Workday! I love working at the yoga studio, getting everything set up, seeing all of the students and the teachers, going through all of the tasks with intention, leaving the space ready for the next person to come in and do it all over again. I am thankful that my friend Anne put together such a fantastic system that allows me to be productive and helpful! Today I decided to be mindful of how I manage my emotions – if something wasn’t left as I expected, if the classes are letting out later than I expected, if questions arise that take me out of my set expectations, I did this because last week when things weren’t going as I expected it was obvious in my outside body and since Mike was taking a class, he read my emotions because they were clearly outside of my mind and interpreted them. Turns out he interpreted them wrong from how I was feeling inside but from how he was feeling. That was a powerful example for me to be mindful of how I let my thoughts turn into a physical reaction that others can ‘read’. Fast forward to this Saturday, which had lots of expectations unmet, I said one thing to Mike when I noticed ‘one thing’ but as they continued to build, I kept them to myself and handled them appropriately. Later I asked Mike “when you got out of class, could you tell I was annoyed?” to which he responded “No!” Yalllaaaahhhh I did it, now the task is to continue. Peace Begins With Me.
I was invited to attend a Galentine’s event with 3 of my friends – I love that we have been friends since our kids were in kindergarten, I think it’s been 22 years now – being held at a venue I pass on my way home from work. I said that I could “stop in” well, two hours later I left with some local ‘salves and balms’ I love a nice balm – I got one for my throat chakra (communication), a refreshing hand cream (since my hands were so dry from washing at work) when I used a sample it actually did refresh my skin, and two itchy sticks to give as gifts. There was another local vendor who handmade earrings so I got a pair for myself and one pair for each of my girls. I sat and visited with my friends, saw an old coworker from GEICO – I was talking about my dad when I saw my coworker from across the room – who used to work for him! I jumped up and gave her a big hug – I love how in this picture my hand is blurry because when I hug, I rub! HAHA! I’m not a fan of my own profile but I am a fan of hugging my friends. Bye for now!
Woke up early without my alarm, waited to see if I was awake or if I was going to fall back asleep… time to get up! Fridays I don’t have work work, because I leave it open in case I’m needed to help with my dad and today I was needed! I thought about the monks when I woke up, hoped they had a nice night’s rest in Spotsylvania and were feeling good to walk yet another day! Timing… I needed to be at my dad’s by 10:30am, the monks were leaving their rest spot early, I had to pass by where they were crossing… so I left at 8, found a spot to park and stay warm. I watched Google Maps to see where the “congestion” (red) was, waited until I saw the police cars driving slowly and I got out in time to walk to the side of Lafayette Blvd, crouch down to my knees in the snow and look them all in the eye and thank them as they walked by. Yesterday I had on my sunglasses but not today – it was wonderful to see them all again. Venerable monk and walk leader (and Aloka the Peace Dog’s human) Bhikkhu Pannakara looked at me, said what sounded like ‘thank you mam’ and handed me a bouquet of some of his flowers. After they were past, I looked around at the couple of people who were standing with me and just said “oh my gosh! would any of you like some of the flowers?” and I handed them out. I kept an orange rose and I’m drying it out by pressing it in my National Geographic wildlife images book from my sister in law, Carly and would love to put it in my Awakening the Mind, Lightening the Heart book which my brother in law (Carly and Mike’s brother) Chris gave me.
Then off to my dad’s, not the best visit – couldn’t get him to get changed so we could go get our pizza, no matter how much I assured him, or tried to show him the schmutz on his sweater, he didn’t believe that his sweater needed to be changed. Tamam – keep your sweater on! LOL. It was unusual that he didn’t sing when I put on the Jammin with DRWD playlist, but he did say “Ah Steppenwolf, that was my………” to which I finished his sentence with “CB handle” when Born to Be Wild came on LOLOL. Couldn’t find appropriate parking at the pizza place so I went in, ordered two slices to go and went back to the car to wait with him, we had pizza at home. He remained agitated, but I could hear him laughing to himself occasionally. I’ll look for tips on how to get him to change out of his sweater for future visits. Forgot to post this on the 6th, posting it now. Bye for now!
I love driving to my dad’s in the winter, along one stretch of road just over the railroad tracks, there are so many birds. In the sky are big, separate flocks of Canada Geese flying in formation, almost looking in silhouette because of the high cold clouds with the sun shining through – remember this. When I was in Jordan I would say that to myself all the time “remember this moment, remember what this looks like, remember how this is making you feel” everything was so new and real, I’ve been saying it to myself more now (than I ever did before living in Jordan) that I’m back home but especially because my dad ‘doesn’t remember’.
My memory is not THAT GREAT, it isn’t that I have a memory problem I just live in the moment. I consider my lack of a strong chronological memory evidence that I don’t dwell on the past, but I do like to remember times with my family when we were all together in New York. My sisters being little, our dog Madchen, my mom and dad being our parents together. It is sad sometimes to know that my dad doesn’t remember that time of his life. He thinks of his children as young ,but doesn’t quite connect himself to me in the present, as my dad. He does answer when I say “hey dad…” he’s been a dad for 58 years, I guess you can’t forget that. It is my worst fear, to forget that I’m married to Mike or to forget that I’m a mom ugh that is terrible. Being a mom has been the best thing I’ve ever done. We had a nice visit, like we always do. He’s typically withdrawn when I get there, sitting in his spot, quietly, listening to music with Shirley tidying and catching me up on their goings on. We eventually start joking around, today I told him about the documentaries I watched last week while Mike was on a short tour. Ed Sullivan, Led Zeppelin, WHAM!, Eddie Murphy – I’d tell him a little bit of what I learned about the people and it usually sparks something in him and leads to a little discussion. Not all of it makes complete sense, or is even true (if you have a loved one with dementia you know what I’m talking about) and a lot of times he is so eloquent – what did he say today… “now, how am I going to word this…” I love when he pulls out phrases like that. He made a couple of jovial digs, laughing when the song “You Talk Too Much” came on. He stood up as I was leaving which was nice, as sometimes I have to encourage him to get up, stretch and give me a proper goodbye. Today, we had a big hug and said goodbye to each other, I told him I would see him in 2 days. When Shirley came into the room with something for him he was distracted with that for a moment and he said to me “oh you’re leaving?” and I said “yeah Dad but I’ll be back on Friday and we can go get a slice of pizza” and he said “pizza sounds good” then he opened his arms up for a hug… so in this case, I was glad that he’d forgotten he’d already hugged me and said goodbye. I hope I see the monks tomorrow. Bye for now!
I loved seeing the large crowd that walked behind the Buddhist monks into downtown Richmond yesterday! It had to have been the largest crowd of their trek, I’ll need to look up some stats! Couple more days til they are here in Fredericksburg. Our new governor Abigail Spanberger declared February 2nd as Peace Day in Virginia. Wow, do I love that, makes me tear up.
One of my prized treasures is my Oma’s laughing buddha – after she passed away this is one of the items of hers that I kept. I never asked her about it, why she had it, where she got it – I guess I’ll never know but now it is mine and I have it up as high as it can go on my fireplace mantle and facing my front door. He was a jolly Chinese monk named Budai, I did a quick search on him.
Happiness & Contentment: His constant laughter signifies joy and finding happiness in the present. Abundance & Wealth: His large belly and sack symbolize endless giving and prosperity. Good Fortune: He brings positive energy, wealth, and blessings, making him popular in Feng Shui.
When the monks are in DC they are going to ask Congress to make Buddha’s birthday a holiday in the US. I’ll be curious to see how that goes. I’ve been thinking about the time that Jillian told her art class that she was a Buddhist when they were discussing religion while they worked, she was in 3rd or 4th grade. Her art teacher sent me a note to let me know it caused quite a stir “the kids were telling her that she was going to go to hell!” She wanted me to know in case it upset Jillian that they said that. I don’t remember that it did but I do remember when she was a senior, one of those kids told me that he couldn’t believe he said that to her and it bothered him that he did. I told him that he was only saying what he believed to be true at that time and that we didn’t ever think badly of him or the other kids. Jillian said she didn’t even know why she said that, she remembered me saying that if I related to anything it would be Buddhism since I believe living things deserve a chance, that humans aren’t the only living ‘things’ on this planet. I eat a vegetarian diet, I take bugs outside, I’m thankful… I couldn’t walk 2300 miles for peace but I do try to be mindful and compassionate in my day to day life. Peace.Begins.With.Me! Bye for now!
The moon was so bright last night that my yard looked magical. Today after stuffing myself into my yoga pants, taking my first yoga class since November and then doing sauna and cold plunge, Mike and I worked on the ice on our driveway. We were able to get a lot done and tonight the magic will be gone, covered by chunks of ice that we threw from the driveway and into the yard. My Oura ring clocked that I got into Zone 4 – I really need to focus on getting my heart rate up this year. I would be so happy to get my cardiovascular age down, right now my ring says it is 3 years younger than my actual age. I don’t even know what ‘age’ I want it to be, maybe I’ll shoot for 5 years younger.
The Venerable Monks are walking 2,300 miles for peace and today is day 100, stopping in Richmond. They will be here in Fredericksburg on Thursday. I work until 2pm, I hope that I get to see them and Aloka the Peace dog. They are walking from Ft. Worth Texas to Washington DC, on schedule to complete their walk on Feburary 10 or 11. May the monks and all beings be well, happy and at peace. Bye for now!
February 1: I’ve decided that this year I will utilize my DiForYou blog since I’m not active on Facebook and noticed that I don’t post much on Instagram anymore either. I really loved Instagram but now it is another place for consumerism which I really hate. I also don’t like wasting money and I pay for this so might as well use it for something! 🙂
Letting those of you who subscribed to DiForYou know that I’ll likely still document travels here – we are going to Vietnam in the spring – but it might end up mostly as a diary of things going on in my life, accompanied by photos. I will publish without emailing subscribers (after this post) because my goal is to write often and I don’t think it is going to be that interesting for a reader, but feel free to check in. I have a few plans for the upcoming Year of the Horse and I want a place where I can look back. Could be a little much, but maybe a Di(A Day)ForYou post is what I’ll strive for. I’ve always enjoyed viewing projects where an artist does a painting a day or a photographer takes a photos of something for 365 days to see how it changes, I did something like that a few years back and took a picture a day of a tree in my yard as it got it’s leaves in the spring. Not sure if I will change much this year, but I hope I do and maybe it will show in my writing. Bye for now!
I started this blog three years ago to document a time in my life that I wanted to share with my family and friends as I embarked on an adventure. I wasn’t as disciplined as I thought I might be but that’s okay, when it comes to hobbies I don’t really have discipline I guess, I’m more loosy goosy – I write when I feel like it just like I paint when I feel like it.
Anyhoo… enough about my shortcomings of not keeping up with my blog as often as I’d set out to and get this final chapter written about my beautiful life in Jordan.
March 2021: Picking up chronologically from my last post where Will visited us and I mentioned that I was hospitalized. I have a condition called diverticulosis, I know this because I’d had a diverticulitis attack about 8 years ago and found out that it isn’t a condition that goes away, you just do your best to keep inflammation at bay so it doesn’t happen again. Fast forward to March 2021 in Jordan and it happened again and it was bad. In retrospect, I know what I was and wasn’t doing, specifically not listening to my body at all, which isn’t like me. My left side had been aching and burning for a few weeks at that point but on this particular Saturday, while in the first few raw days of grieving Finn, I just wanted to get out of the apartment for our ‘one day a week of freedom’. Our plans were to show Will the splendor of Wadi Rum – one of our favorite places in the world. Not feeling well in the general sense when I woke up, I took my temperature and told Mike that I was running a low grade fever and was going to walk two blocks to the pharmacy to get Tylenol. While I was walking, I could feel with each step of my left foot that there was a sensation on my side that I’d never felt before, I was also feeling dizzy as I walked back to the apartment but for some dumb reason kept telling myself that I was okay – until I made it up our one flight of stairs with no energy and realized I had to come clean and tell Mike exactly how I was feeling, there was no way I could walk for miles in literally the middle of nowhere. He had me call the Embassy doctor right away who sent us straight to the emergency room. At this point, we’d had our first COVID vaccine shot and were on schedule to get our eagerly awaited second one the following week. At the hospital we were whisked to the CT scan and back to the waiting room where shortly thereafter we were told that I was going to be admitted due to Complicated Diverticulitis with perforations, which is the even more serious form of diverticulosis. I burst into tears and told the doctor “but I’m supposed to get my second vaccine dose on Monday” and he said “I’m sorry but you’ll most likely be here on Monday, longer if you need surgery”. I’m so thankful Mike was there and reassured me that he would find out if the Embassy could save my vaccine for me (spoiler, they did have some extra and I was able to get my second dose once I was discharged) and we quietly reeled at the mention of surgery (spoiler, I didn’t need it). My stress level only went up, admitted to the hospital in a foreign country with a severe infection, during a surge in COVID in Jordan, with a guest visiting and just 5 days after Finn passed away. After a rocky start due to language issues, a little panic attack that felt good to get out, and lots of quiet time, I was the best patient who followed all doctors orders, looked out the window at the busy street below, listened to songs that Jillian would send to me and colored. I left Abdali Hospital after 4 days with a bouquet of gorgeous flowers from my work team and strict diet to follow with the support of my doctor and his intern who was studying to be a nutritionist and excited that I was her first patient.
TBH the liquid diet was good!Calming environment.I was captivated by this big hole.Yay – solid food!
After six weeks of a low fiber/low residue diet – which was very hard for me – I saw my doc, had my follow up “test”, given the ALL CLEAR and moved on to a high fiber diet and back in business. I will never ignore what my body is telling me again! I’m listening ol girl, I got you!
April 2021: What does a fully vaccinated couple living in one of the strictest COVID lockdowns, post hospital stay, who haven’t seen their daughters in a year and four months, and with a guest visiting from the US, decide to do this month? If you guessed “travel to the Maldives!” you’d be right! Taking advantage of the fact that Will was working during the day and could house and cat sit for us, Mike booked us an amazing stay at the Hard Rock Resort. Wearing our summer wardrobe and most importantly, NO MASKS, we enjoyed a part of the world I’d only dreamed I’d ever get to visit. Lots of sea life, snorkeling, kayaking, walking, listening to the live band and chatting with the amazing resort staff made the trip so memorable for me. Having to watch my diet was a bit of a bummer but I was able to eat all the delicious low fiber foods and drink bubbly to my hearts delight.
After a flight from Amman – Dubai – Male and then a 30 minute boat trip to our island plus a golf cart ride to our resort, we got our first view of the cottages!Room with a view!Our backyard!Just wow!
I was really impressed by how ecologically friendly the resort was, it has to be self sustainable because as we learned, the archipelago’s waste practice is to burn trash so of the occupied islands – they burn what they don’t reuse. On the boat ride over I noticed an island with smoke coming off of it and thought maybe it was a smoldering volcano or something, but a day later from our resort I realized I could still see the smoke and looked up what it was. Turns out, it is an island called Thilafushi entirely devoted to the main island/capital city Male’s trash! And by trash I mean everything, plastic, appliances, discarded food. I was pretty shocked to learn that it has been burning NON STOP for like 30 years! That toxic smoke going up into the atmosphere! Blowing back to the city from whence it came! UUUGGGHHHH!
25 minute documentary if you are curious…Goodbye beautiful Maldives!
May 2021: Back to Jordan, back to work for my final month! With the evening and Friday lockdowns eased we were able to get out and do a little more. For Mike and I that meant more time at the pool, walking and going to our favorite restaurants. Two of my walking ladies and I spent a long weekend at the Ma’in Hot Springs Resort and Spa, a place that had been on my list to see in Jordan! It wasn’t crowded or super-ready for visitors but we just enjoyed being together as everyone’s time in Jordan was soon coming to an end.
MapDead Sea from on high.
June 2021: After almost two years (shy by one month) my last day at USAID Jordan on the Education and Youth Team came to pass. It is so strange to think that I only worked physically in the Embassy with my team from late July 2019 – early March 2020 and from then on, it was all remote work. But despite that, we remained a super tight-knit group who worked and played well together.
❤
With the girls and JB (Jillie’s boyfriend) all booked for their visit, I had a week between my last day of work and their arrival. My ever adventurous friend Margaret, who is now living in Zimbabwe, had her summer vacation planned and wanted to know if Mikela and I could meet her somewhere out in the world. At that point COVID numbers were stable in some places and travel between countries was opening up. Turkey was one of the locations that would take us all in and turns out, one of Mikela’s good friends was also going to be traveling there so we booked Istanbul! What an absolutely fabulous trip this turned out to be…
A year late and with an additional traveller, Dianne and Mike finally get to see their daughters Amelia and Jillian! HURRAY! In a time when many families around the world were kept apart, we felt super thankful to be able to get the girls over so that we could take them on a literal whirlwind tour of everything they hadn’t had a chance to see yet. Getting them up and out into the sun is the best thing for jet lag so we started close and visited the Citadel and Roman Theater in Amman and then stopped off at the Dagger Man where Zayid taught Amelia how to engrave a blade!
Exploring the Citadel
Finally, the trip that the girls had been waiting for – to Petra!
Sisters at the Treasury!JB and Jillian at the Great TempleThe structure at the top of this photo – the Great Temple – is where I took the picture of Jillie and JB from above. Mike, Jillie and JB are sitting at the lower right of this photo. The Petra site is big!The tombs.Me taking a break in the shade at the tombs.
From Petra we spent the night at the Red Sea, even though they were tired and not feeling 100% Amelia, Jillian and JB enjoyed every moment of the private pool that we somehow had the good fortune of being taken to. Mike and I asked someone where we could get some towels and next thing we knew we were at our own pool! Love that Jordanian hospitality!
Next stop, the creme de la creme – Wadi Rum!
Stayed in the Martian Bubble TentsSunsetI am zoomed in like 1000x so sorry for the low quality, but while we were waiting for dinner we watched as the man in the photo tried to (and obviously did) catch this baby wolf! One of the other guests explained to us that the mother wolf died and the bedouins wanted to keep the pups safe until they were old enough to fend for themselves.
Took some chill days in Amman, spent time at the pool, the Royal Automobile Museum and a puppy puddle at Carakale Brewery.
Downtown Amman Jordan
Next stops – the city founded by Alexander the Great, Jerash and then since we’re up there, a side jaunt to Ajloun Castle!
We walked far. Ajloun Castle lookout!
Next day next stop…Dead Sea for the day! I didn’t track how far we’d walked over the last week but spending a day at the Dead Sea at the Marriott Resort was just what we needed. We spent our time hanging out at the pool, having lunch, floating in the sea and Jillian and JB went to the spa.
They float!Happy hour on our roof!The best sunsets up here.
We kept at it, for their final day in Jordan we had breakfast with my friend Luma and then off to Madaba to see the great mosaics! These three were the best travelers, so appreciative and fun to be with. LOVE THEM!
Part of the famous Madaba Map. The last picture of the trip!
July 2021: my days are running short, the kids are back in the US, my ticket is purchased and our pack out is scheduled!
Besties trip to Aqaba to eat breakfast lunch and dinner at the same restaurant LOL – JK we didn’t eat breakfast there. Had a blast saying goodbye to the Red Sea with Jen and Candi.Celebrating the 4th of July at the US Embassy one last time with my Mikela! A lunch for a king and the royal court, prepared by our friend Mustafa’s family for our family – except the kids weren’t here anymore! A misunderstanding that resulted in lots of leftovers to get us through the final days of my stay. The dish in the middle is Mansaf and is a traditional Jordanian dish. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MansafThe last day to myself – I went to Rainbow Street, got an Al Quds sandwich and visited the Soap Shop and Essa Farrah rug shop.The pack-out day, couldn’t have done it without Tessie. She was our housekeeper while we lived in Jordan and quickly became one of my many friends, here.
After the movers left, I visited the Embassy one last time to say goodbye to my team and to Luma. I never thought that I was going to make a best friend in Jordan, I imagined that I’d meet great people and that we’d keep in touch when we went our separate ways, but I really fell in love with my friend. We laugh at my first impression – I was nervous around her because she seemed so serious and no nonsense, and she thought I was an “I’m too busy” type because she had emailed me asking if I would be her language partner and I didn’t respond for weeks. Turns out, she was acting so serious because she had just joined the team and wanted to make a good impression and I wasn’t too busy for anyone – I’d gone on a three week vacation right after I’d joined USAID and had a bunch of email waiting for me when I returned. First impressions aren’t always right and certainly not in our case.
My going away gift from my habibti my Luma – a traditional Jordanian garment.I need to be packed up early – my flight was leaving the next day at 11. I sure was going to miss my little Jordanian souvenir, Iris and she was going to miss me, too.
That night we had a farewell at Biera, another one of our favorite places in Jordan with good food, delicious beer, amazing friends aaaaaaand a cake!
Final sunset!Saying goodbye to Jordan AND to Mike! 😦Saying goodbye to each other at Queen Alia Airport.
Mike – thank you for asking me if I wanted to pick up my life and move to Jordan, I am so glad I said yes. Leaving a piece of my heart behind, ma salama, beautiful Jordan.
Yes, this post is not current but it remains topical to me for a couple of reasons; 1. now there’s a third wave of COVID-19 restrictions happening around the world and 2. I am back in Jordan for a week after being gone for 5 months! Reviewing this July 2021 draft blog post from a hotel in Amman in December 2021 (3 years after I started my blog) solidifies for me that doing DiForYou was one of my proud accomplishments during a huge time of personal and professional growth in my life. Now onto some of the best and worst of Spring 2021 in Jordan. Some parts of the following post will be difficult for some readers as I talk about the loss of a beloved doggie. Some readers with diverticulitis might get sympathy pains, too. LOL. And away we go back in the time machine..
We began our final springtime in Jordan with a second wave of strict COVID-19 restrictions, our vaccinations, and our first visitor, Will. We had to be creative in our sightseeing because Friday lockdowns meant that we were not allowed out of our apartment from Thursdays at 7pm until Saturdays at 6am. It normally isn’t such a bad thing but when you want to share with someone a country as diverse and interesting as Jordan, it definitely hindered our ability to show off as much as we’d have liked to. Add to that the nightly curfew that began at 7pm, dining out for delicious Arabic cuisine was also impacted.
February 27,2021 ~ After COVID tests and quarantine were over, we took Will to the Amman Citadel and Roman Theater for his first outing. I love this photo he took of me and Mike under the gorgeous blue sky of Amman with the flag of Jordan flying over the Archeological Museum.
Look up!Will in action. Please check out his film scans of his shots of Jordan Will’s FLICKR
Then to our very favorite place for a late breakfast/early lunch, Khashouka. I’ve linked to the trip advisor page, if you come to Amman you need to have breakfast here!
So yummy.
March 6, 2021 ~ Another Saturday another outing, this time to the north to Karak Castle, the visibility was amazing and we could see the snow capped mountain in Syria. From Wikipedia – Kerak Castle is a large Crusader castle located in al-Karak, Jordan. It is one of the largest crusader castles in the Levant. Construction of the castle began in the 1140s, under Pagan and Fulk, King of Jerusalem.
Keeping watch MunitionsMajor zoom-in.
March 12, 2021 ~ trip to the Dead Sea. After a rainy night we got to see the sea muddied from the wadis up high that emptied in. It made the water discolored and choppy and not safe for floating but interesting, nonetheless.
Not a float, but still got to go in the Dead Sea. Mountains in Israel in the distance. Will lives in NYC, he was a long way from home but fit as if he’d been in Jordan with us the whole time. ❤️The sunsets here never fail.
March 13, 2021 ~ woke up to a beautiful day and a lovely drive over the mountains to get to Petra.
Beautiful salt flats along the Dead Sea highway en route to Petra.😂 my discovery.Will at The Treasury,Repping my Alma Mater. (Longwood College in my day)Catching a show at the theater.I really love the tombs.Up the TOMB(stones) for the Deceased fans 🤘🏻Last look at the Treasury in the shade.
WARNING: IM GOING TO WRITE A LITTLE ABOUT FINN HERE
March 15, 2021 ~ I made a reference in an earlier post that our Boston Terrier, Finn had gotten sick. He was really sick off and on from late November until around mid January and then we were on pins and needles with him. To make a long story short (I’m going to do a full post about it because I want to help other pet parents by sharing my experience) He had pancreatitis, kidney disease and high blood pressure. Once he was out of the hospital we managed his conditions at home, our vet was amazed at our dedication. We were able to enjoy more time with the boy we love and he got to enjoy his amazing life until his last moments in the early hours of March 15th.
So much ❤️ in one photo. (April 2019) Finn and Big Gene with their friends in Jordan.
March 20-24, 2021 ~ As we were getting ready for another Saturday trip I told Mike I didn’t feel right. I took my temperature and had a low grade fever. Yeah, I’d been having an ache in my left side for a while at that point but with all going on with Finn I wasn’t taking the best care of myself it seems. I do have diverticulosis and now they were angry and turned into diverticulitis- which is painful and sometimes dangerous if infected. It was a good thing the embassy dr told me to go to the ER as I had a bad infection and had to be admitted to the hospital. So thankful for Mike, Will, the drs and nurses. I had a bit of a recovery to go through after that but I’m happy to say, I’m taking good care of myself and feeling great. But quite an experience to be hospitalized overseas.
March 27, 2021 ~ Another Saturday another amazing Jordanian site to show Will, this time it’s Jerash.
Will atop the theater stadium.
We did normal stuff during his visit, like work a lot – Will was an intern on a USAID school construction project while he was here, order take out, watch reality TV shows, make drinks and popcorn. Mike and I used the opportunity to have Will house/cat sit and we went to the Maldives. I’ll write another post about that trip later. ☺️
Will the intern!Will the popcorn maker!
April 17, 2021 ~ I’m telling you, Wadi Rum is the reason to visit Jordan. It’s simply epic and different every time I’ve gone. This time was hazy and even more otherworldly, I’m so glad Will got to experience it! We drove down and back in a day, with our friend Jen along for the trip! Again, check out Will’s photos here https://www.flickr.com/photos/193431591@N06/ sooo good. And yes, you did recognize Wadi Rum in the movie Dune! 😍
SleddingWillMikeDianneMike and Jen having our Wadi lunch.Our perfect host ❤️
April 21, 2021 ~ visit to the Embassy to round out Will’s trip and he left on the 22nd to return to the US and start the job hunt (he was successful, of course!) I know he loved Jordan as much as we did and is planning to come back (just as I did, I’m just grinning looking at Amman out my hotel window as I write)
LegitA Smith tradition (when one of us remembers 😂) to get a Queen Alia airport goodbye shot.
Time to turn off Sirius XM Indie 1.0, mask up and head out into the gorgeous Amman day to see old friends. Thank you for sticking around during my writing hiatus. I have a lot to write about and will continue to do so… next on my list: the Maldives, Istanbul, Smith girls visit Jordan, leaving Jordan/returning to US, sister visits, DC with Michele, Rushmore Farm NY, and more. Bye for now.
Where were we in February 2020 just before the world closed down? We landed in Bangkok, taxi’d to our hotel and went right outside to the pool! Below is a quick photo blog of our trip! Thankful that my training for work ended up allowing me an opportunity to explore a little bit of Thailand.
The view behind our pool!Tuk Tuk from our taxi. On the way to see the Temples!
Reclining Buddha. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reclining_BuddhaReclining Buddha’s tootsies. Having dinner and walking around at Asiatique. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AsiatiqueAt Asiatique.Mike’s lunch at Chatuchak Market. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chatuchak_Weekend_MarketMy mango and rice treat at Chatuchak Market. We dined out a lot after I finished training for the day…I tried lots of beers!The view of our hotel and the pool from my training room in the high rise next door!Lots of motorbikes in Bangkok. Every night after my class ended we hit the streets.From the backseat of our tuk-tuk coming home from dinner.Moon rise.Wearing my Dragonfly Yoga shirt so… We loved going to Lumphini Park and walking around when we could. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lumphini_ParkOur view from our last meal in Bangkok.That last bit of a beautiful Bangkok sunset from the back of our taxi.
I’m going to be leaving Jordan soon (at the end of this week!) so I’ll be putting together a few more blog posts to wrap up my adventure, that’s how I realized I had this one from Bangkok pending! 🙂 Thanks for reading, by for now.
DiForYou 