stopped me from dying in the ambulance on the way to Bejing. I honestly believe what satan meant for evil; God is working for His good. I have an interesting testimony through all of this pain and suffering. I may have a lot of questions that never get answered, but I do know one thing.....

GOD IS NOT FINISHED WITH ME YET!

October 2019

November 2019

December 2019

January 2020

February 2020

March 2020

Thanksgiving at Shanghai Disney

Hi Ya'll!

        I know I have been a little MIA lately due to the craziness of life but I am so excited about this post. Thanksgiving weekend of 2019, two friends and I hopped on a plane and headed to Shanghai. After a delay and a long Didi (uber) ride, we finally made it to our Toy Story Hotel!

        It was 2:00am when we arrived at the hotel. We were all tired and ready to head to bed. Annie was amazing with us. She checked us in, answered our questions, spoke great English, and had a positive attitude. We were highly impressed with her and how everyone at the hotel showed a positive no matter the time of day. Before heading to our room, Annie got us the park tickets and told us the important details for later that day.

        After a few hours of wonderful sleep, we got ready and headed to the bus that would take us to a special entrance at the park. Since I was still recovering from being sick back in September, I had my wheelchair for the park. We read online that Disney was accomodating for wheelchairs but we were still a little iffy. Boy were we shocked!

        Not only did the workers get my chair on and off the bus, but they also made sure that we were comfortable. When we got to the park, we headed to customer relations where we were able to get a badge and special access for the rides we wanted to go on. Throughout the park, the Disney staff were kind and helpful. I can honestly say that the friendliness of the Disney Staff made our trip memorable.

       Our trip to the park was a blast! We got our ears, shirts, and pictures with a few of our Disney favorites. During the trip, we watched a show in front of the castle. It was really neat to see the cast sing and dance while the set was moving. We rode a few rides that day but I would have to say that the Peter Pan ride was my absolute favorite. Just imagine, sitting in a boat flying through London and Neverland. It was so beautiful! We stayed until the end of the day and watched (as we walked out) the Frozen firework display over the castle. That was just the end of day one.

        We decided to spend 199RMB (28USD) on a picture pass which allowed us to download all the pictures that Disney Staff took of us. This was gold! We did not have to think about taking good pictures on our phones. I highly recommend paying the money to be able to download the pictures because they gave us some lasting memories. We took pictures with Winnie, Rapunzel, and Mickey. We also took pictures on some of the rides we rode.

        Day two was a lot calmer and quieter. We decided to spend the day at Disneytown which is outside the park. Heading out to town, we stopped and took pictures with Jessie and Woody. We had such a fun time taking pictures with them and enjoying no line!

        Once at Disneytown, we walked and shopped. We found a Build-A-Bear and had to stop and make our own bears. We all decided on a Panda with a Shanghai Disney shirt. This bear is even more special to me now that I no longer live in China. It will be a good reminder of the fun and exciting times. We went to the LEGO store and saw the Disney inspired artwork (WOWZA).

        We had tickets to see Beauty and the Beast in Mandarin and it was breathtaking! I have seen Beauty and the Beast so many time and I know most of the lines. Seeing it in another language made the broadway even more special.

        Needless to say, our Thankgiving trip to Shanghai Disney was great! I am determined to return one day and see the park again. I am determined to stay at least three days so I can take pictures one day, ride the rides another day, and spend a day seeing all the shows. I recommend this park to anyone. My bucket list goal is to see the other parks, so two down and four to go!

The hotel's sign by the street. We knew we were almost there!

The hotel sign with two great friends!

One of our rollercoaster rides.

It's the most wonderful time to wear ears!

Our matching ears in our favorite colors!

Group Pic in front of the castle.

A show with Aladin and a moving elephant.

Mickey Mouse!

Rapunzel! 

Jessie and Woody

My Build-A-Bear Panda 

Beauty and the Beast

Winnie the Poo

The hotel layout, we were in a Buzz room.

Love for Disney

     

The First Month

Happy Mid-Autumn Festival! 

     This weekend was one of our first holidays from school. It was a short three day weekend, and many of us were sick, but it was so wonderful to be lazy. As I chilled at home with Angel, I reflected back on the past month of living in China. 

     I have been so blessed to have a school community that is so open and helpful to “newbies”. They have shown me around, taken me shopping, hosted a dinner night, and have been more than helpful with sharing medicine in times of need. The small community of expats in our area have really joined together and are close-knit. It reminds me of my “Sara Village Family” and how much I miss them. Thank goodness we have the technology to stay in touch. 

     In my last blog, I talked a little about my home, my compound, and what I have noticed the first week I was here. Being here a little over a month, I have seen much more of my city. Grocery shopping remains an interesting trip. I have gone to Walmart, Metro, Oya, and small little convince stores by my compound. Walmart here is a unique experience. There are some western import items and the Walmart logo we all know is everywhere. Unlike Walmart in the US, this Walmart has everything laid out for you with unique flavor choices. I was able to find Better Homes brand near the sheet section, but they only had top sheets, pillowcases, and duvet covers. There were vendors out around the store calling out for people to come, try, and buy their brand of items. 

     Metro is another store that I have gone to many times and has a much calmer atmosphere than Walmart or Oya (which I talked about in my last blog). Metro has been one of my favorite places to grocery shop because they have many imported items that I like to eat. To expats, Metro is like a Cosco or Sams in the States. It looks very similar to those places too but the difference is you do not typically buy in bulk.

     I have really enjoyed being able to purchase many things that I need offline. The convince of having things delivered to school or my home allows me to have more free time. I have become a pro at Didi (our Uber), ordering offline, sounding like I know the language, and being the first one to wear a jacket. I have gotten my nails done, been to a massage parlor, and Angel has gotten a haircut. 
     I have been able to scout out the town a little bit throughout this month as well. Another teacher and I went to the Ferris Wheel Mall and got on the Changchun Eye. It was great seeing most of the city from one of the tallest spots. The mall also has a glass bridge which "broke" every time you stepped on it. That mall had shopping, the gal bridge, the eye, a movie theater, kid play area, a petting zoo, and a basketball court in the basement. It was a wild time! I am excited for our week off in October so I can go and see the sites in our area. 

Stay tuned for more but enjoy these pictures!

Metro Store

Metro Store

Walmart

An interesting flavor

Walmart

The Glass Bride

The Glass Bride

Public Transportation - They will stuff the buses full

The City of Changchun

The City of Changchun

The City of Changchun

I'm standing on top of Changchun

Ni Hao China!

Ni Hao Friends! I have officially been in China for 4 days and I am just starting to settle into my routine with my dog Angel. I have been to the mall with a supermarket on the bottom, a fruit and veggie market, the police station to register, to a few restaurants, and to my school.

Fun fact about food here in China. They do not really call it Chinese food but they do ask if you want North, South, East or West food. Each geographic location has a special cuisine that has influences of counties that surround that region. It is really unique to the tastes of the cooks as well. I am very excited to continue to explore the food options throughout my years here.

I am in the 10th largest city in China. If you think about a large city you may think it would look like New York City, Dubai, or Las Angeles but that is not the case here. Changchun is full of people but is very clean. There is greenery everywhere and everything is nice and spaced out. Rush hour traffic lasts about 30-45 minutes and driving is like a game of chicken. There are massive apartment buildings in compounds as well as individual houses but they use the space wisely. Parking for compounds is underground. Parking around the city is wherever you can find it. Small shops are located on the very first floor of apartments on the outside of the compounds. Another great use of space is that people are always renovating older buildings.

The school I will be working with is an old factory building. The use of space around the school is so amazing. You can tell the owner has really put his love into the school. Walls are bright and fun colors as well there are zen relaxation areas spread around in space that would be deemed as empty hallways. Classrooms are large and spacious and the staff is so friendly and warm. Everyone gets along with everyone and the administration is there to make sure you are feeling welcome in the school and country. I have been on a tour of the school with a few of the admins and when they talk about the school you can see how much they love working there and admire what is happening.

I am so very excited about starting my season of life in China. There is so much to explore and do in the area and I cannot wait to see more. Enjoy the pictures of the small glimpse of Changchun that I have seen so far!

Part of my Classroom. It is already decorated for the year and I am thrilled!

Zen/ Relaxation Garden in the School right beside the ballet classroom.

One of my favorite things about the school. The PreK bathroom. Look how cute those little stalls are!

Out driving around the city. You can see the stores at the bottom of the apartments.

A view from our walk in the morning by our apartment which is so pretty and green.

Angel and I in front of our building

Let's Cruise!

Last week my best friend, Lauren, and I took our annual best friend trip. In 2018, we went to London (you can ask me how that went) and this year we decided to do something fun…. A CRUISE!

We boarded the Carnival Freedom for eight days of salty air in our hair, lots of laughter, excitement and the thrill of traveling again. Our cruise was AMAZING! We had very little complaints throughout the week. When we first boarded the boat we had a little mishap with our room but the manager Bianca took wonderful care of us. Our cruise had so many components to it and I cannot wait to share with y’all . The days went as followed:

Day 1: Leave Texas

Day 2: Sea Day 1

Day 3: Sea Day 2

Day 4: Dock in Honduras

Day 5: Dock in Belize

Day 6: Dock in Mexico

Day 7: Sea Day

Day 8: Back in Texas

Day 1: We decided to drive down from our home to the port which was a short drive compared to many who flew or drove 30 hours. We stopped at our favorite gas station BUCEE’s and grabbed some snacks and drinks for the road. When we got to port, we parked our car, grabbed our gear, and walked to the boat. After handing off our bags, we boarded the boat and ate some lunch at the buffet. When we were finally allowed to go to our room we jumped at the opportunity. Our room was a cute little exterior room on the second deck with a twin bed, a couch bed, two windows, a vanity, three closets, and a little bathroom. It had plenty of space for the two of us. After unpacking, we ended up walking around the ship and getting to know the important places (food, drinks, games, theater, and pools). We met our fab cruise director, Emma, from England and a few other wonderful people working on board. We watched our first show in the theater (Welcome Aboard), ate dinner, and ended the night with lots of laughter. 

Day 2: Our first sea day was eye-opening. We have a morning meeting with Emma who explained all the fun events on board for the day. She gave us helpful suggestions about things to do and see and how to get around the ship easily. I have to say that Emma really knew how to gain an audience’s attention. I thought she would have made an amazing kindergarten teacher and that’s what she use to do! We thought about heading to the pool on our first day but decided not to and joined a bunch of games and shows throughout the day. That night we sat down and watched the Love Aboard show. It was really cute for couples. We decided to hit a (PG) comedy show by the famous Chaz. It was a fun first day on the sea.

Day 3: Man oh man, is it nice to be able to sleep in and not have an alarm turned on. We went to the morning show once again and loved laughing along with Emma. Lauren and I decided to brave the sun and tan for a bit. Since it was a sea day, everyone was out and about at the pools and hot tubs. So I do not know about you, but I honestly feel like hotties are useless during the summer time. Since we were in the middle of the Carribean, they should be cooling tubs, not hot tubs. Anyways, we went and found a spot to lay out with a beautiful view of the water. We were out for about an hour and both got roasted. Needless to say, we spent the rest of the day indoors. The show tonight was an 80’s Pop to the Max. It was filled with popular songs from the ’80s and I have to say it was a great show. 

Day 4: Today was the day we had been waiting for. Or rather the day that I had been waiting for. We docked at Roatan Bay, Honduras and took a bus for about an hour to Anthony Key’s Resort. Our small group of 8 had the privilege to have a dolphin action swim. Now I have been swimming with dolphins before (in Cancun) and loved every second of it. This time was so different. All of the dolphins are bred at the resort and trained with trainers who know that they are doing. They are in little bays with ocean access when given. These little lagoons are right off the ocean which gives the Dolphins a feel of living in the ocean. I loved seeing how huge the lagoons were for the dolphins. They are given so much space to live in. When our turn for the action swim came, they allowed the two of us to experience the dolphins together and alone. We were given about an hour in the water with the dolphins. They took pictures the entire time and had a package ready to purchase at the end of the event. The resort had several other dolphin experiences but I feel like the one we had was the best one. We were able to swim with them, learn about our two boys (the dolphins), and did not feel squished by people around us. I recommend this excursion to anyone going to Roatan Bay in Honduras! When we finished with the excursion the two of us did some shopping, picture taking, and went back to the boat to eat lunch. See we planned it just right so we would not have to pay for any extra food on the trip and saved big. The show this night was a fun family game show from Hasbro. It was so fun to see people chosen from the audience to jump on stage and play along. Once again Emma made the show with her cute jokes and fun personality. 

Day 5: Belize was the one place I have not been to (on this cruise anyway) and I was excited about seeing a new country. We docked early and gathered together in the theater with everyone going on an excursion. We had to be water shuttled to the island and bused for an hour to Chukka where our excursion was. Lauren was so excited for this day (as was I but dolphin swimming beat everything for me) and when we got there we were not disappointed. Our tour guide Willie was hysterical. You could tell he really loved his job and showing people around his beautiful country. He even taught us a little bit of their language (Creole) in the bus ride over there. When we got to Chukka, Willie, told our group to show off and be loud and proud to be apart of the group. Every time our group name was called (you can ask me the name), our group cheered and hollered loudly. Chukka housed many excursions that the cruise was apart of. We did a private cave tour, lunch, and zip lining. Now it was not really hot (it was in the 80s) but it was 100 percent humidity. We got to zip line first going through five lines at various heights and then we did the private cave tour. They split us into a small group of 6 or 8 for our cave tour. Our group of 6 were led by Jorge and he had a plethora of knowledge about the cave. The spring fed water in the dark cool cave was a nice welcome to our hot and humid selves. The tour went by quickly and before we knew it we were in line for Belizian beans, rice, and chicken then back on the bus. The show on the boat that night was my second favorite one yet - Carribean Dream. It got everyone in the mood for Mexico the next morning. 

Day 6: We docked in Cozumel, Mexico with three other Carnival boats. Before leaving the boat, we grabbed breakfast and to our surprise, the crew had placed a towel animal on all the lounge chairs on the deck. Over 100 towel animals filled our view and all so very different. We decided to not do an excursion and just shop around and chill on the boat. So we grabbed our freebies, souvenirs, t-shirts, and headed back to the boat. This was the day I was finally able to test out the water slides on the boat. The other days the lines have been so long. Lauren and I were one of the few people on the boat and it was really nice to grab lunch and chill by the pool without a mass of people around. The show that night was a piano melody mixture followed by a glow out party on the deck with friends and other passengers. Such a fun filled night!

Day 7: This was our final day on the boat. We had another sea day as we headed back to Texas. We slept in after our fun late night and watched the debarkation information show. We supported St. Jude’s children hospital while lounging at the pool. It was a chill day for everyone while they got ready to get back to reality. That night was my favorite show out of all of them. All the shows were really well done but tonight’s show took the cake. They did a lip-sync battle between two cruise passengers who auditioned at the beginning of the week. Ironically we found out that morning both passengers were professionals. One was a professional hip-hop dancer and danced with the Rockets at times as well as internationally. The other was a Singer who is releasing her first album this fall. They are both so talented that it made the show like the real LSB on TV. The show crew, Emma and Neil (our Bingo director) had their own versions of ’90s and ’80s hit LSB as well before they announced the winner. It was a perfect end to a great week. 

     Needless to say, the Carnival Freedom crew made our vacation. From fixing small problems to making us laugh and interacting with the passengers, you could tell they loved what they did. I know people who have gone on cruise’s before where the director was not so interactive and fun or the crew was rude, but that was not our case. Our room steward called us by name and made sure we had everything we needed throughout the cruise. The excursions that we booked through the cruise were well directed and had us worry free. They cared about the safety of all passengers and knew we all wanted to have fun. I highly recommend a cruise for people who want to go and have fun and not worry about anything. I loved our week on the cruise and loved spending some time with Lauren. Happy 21st girl!!

Ma Salama Sadiqs - Goodbye Friends

     You have heard the saying, "it takes a village" when discussing children. This is so true with living the expatriate life. It truly takes a village to get you through life. Not in a bad way by any means but in a way that expats in your work (and life) all come together to live life. They become your family during your time in the country you reside in. As my time comes to a close in the Middle East, I have decided to talk about my VILLAGE. My village of people is a nice and wide span. I have different relationships with different people and I would not change a thing.
    I live with four amazing people on a separate compound than most at school. The five of us have been like family these past two years. We would have specified family dinners when we could all get together, hang out by the pool, grab breakfast on the weekends and so much more. Three of the five of us are leaving this year to new adventures. Our little family is breaking up and I am going to miss them beyond words.
     I have a few friends from school who I have great relationships with. I have been on fun trips, crazy car rides, shopping weekends, birthday fun, movie nights, and more with them. I know that I can talk to them about almost anything and I know that I will not be judged. I can talk about God with them and discuss what amazing things he is doing in our lives.
     I have friends who are from all over the world and who have the heart to teach internationally like me. Some of them are TCK's, some have taught internationally before, others on adventures of their own, or they call this sandy place home. We are all connected in one way or another and I love it.
  This past weekend I finalized everything that I needed to do in order to leave the Middle East. I cleaned out my villa and sold everything I needed to sell. It is crazy how much stress you can have when moving. You do not even think about the craziness and what all has to be done until it happens. One of the nights our compounds had a combined goodbye party for a few of the teachers leaving the school.
     Julie, one of my closest friends wrote a goodbye speech for me with help from a couple of other close friends. It's funny how you never think someone knows you until you listen to it. These ladies have done such an amazing job and I think it deserves to be read.
 
     "Kim’s off on a new adventure. She is casting off the Saudi sand and heading to Northern China along with her trusty sidekick Angel.

In the short two years, we have spent together at DEMS and living on Sara Village, I have gotten to know this girl quite well. Raised as a full-blooded Texan in the sands of Saudi Arabia, this girl is fearless. For example, she jumped on the opportunity last year to get her license within the first month it was legal and got herself a car. When she sets her mind to it, this girl can get anything done and accomplished. Although she does have her own type of kryptonite...cinnamon! Unfortunately, she has come into contact quite often with this notorious evildoer this past year which resulted in a few scary moments and hospital visits. However, she showed her strength and battled the cinnamon, and took it down with her trusty weapon of choice, Benedryl. Let us not talk about her most recent visit to the hospital when fracturing her arm when tripping over a student...oops!

She is focused and driven, though finding that a current part of her faith journey is to let God be in control - and it’s hard sometimes!

As a true TCK, third culture kid, Kim created a book to share her experiences as a way to reach out to other TCKs around the globe. If writing a book wasn’t enough, she has taken sharing her story to the blog-o-sphere.

Man though, this girl can talk. Even when strictly told by the doctor to stop talking, this girl just couldn’t do it. However, if she didn’t talk, it just wouldn’t be Kim. She is your textbook extrovert. Loves being surrounded by people. She is ever willing to help anyone out and welcomes everyone with open arms - you’ll have to decide if it is Texan or Saudi hospitality that has left the most impact, though I suspect it is being a part of a culture like in this room - full of expats, for most of her life.

If you look up the word “Generous” in the dictionary, you are very likely to find a picture of Kimberlyn. She is always willing to share any knowledge that she has about almost any topic and where to find the best shopping deals. She was the reason I transitioned so well into this adventure. She gave so freely of her time and energy at the beginning of my time in Saudi that I can’t imagine where I’d be without her.

Kim, Jennifer, Kristi, Jessica, everyone here and me, want to wish you all the best in your next adventure in the cold of China. Go walk the Great Wall, visit the Terra cotta Warriors, learn all about the ancient culture of the Chinese because when I come to visit you, you are my guide. Show your Texas hospitality and charm, and win them all over. Keep in touch, and I/we will miss you!

My Sara Village family is breaking up… are you sure you want to go? You realize you are leaving me with Ian and Ashton, and Amy and James, and Julia, and...oh! Ok...fine. Just don’t forget us. "

     Thank you, Julie, Jess, Jennifer, and Kristi for writing such sweet words. You have all left an impact on my life. I know that this is not just goodbye but see you soon. I look forward to seeing each of you in China (or a new country). I know I have made a lifelong friend in each of you and I will hold that dearly in my heart. Ma Salama Sadiqs!