And just like that, it was gone.  Summer in Saudi was both excruciatingly long and short at the same time.  Every day seemed to drone on with monotony.  At the same time, because we didn’t go anywhere, it felt like we didn’t get a break.  As school is beginning, it felt lie we never left.  As a result, the start of this school year leaves us feeling not as refreshed as we are used to.

The Dog days

In continuation of Part 1 of the summer, the Pandemic has halted any chance at a normal summer.  However, as the numbers have decreased here, we have ventured out a bit more. When I say ‘we’ I mean me and Simon.  Our key has been to pick only times that we know places won’t be busy.  That way, we can avoid people as much as possible. (While the country as a whole has done well, Saudis aren’t the best at social distancing).  The good thing is, Simon doesn’t mind wearing a mask and gloves, so it makes things much easier!

Simon and I go shopping together, and we have found a great place ‘off the beaten path’ for treats called Monroe coffee. The coffee is good, the treats are tasty, and it is better than going to a Starbucks (although that is an option as well).  We also have gone a few times to Chuck E Cheese.  We make sure to go first thing in the morning so we know everything has been sanitized and there is usually no one there.

Join up and trek with us!

Join our mailing list to learn all of the latest news and info.

Trek with us!

You have Successfully Subscribed!

Birthdays

We celebrated two birthdays in our family.  Simon had his 5th birthday in July and Lindsey had her birthday in August. (Note: for my own safety, I have purposely left out the age of my wife!)

Simon had a pool party with a few friends.  We decided to do nothing over the top.  Pizza, cake and ice cream, presents, and swimming.  We started at 10:00 am and were done just a little after Noon.  Nothing too fancy but something fun for all.  The best part, besides seeing friends again, was the cake that we got Simon.  Of course, it had to be Spider-Man!

Lindsey also celebrated her birthday.  She was treated to a birthday in bed.  French Toast Casserole that Simon and I made courtesy of our Instant Pot.

Future trips?

International borders are still closed to flights in and out of Saudi Arabia.  Even the causeway to Bahrain is closed to non-commercial traffic which means for the time being we are stuck.  All future trips have been put on hold, but at least we have a few thousand in KLM vouchers should we ever get the chance.

We are thinking about taking advantage of being here to explore Saudi a bit more.  It may be difficult with a baby, but we do have an interest in going to Al Ula (also known as Madain Salah) For lack of a better term, this is like the Saudi Petra since both were created by the Nabateans.  Maybe Christmas or Spring Break will be a good time to go. We shall see what treks await us.