... and the madness begins
Aaron received his orders last night/this morning, essentially while we slept. We are definately moving to Kuwait. I'm hoping that this move will be a motivator for me to be better about updating my journal. I'd like a record of this experience for Philip.
For those who don't know it, my husband is a Foreign Area Officer with the United States Navy, his area specialty is the Middle East, which is why he's spent the last 2 1/2 years, getting his Masters and learning Arabic. It is partly how our son acquired an Arabic middle name.
I'm very excited to be able to live overseas and experience another culture. Initially we thought we would be moving to Egypt, but with money issues in the military and this position being a higher priority one to fill, we anticipated this move for a while now. I'm over my disappointment at not getting orders for Egypt. There are many good things about living in Kuwait and we will still be able to visit Egypt regularly.
From a safety perspective, I believe that Kuwait is actually going to be safer than Egypt. Since it is a wealthier nation we shouldn't have the issues of petty crime that would be a concern living in Egypt. Also, although we'll be closer to Iraq, I'm assuming that with Saddam Hussein gone, there is little chance he will try to invade again.
We'll be in a great position to travel throughout the Middle East, as well as to be able to take a few choice trips to Europe. Our little Bubby will definately be an expert traveler by the time we return.
Suddenly we only have a few weeks to get all the necessary prep work done for the move. Philip and I both need medical clearance, "military" passports with visas, and probably something else I don't know about yet. We have to figure out how to get Blue over there, whether we want to take our cars or not, and if not, what we'll do with them. We need to know if there is a weight allowance for our personal belongings and if we'll be provided a furnished place if their is a big weight allowance. We've heard we may be limited to just 2000 lbs which really isn't very much, but is doable if we don't have to take appliances, furniture and the majority of my books. I suspect that I'll be getting rid of most of my wardrobe and acquiring new clothes when I get there. Between the heat and the desire to be dressed in socially appropriate clothing, I'd rather just take a few things. Of course nursing will complicate the wardrobe situation a bit; I may become the expert scarf wearer.
Anyway, I'm off to begin the list of chores Aaron's given me for the day. Plus Bubby still needs to get dressed and our refridgerator is empty.
For those who don't know it, my husband is a Foreign Area Officer with the United States Navy, his area specialty is the Middle East, which is why he's spent the last 2 1/2 years, getting his Masters and learning Arabic. It is partly how our son acquired an Arabic middle name.
I'm very excited to be able to live overseas and experience another culture. Initially we thought we would be moving to Egypt, but with money issues in the military and this position being a higher priority one to fill, we anticipated this move for a while now. I'm over my disappointment at not getting orders for Egypt. There are many good things about living in Kuwait and we will still be able to visit Egypt regularly.
From a safety perspective, I believe that Kuwait is actually going to be safer than Egypt. Since it is a wealthier nation we shouldn't have the issues of petty crime that would be a concern living in Egypt. Also, although we'll be closer to Iraq, I'm assuming that with Saddam Hussein gone, there is little chance he will try to invade again.
We'll be in a great position to travel throughout the Middle East, as well as to be able to take a few choice trips to Europe. Our little Bubby will definately be an expert traveler by the time we return.
Suddenly we only have a few weeks to get all the necessary prep work done for the move. Philip and I both need medical clearance, "military" passports with visas, and probably something else I don't know about yet. We have to figure out how to get Blue over there, whether we want to take our cars or not, and if not, what we'll do with them. We need to know if there is a weight allowance for our personal belongings and if we'll be provided a furnished place if their is a big weight allowance. We've heard we may be limited to just 2000 lbs which really isn't very much, but is doable if we don't have to take appliances, furniture and the majority of my books. I suspect that I'll be getting rid of most of my wardrobe and acquiring new clothes when I get there. Between the heat and the desire to be dressed in socially appropriate clothing, I'd rather just take a few things. Of course nursing will complicate the wardrobe situation a bit; I may become the expert scarf wearer.
Anyway, I'm off to begin the list of chores Aaron's given me for the day. Plus Bubby still needs to get dressed and our refridgerator is empty.