Where to Start?

Hello all!!!

Sorry for not posting again! We don't have internet yet in the house and I don't like writing a post on my phone. So the question is where do I start?

Let me start with saying Indiana and I love Bahrain. This change has been so good for us and not to mention for the dogs. They laze around outside soaking up the sun and bark at fish. It is the cutest thing watching them. They are so calm here and content. This move was for the best.

We still don't have our personal stuff here yet. Without taking up to much space for ranting, lets just say using this company has turned into our worst nightmare. Not only have a paid a fortune but we still don't have our stuff! On top of it all now the shipper is straying from our original agreement. We asked for door to door service. That means you pick our stuff up from our house in Kuwait and you deliver it to the front door of our house in Bahrain. Simple enough. Well apparently not. We paid him for those services however. We did it that way to make it easier and so we just pay the shippers one time. Now he wants the company here to deliver it to our house and we pay them a separate fee for their services. Um.....HELLO!!!!!! We already paid you for that. Anyways, the point is we will never be using them again and I am sorry for recommending them to you in previous posts.

On a more positive note, I would like to talk about what I have experienced in Bahrain so far. Living on the Amwaj Island, or as we call it, Expat Island, is a dream. People are so friendly and the overall atmosphere is generally calm a quiet. There is The lagoon about a five minute drive from the Floating City, which is where we live, or a 10-15 walk/jog/run. The Lagoon is where I fulfill my Starbucks coffee addiction every morning. The Lagoon is a very beautiful place with a collection of restaurants, coffee shops, a spa, Waitross (the grocery store) and many other things. It is always quiet and during the day filled with mommies and their children having coffee and lunch dates. There are also tons of activities offered on the Island from personal trainers to gyms. This one lady named Kathy offer paddle boarding over the weekends where you can rent paddle boards and she takes you around the floating city. It is a relaxing core workout not to mention fun. She also offers Pilates classes during the week and on Saturdays, Pilates on paddle boards as well. If you are interested check out the Facebook page Stand Up Paddling Bahrain or Pilates by KK.

We rented a car for me so I have also done some off Amwaj exploring. For shopping the City Centre Mall and Al Seef mall are my favorite so far. I also ventured to the Bahrain Mall to visit The Home Store there. That place is very nice and has a unique collection of furniture and decorations for your home at affordable prices. The only issue I have come across is finding a computer desk. Home Center didn't have a very large variety and most of their stuff was in white which does not go with the wood in my house. Then at The Home Store, they were completely out of desks all together. So, I ended up buying a small dining room table that was on sale. It will do just fine paired with a book shelf.

On the topic of car rentals, I rented my car from Adaliya Car Rental. They are great to work with, very accommodating and you can't beat their prices. I am renting a Toyota Yaris, 2013 model, for BD 160 a month. They even dropped it off at my house. Their cars aren't luxurious but do the job for a good price.

I also found the good sports stores. Sun and Sand Sports offers a wide range of athletic gear but is a little pricey on their clothing. I also found Skate Shack which offers our extreme sports gear like kayaks, kite surfs, wakeboards and bikes. They are also pricey but good quality.

My next adventure is to find a good salon/spa that doesn't cost a small fortune. I just want to find a clean place that I can go pamper myself from time to time.

So far that is what I have explored here. I am off to Alosra, another grocery store, now.

Catch you laters!!!! xoxo

It's been a while!

Hello everyone!

So sorry for the long delay in posts. Call me superstitious but I didn't want to post anything during the move and the weeks leading up to the move in order to not jinx myself.

I am glad to announce that we are living in Bahrain! I arrived last Wednesday and the dogs followed on Thursday! They love it here! The atmosphere is just so healthy for them. They sit in the yard for hours even when it is super hot.

We live in the floating city on the Amwaj Island and it is a dream! I can't believe I am still in the Middle East! People are running, kayaking, biking and so much more everyday here. I can wear shorts and my bikini without an issue. Oh and I don't have people barking at my dogs. I don't know why people do that in Kuwait but it really gets on my nerves. The people are great here as well. So friendly. 

I don't have a car yet but Indiana bought me a bicycle and I can bike around Amwaj to the grocery stores and most importantly STARBUCKS!!! Can't live without my coffee. 

Now the last step is to get our stuff in boxes sent over so I can put our personal touch in the house. Luckily the furniture in our place is really nice and not over the top. 

Well I must go clean the kitchen! I will keep you posted on all our new adventures plus reviews on places we go! 

Bye bye for now! Xoxo

I'm Back!!!!!

Hello readers!!

Sorry for my long absence but I have had so much going on. While we were in South Africa I rarely had good enough internet connection for long enough to update you all! I have been back in Kuwait for almost two weeks now while Indiana has started working in Saudi. Of course due to Ramadan, it is taking forever to get his residency. As usual the guy who issues the residency or whatever left a week early for Eid holiday. As is getting over a week off isn't enough, they always have to take more time. Nothing is ever good enough for some people. So now, Indiana and I have to wait till after the Eid holidays for him to get his residency. Once he gets his residency, he can go rent out new home in Bahrain and I can make arrangements for the dogs and I. It is super lonely without him. If you don't already realize, Indiana is my best friend and my husband so naturally being apart is torture. Well all we can do is wait and see.

Our trip to South Africa was great. We saw all of my husbands extended family and saw some beautiful places. The food is fantastic!!! I gained sooo much weight for the two weeks we were there. We had a blast. One of my favorite things we did was when we went to the Lion park and got to drive by huge lions! We also did the lion cub interaction and oh my word that was heaven. They play just like cats only are much larger!! It was so surreal. Even though they were cubs there were bigger than my dog who is not so small.

Indiana and I spent some much needed time together with family and friends. I really love South Africa. It is just a shame how much crime and corruption there is. I could never live behind and electric fence. I know you get used to it but I come from a neighborhood where we don't even have fences in our front yard much less and electric fence. I also don't want to live looking over my shoulder and keeping my handbag so tight around me. I like feeling free and safe. I hope it gets better one day. I want my future children to know where they are from. Who knows, life has a funny way of working itself out.

The boat and jet ski are waiting for us in Bahrain but that turned into a nightmare. Both Kuwait and Bahrain want the original documents for the de registration and so forth of the boat and jet ski. So they got stuck in Bahrain customs and we got fined. It is just ridiculous and the shipping company wasn't of much use either. You would think a company offering a service would know the procedures as well. But I guess common sense is asking to much. I don't think we will be using that company again so please ignore my previous praise. Well they still need to ship our personal items to Bahrain once we get there so I will let you know if they can do that without hiccups. Of course Indiana can't come visit seeing as he doesn't have residency and he happens to be in the most difficult place to get a visa for. I can't even get a visa for Saudi because well it s Saudi and women are property. So Indiana would have to apply for my visa however he cant even do that without a residency. Life can really be cruel sometimes. Oh well, we just have to roll with the punches I guess. Well lets see if anything interesting happens in the next couple days.

 Sleepy lion...so beautiful

 This guy is one of the rare White Lions and the man himself that starred in the movie the White Lion. 

 These two were just so much fun

 The North Face carries us through all of our adventures.

This is the lovely river we walked to from one of the farms and just hung out for a while enjoying the beautiful scenery!!!! 

I will catch you guys later!!!! Hope you enjoyed my update!!! 

See you later! xoxo

South Africa Bound!

Well we wrapped up all we needed to here in Kuwait. Our boat and jet ski are in Bahrain waiting for us. All of our boxes are sitting in a warehouse waiting for the go ahead to ship. Indiana's residency has been canceled. Now in two hours, we will be on our way to South Africa!!! We are going so Indiana can do his medical to get his residency on Saudi because that is actually where he will be working. But we are excited to make the best of it and go see family that we haven't seen in a while. Wifi will be limited but once I am back in Kuwait I will post some pics and share my adventures! 

Bon voyage!! Xoxo

An Empty Space

As I walk through the place we once called home I feel a pinch of sadness rush through my body. Though it is is the midst of summer I feel chills run through my body as I make the last few rounds to make sure we haven't forgotten anything. I look at these empty rooms that are no longer filled with furniture and love. The only evidence that people once lived here are nails in the walls. Nails in which will soon be taken out in preparation for the new tenants. It is hard saying goodbye to a place we spent so much time and effort on. It is hard to say goodbye to a life you once lived. Now we will be leaving this place for the next people to come in and call it home. 

One thing I have learned is that home truly is where your heart is. I know that we will walk into our new place in Bahrain and stare at those plain walls and get started again. It takes love to turn a house into a home. So we will begin our new journey in due time. We will fill our new place with hopes and dreams once again. Further down our timeline of life I know we will too walk through that place doing our last rounds and feel the same tinge of pain. Only the next time we will do this will be because we will have finally reached our end goal. All of the time, love, patience, effort and hard work will be because we will finally be making our move back to the states into a home that is truly ours. It will be in a house that we own. A house that our future children will grow up in. A house that Indiana and I will grow old in. It will be the home that when we are old and grey we will look around and be proud of. We will remember our life in the Middle East and reminisce all the countless moves we made and smile. We will smile because our life will have been filled with color.

This move has been tough but we have kept a positive outlook because it is proof that we are progressing. It is proof that we are one step closer to our ultimate goal. A goal in which we will have earned more than we can even now imagine. 

So I say goodbye to my long stint in Kuwait and hello to a new adventure. I know everything will work out in the end because my true home lays in the heart of the man that stands beside me. This strong man that I have given my whole heart to is where I feel safe. That is the true meaning of home. 

I am lucky and I never take my life for granted as each day passes. 

Take care for now. Xoxo

Ribs and Rumps- A must try!

Goeie Middag! (Good evening in Afrikaans) :)
Tonight Indiana and I went to Ribs and Rumps for our second go at the restaurant. Both times was a big success. Both times I have gotten their Fillet cooked medium. I am a big steak person and must say that this has become my favorite steak place here in Kuwait. Their selection is great and the service is impeccable.
It is a South African restaurant and I am happy to say it is also equipped with South African chefs.
My steak was amazing and so was Indiana's.
We did have one little mishap however. We ordered their white fish cooked in batter appetizer thinking it would be pieces of fish fried and served with a dip of some sort. However, it was tiny local fish with their heads still on fried and served like that. I did try it, not my favorite. It is also not appeasing to the eye to have the heads still on. My only criticism is to include a description of that on the menu. I felt bad wasting the food but I certainly wasn't going to eat it.
If you happen to be a Saffer, they have boerewors and boereworse rolls with the proper red relish. It is delicious. Their mixed grill is also on par.
If I had to give an rating I would give the place a 9 out of 10. The steak is a 10/10 by far. The menu would be a 9/10 (more description needed). The service would be a 10/10. The ambiance would also be a 10/10.

The prices are reasonable. It is more on the expensive side, as steak places are, but worth every fil. We ordered drinks, a fillet, a rib eye, two extra sides and three sauces bringing us to a total of KD 26.500.

If we were staying here this would definitely turn into our date night place of choice. Now that I am properly full, I am going to retire to a blissful slumber.

My delicious fillet cooked medium!

The white fish cooked in batter appetizer (notice the heads...eww)

OH on a side note, Indiana, my mom in law, and I will be on our way to South Africa next week!!! Things are really coming together! I can not wait to eat good food!!!! 

Totsiens!!! xoxo

2 for 1

Hello All!!!!
Our spirits have been lifted seeing as things are finally moving in our favor. We finally got our deregistration papers from the ministry. However, I must say, do not hire a mandoub here to do this process. Usually we use mandoubs for car registrations, visas and even re registering our boat's registration. For this process, there really is no need. You will have to be directed to 700 different rooms before you reach the right one but take it from me, it is faster. Stay polite and keep a smile on your face and people will help. You still will have to wait if the people who need to sign the papers happen to not be at work but alas we got our papers. Now we have given them to the shipping agency and they do the rest of the work. By Sunday or Monday our boat will be on the way to Bahrain! Now Indiana can cancel his residency and hopefully by Thursday we will be on our way to South Africa for his medical and a little R&R. Packing up your life really is overwhelming but finally we can see a light at the end of the tunnel.

Now for my second topic of this post!!!!!! Mama Lita's Authentic Mexican Food!!! It is a restaurant in the Mahboula area. It is tiny and easy to miss because it is the size of a bakala. Do not let looks deceive you. I am from Texas, lets just say I like my Mexican food! I have not had a flauta in forever and I tell you, this place hit the spot. It is pretty cheap too. They have a wide range of traditional Mexican food. The best part is, when the ingredients finally make it to Kuwait, they will make TAMALES!!!! Oh how I miss tamales. This place is worth checking out. If you like Mexican food or food with flavor in general then you need to put this on the list.

Adios Amigos!!!!!!! xoxo