So I thought that I would start to chronicle our summer here in Saudi.  As stated earlier, we have been forced to stay this summer in Saudi Arabia.  Our original flights have been canceled, and we are still awaiting our voucher from KLM.  Perhaps, it was a bit lucky because shortly after our flight cancellation, Saudi Arabia announced that it would not allow any expats back in the country until the end of the pandemic.  Not sure what that means for those caught outside the country!  As a result, we have had to make the best of this situation.

Summer Heat

Even if you haven’t spent a summer in Saudi Arabia, you can probably guess that you don’t want to spend a summer in Saudi Arabia.  Looking at the Weather Channel app, I see that the temperature is around 106-108 every day.  Coupled with the fact that we have mandatory masks in public places, it means that we don’t go out all that much.  The swimming pool has opened up at our compound, so we do go there every day for a couple of hours.  Simon always had a thing about putting his head in the water.  We tried to get swim googles but that still never really did the trick.  I picked up a cheap swim mask at a local shop (one that covers both the eyes and the nose) and now he practically lives underwater.  We are awaiting one of his presents (a better Cressi scuba mask) for his birthday.

In order to make this summer a bit more bearable, we have definitely ordered quite a bit online since shopping here has become more expensive with the increase in VAT (from 5-15%). One of our ‘go-to’ websites for some products is iHerb.  We get much of our toiletries and supplements there.  Another big service that we use has been Aramex’s Shop and Ship.  This allows us to have a US shipping address that they will then ship to Saudi Arabia for us.  We can order from Amazon, Kohl’s, or pretty much anywhere we shop in the US (we ordered some nice spices and teas a few months ago).  Family can also send us gifts for special occasions.  It has been a real luxury for us.

Professional Development

This summer has been a good time for professional development.  Many of the courses that we would have had to fly to are now available online.  I took a wonderful Service-Learning and Sustainability Summer Institute created by Serve Learn and Compass Education.  A lot of my work has been with the IB, so it was nice to broaden my horizons a little bit. I am currently reading The Learning Power Approach by Guy Claxton.  So far, so good!

Lindsey has focused her efforts on recertification.  Her state of Florida certification is up in June of 2021 so she is taking some CEUs (continuing educational units) in order to get everything sorted.  Maybe not as exciting, but not too taxing.

The Future?

Finally, there has been a lot of thought and discussion about our future.  I suppose there isn’t anything else to do! Before all of this pandemic stuff, we were probably 100% sure that the 2020-21 school year would be our last in Saudi Arabia.  Now, we are still probably 90% sure, but it has caused a bit of uncertainty.  Many international schools are suffering due to declining enrollment.  Even some fairly well known and respected schools in Asia have had to let teachers go.  This uncertainty makes any change potentially problematic.  Our plan is to keep all of our options open.  We have reactivated our accounts with Search Associates so at least now we can see what is out there and do some research.

Luckily, international school recruitment goes in waves.  Hiring starts in October/November and then there is a second wave in January/February.  Next, some European schools start to hire anywhere from January to May.  Finally, if all else fails, we can look at the US job market again.  Being financially secure has given us the option to not have to settle.

I have also thought about getting into the world of Financial Coaching.  So far, I have joined a Facebook group and ordered a book.  It is something that interests me.  Stay tuned!

Hope your summer is more exciting (or less) than ours.  Stay tuned for Episode 2 (maybe with more excitement?)

What are you doing with your summer?