We have officially been in Kuwait City now for about a week, and it doesn’t really seem real yet that this is our permanent residence for the next 2 years!  It still seems like we are just here on vacation, and will be back in Minnesota in the next week or so. Before we departed the States, we talked about each of us doing a blog post about what we will miss most about living there. Well, I apparently came up with a good enough excuse not to complete my part of that post. So instead, I’ve decided to do a quick version of what I miss thus far since we have been in Kuwait.

 

 

 

I cannot begin to describe how freaking hot it is here in Kuwait City!  The temperatures that last few days have ranged from about 109-119 degrees Fahrenheit. Frankly though, anything over 90 degrees to a Minnesotan is unbearably hot. Before we left, we joked with friends that it was a “dry heat” in Kuwait. However when we arrived to the airport, the members of the school who were there to greet us, informed everyone that a wave of humidity moved into the area and it would be a few days before it moved out. Lucky for us, the temperature Gods provided a little welcome gift for us! Regardless of the humidity, it is smoking hot here. The other day there was a slight breeze off of the Gulf, and it was not pleasant like one would think. It felt like when you are sitting in a sauna and someone blows a small stream of hot air at you, but instead it was over your entire body!

 

 

 

From the color of the buildings to the ground, everything in Kuwait is brown.  In kind of reminds me of some of the new residential neighborhoods in the suburbs of Minnesota, where all of the houses are one of three shades of tan. It’s hard here to tell the taxi driver, “drive down the street, and my house is the brown one on the left,” because everything is brown! There are a few palm trees and other green plants around some of the neighborhoods and freeways, but they are far and few between.  At the school though, we are lucky enough to have 3 beautiful outdoor courtyards. They are covered with trees, bushes, vines and other lush green plants and foliage. It is a great place to have lunch or just gather to enjoy the colors.

 

 

 

I never thought I would be the kind of guy who would admit that they miss their iPhone, but I officially think I have become one. A few days before we left the States, my phone was shut off, so I have gone about a week and a half without it. I don’t miss the access to email, Facebook, or Twitter, but rather the ability of having a map showing my location or the internet accessibility to find the answer to a simple question. As soon as Rachel gets her Civilian ID in October, we will be able to get a cell phone package with iPhones.

 

 

 

 

More than missing the ability to drink booze, I miss drinking Mountain Dew even more! A couple of times a week, usually about 3pm in the afternoon when I would hit a wall, a 12 oz can of Mountain Dew is all I needed to perk up for the rest of the night. The thought of its refreshing taste and carbonation is making my mouth water as I type this. Multiple times over the years, I have tried giving up pop with zero success, however maybe this trip to Kuwait is all I need to make it a reality.

 

 

 

It has to be a given, that I miss our family and friends. We have been able to connect with a few people over FaceTime so far, but its definitely not the same as a face-to-face conversation, or the simplicity of sending a quick text message. Wherever we are in the world, we will miss them dearly, however knowing that they support our decision to move overseas, we feel their love wherever we are!