Thursday, April 29, 2010

The time has finally come

So I'm leaving for Riyadh in about 9 hours. These last few weeks have passed so quickly. Today was a last minute rush of errands, packing, pedicure, and a trip to the Somali Mini Mall to pick-up an abaya. Luckily I had my partner in crime, Jen, with me, and it was quite the experience. For those of you who don't know, an abaya is basically a black muumuu that covers all your girly parts, leaving much to the imagination. There are bedazzled abayas, brand name abayas, abayas of varied material. Oh and they must be black, which I'm pretty sure will feel amazing in 140 degree weather. So anyways, I settled on a very fashionable one (pictures to follow), but am quite convinced that I may end up tripping as I lost the arguement with the sales woman regarding the length.

I met up with my girls for one last Happy Hour at one of my favourite sushi places, and am currently drinking my last glass of freedom before heading to bed. My next post will be from inside the Kingdom. Fingers crossed for smooth flights and an upgrade to first class :)

Saturday, April 24, 2010

What a crazy week!!

This last week has blown by. I had my Seattle going-away party, which was great. Glad to have a chance to say goodbye to those I work with. I headed back up to Canada on Monday, to spend a week with my family, and deal with the dreaded situation of selling my car. Once my car sells I'll be able to breathe a deep sigh of relief. As it currently stands I'll be transferring the title into my daddio's name, and he'll be dealing with selling it while I'm gone. Fingers crossed that he makes a good used car salesman!!! I think I'll make a side trip to Value Village to buy him a snazzy beige suit to compete the look since he's already rocking a mustache.

It's really nice being back home, and really hard to believe that I may not be back for a whole year. I'm trying to fit in face to face time with all the faces I will miss, but mostly I'm just relaxing, and trying to cross things off my "to do" list. Oh, and also trying to fit in as much pork and alcohol as I can, since both are "illegal" once I get to the Kingdom. I got my e-tickets, and am now leaving Seattle on Friday the 30th, a day late, but with better connections. 6 days and counting.......

Thursday, April 15, 2010

Last day of work

Today was my last day at work. I really felt like this day might never come, and now it has already passed. I will of course miss the many great people I worked with, but am looking forward to moving on and starting my new job. Kinda funny- a little before my shift was over I decided to make one last visit to the staffing office and a last check of my mailbox. Mailbox name plate gone....no longer my mailbox. I wasn't even officially done working yet. I still had 2 more hours to go. I hope this isn't any indication of how much they will miss me! Luckily Jen took me out for a Congratulations/ Resignation dinner. Thanks Jen!!

Sunday, April 11, 2010

So I'm really actually leaving!!!

I'm totally new to the world of blogging, and its a lot harder than I thought it would be. I stewed over what to name this blog for what seems like months now. My personal favourite was "In the Land of Camel Toes" but was pretty sure there was no way my Dad would type that in to his computer, or think that it was as funny as I do, so I opted for a more PG title.

This move has been in the works since the fall, and it has been a long and frustrating process. Saudi Arabia is not an easy country to get a visa for. There is a small mountain of paper work to be completed, and an extensive medical screening. I have never needed to take a pregnancy test, or have a pap smear required for a job......until now. The good news is that I'm free of communicable diseases, the bad news, I lost a unit of blood for all the tests they needed. Next came the actual visa process. I was supposed to leave on Feb 4th, but after the 1st application was lost I am officially leaving April 29th!!! Just around the corner!!

It is always interesting the response I get when I tell people that I am freely moving to Saudi Arabia. It goes only one of 2 ways- either a look of complete horror and disbelief, or genuine excitement. I am very excited to start this new adventure, however; I am not naive about this. I fully expect each day to be a challenge, especially as a western woman. I do not agree with the restrictions for women there, but I am going for the experience. To live in a country that I know very little about, to learn a new language, pay off some debt and to travel. I expect that this experience will change who I am, and how I view the world. As with any travel, it will make me more appreciative of where I came from, the luxuries I have, and the way I was raised.

So here's the start of my journey. My to-do list is getting a little out of hand, but I can now cross "start my blog" off the list! I only have 2 shifts left at work, and the countdown is really on. More soon...