Another One Done

Well, pour the celebratory coffee and get ready to cheers.  Why?  We just successfully completed the first day of school for the 2013-2014 academic year.  Minus Adam's sore throat, a lot of going over school policy, and consuming too many M&M's to count and Heidi's bruised shins, peed on pants (a student's pee ... not hers) and a hyperventilating teacher to talk off a ledge, we came home in one piece and with happy hearts. 

While this place we live continues to be a challenge (please send patience our way, Oh Great Spirit) we do really love our jobs and do believe that we made the best possible decision to join the ranks of teachers/educators around the world.  While we might be uncertain of the place, we are sure of our abilities to connect with youth and engage with them in their educational process.  That is what will carry us through the next 170 educational days (well that and the fact that our first trip is only about 40 days away).  2013-2014 ... here we go now.

"Hurry up and take the obligatory picture, Heidi.  It's 6:30 am and 103 degrees."  - Adam

Green Gold

Well, we're not in the great PNW anymore, Toto.  At this point in the summer, all of our family and friends are trying to figure out how to use the remainder of the zucchini that has taken over backyard gardens. They are searching through recipes with a scowl on their face in hopes of finding just one more way to cook the green beast. 

We, on the other hand, are ignoring each and every recipe that calls for our PNW summer staple with a frown on our face and a sadness in our hearts.  Why?  Well in the desert, zucchini obviously does not mass produce like a twitter-pated rabbit.  Rather here, one small zucchini sells for about 1.6 KD.  Yup, the veggie that at this point you claim you will never plant again is selling for about $5 US EACH!!  So next time you stumble across a recipe that features this delicious veggie and you begin to grumble just think of us in Kuwait, take that scowl off your face, and have a bite for us.

We can't make this stuff up.  Proof is in the picture.

Jet Lag

Jet lag, also called jet lag disorder, is a temporary sleep disorder that can affect anyone who quickly travels across multiple time zones. Jet lag is caused when your body's internal clock or circadian rhythms, which tell your body when to stay awake and when to sleep in the old time zone, are out of sync with cues from the new time zone, such as light exposure and dining times. The more time zones crossed, the more likely you are to experience jet lag. -- Mayo Clinic 

Arriving back into Kuwait this year came with a little swagger. Heidi had a brutal schedule of having to work the next day after arriving, but we were not worried. For one reason or another, we both had avoided any serious jet lag in our recent travels and were confident we could do it again. Well, our luck might officially run out. We have followed the rules of avoiding jet lag. 

• no naps
• normal eating times
• going to bed a normal times
• getting outside
• working out

but even with all of the precautionary measures we have both woken up at 2 in the morning each day. With work starting tomorrow fingers are crossed that a full night of sleep can be had, or else naps are going to be back in our lives. 

Summer Challenge

This summer we decided to not overextend ourselves.  We did not want to plan too many activities and then feel disappointed if we did not accomplish all of our "To do" list.  However, prior to leaving Kuwait we did establish 3 goals that were non-negotiable:

1)  Spend as much time outdoors as possible
2)  Consume as much fresh produce from the Soper garden as possible
3)  Eat as much local salmon as was humanly and ethically possible

We are proud to report that we have made good on all of our goals.  How do we know?  Well, we have rockin' tans, the garden is near empty (thanks to us and the darn deer), and our mercury levels are off the charts.  All in all we are proud of our accomplishments and look forward to finishing our last week in the states making our dreams come to fruition.

This is how salmon should look, Kuwait.  Lots of pink fish at an affordable price.

A salmon cheat-sheet in case you need to decide what salmon to eat.  No matter what, if they are fresh they taste GOOD.

These guys are trying to keep our veggie eating at bay.  No bueno.

Adam rarely gets mad but when these guys eat the berries, that means war.

Crusin'

We like new adventures.  We like to try new things.  We appreciate free fun.  Therefore we jumped at the opportunity to step aboard a Holland America Alaskan Cruise ship one day this summer for a tour and free lunch.  Thanks to our awesome brother-in-law, we were invited aboard a ship to check out all that the cruising lifestyle has to offer.  As we walked around the ship and looked at staterooms, libraries, and dining options, we realized that the cruising life might be just our style -- a walking track outside the boat, morning coffee delivery, a library on-board to check out books from, a five o'clock dinner option so that we could keep our 9:00 pm bedtime .... 

Yes, we were settling into the cruising lifestyle without much trouble and then ... the horn sounded, the real "paid" cruisers boarded, and we were unceremoniously escorted off the boat via the worker's ramp.  Cruising dreams crushed!

Touring the boat on a beautiful Seattle summer day.  Great marketing technique, Holland America.

"We're on a boat!"  If we actually signed up for a cruise we might help drop the average age by a few years.

Other family members taking advantage of the free cruise tour.  This group will do ANYTHING for a free lunch and glass of wine.

The Panorama 360 from the boat.  Not bad, Seattle.  Not bad.

This photo almost got me kicked off the boat.  Something about public safety concerns ...

Traditions

Less than 8 hours after we touched down at SeaTac from Cancun, we were heading back to the airport to start the next leg of our June travels.  This time our destination was sunny Atlanta, Georgia to visit more family and continue some very important ATL traditions.  We are proud to report that during the 7 days we were in Atlanta we managed to put another check mark by the following rituals:

1. Sweating ourselves silly on our daily run through Piedmont Park
2. Gaining about 6 pounds as we ate at every possible "burrito spot" around Atlanta
3. Enjoying Zesto's soft serve on more than one occasion (Brown Crown anyone?!?)
4. "Tasting" many delicious SweetWater beers on the brewery tour (Important to note that we have yet to actually make it on the tour part)
5. Cheering on the Atlanta Braves as they take on their opponent (It doesn't matter who they are playing as long as the Silver Bullet Coors Light cans are flowing)
6. Swimming in an awesome public pool while once again not having to pay the admission fee
7. Watching Adam make our littlest niece feel very awkward and uncomfortable (at least this year there were no tears)
8. Running the PeachTree 10k on the 4th of July followed by an amazing grilled meal and fireworks on TV
9. Leaving Atlanta thinking "How did time go so quickly?" and "We can't wait to continue all the traditions again in 2014."

A new tradition ... taking a picture in front of the Sweet Water sign.

Old tradition:  Jake and Adam happy when drinking beer.

New tradition:  Maria finishing all 6 "tastings" at said tour.

Old tradition:  sweating through all our clothes before the game even started.

Old tradition:  Sitting in amazing seats right on the first base line.

New tradition:  Eating one of the best burgers Atlanta has to offer now being served right at Turner field.

Old tradition:  Asking our "neighbor" to take the obligatory group shot during the 7th inning stretch.

New tradition:  Patriot Pretzles for a 4th of July grilling party.  Only in the south.

New tradition:  Going to the Atlanta Zoo and seeing this amazing creature.

Old tradition:  Penny wanting to stay as far away from Adam as possible.

New tradition:  This is a BABY gorilla ... how could it be anything but new?

Old tradition:  This is an OLD gorilla ... obviously.

Not sure weather this cool thing is new or old.  So we will just call him amazing.

Next Stop ... Mexico

Upon our completion of 48 hours in Whatcom County, we got to hop on a plane (hadn't been on one of those for awhile) and head to sunny Mexico.  Adam's family was taking a trip to Cancun to celebrate summer and spend time reconnecting as a family.  Our time in Mexico as a family has always provided many highlights.  This year was no different.  Some of our highlights include:

• Spending 8 days with non-stop family time
• Watching Adam's dad demonstrate his hip hop dance moves
• Spending every possible minute in the pool with our new friend, Alfredo
• Playing Shot-zee 
• Snorkeling trips that started out as a "one hour tour" and ended up MUCH longer
• Jumping the olas (that's waves for you non spanish speakers)
• Consuming too much food on a daily basis while promising that the next meal we would have more self control
• Drinks, drinks, and more drinks
• Putt-Putt golf competitions
• Roof top cocktail hours
• Family photo shoots 
• Recreating Adam and Heidi's wedding with tree-leaning poses included

We could not have asked for a better time in Mexico .. even if we are still running off the extra 10 pounds we gained there!!

Post breakfast cocktails?  For sure. 

Most days it felt like we had the resort to ourselves.  Just how we liked it.

This one's called "Boys on Chairs."  Tough life.

Kyle demonstrating how to take your tequila shot when a Yahtzee has been rolled.  Shot-Zee!

"I'm on a boat..."  ... heading out to snorkel and waiting to experience nature in it's element.

Waiting post snorkel to load back up on the commuter boat back to the pier.  Thank goodness for free beer during the wait.

That's one happy vacationer.

All in all, one happy family!!

48 Hours in Ferndale

After departing Kuwait via Barcelona, we got to head to our other home -- the great state of Washington.  We were both filled with excitement, anticipation, and bad airplane food when we stepped off the plane in Seattle.  There we were greeted by the Sopers and quickly shuttled to spend a restful and relaxing 48 hours at home.  Yes, we had only a couple of days in Washington before heading out again on travels.  So, with such a limited amount of time we did what we do best -- ate and spent as much time with our family as possible.

We are proud to report that in the 48 hours we were back in WA we managed to: celebrate father's day, celebrate Adam's birthday, eat at Boundary Bay Brewery, eat salmon (not once but twice), go to a 6th grade graduation, have a campfire, play Monkey Balls, go for a long country run, do laundry, repack for a family vacation, and explain to everyone we came in contact with just exactly why we live in Kuwait.  We call that success!

A surprise "Welcome home/Happy Father's Day/Happy Birthday" feast and party was waiting for us in Ferndale.

KK quickly used her new Spanish scarf to tie a head wrap, Kuwaiti style.

Thanks to time changes and LONG days of travel, Adam's 30th birthday lasted 30+ hours.

Reunited and it feels so good!

No, no, no.  We were as exhausted as we looked.  20+ hours of travel will do that to you.

We managed to make it home for our niece's grade 6 graduation.  Their class song was Macklemore.  Who knew the 'dale could be so hip.

Heading out to a "last day of school/6th grade graduation lunch" celebration.  Love this whole back-seat.

Year One ... Check

We are proud to report that we finished our first year of teaching/counseling in Kuwait.  The end of the year was a whirlwind of activity with every day being packed with marking final exams, transitioning grade 5 students into middle school, attending graduations/moving up ceremonies, and going to too many "goodbye" dinners to count.  As the last day of school rolled around, we gave each other a huge high-5 and felt proud with all the work we had done the past 10 months.  Then, we quickly packed up a suitcase and got the hell out of Kuwait!!

We chose to take the "Freedom Flight" out of the great land of heat and dust but instead of head straight back to Seattle, we chose to take a few days exploring the magical city of Barcelona.  Barcelona was magnificent.  We rented a small apartment in the heart of the city and then spent the next 5 days walking, eating, running, exploring, and drinking legally in this cool European hub.  We saw some old sites (cathedrals and markets) and some newer ones, as well (art galleries and yachts).  We ate some delicious Spanish food (muscles, tomatoes, and anchovies) and some not so Spanish food (pizza, croissants, and yogurt).  We drank wine, wine, and more wine.  All in all, we left feeling refreshed, relaxed, and ready to put a big check mark by our first year living in the "great" State of Kuwait.

Our amazing little apartment in the heart of Barce.  It was a steep set of steps but it was worth it.

Gorgeous Spanish cathedral.

Checking out the Barcelona waterfront.  Wishing we were on a boat.

Just another Spanish sangria tasting.  Wine + soda + additional flavors = delight on ice.

One of the best parts of this city was all the green space where you could purchase a little sandwich and a beer and eat with the old men playing chess and petting dogs.

We spent HOURS just walking through green parks trying to negate our Nature Deficit Disorder.  Thanks, Kuwait.

Checking out the Olympic Stadium and dreaming Olympic dreams.

The only proof that the Olympics were actually held in Barcelona was found on the storm drains.  Odd.

Checking out La Sagrada Familia.  Us and 300,000 other tourists.

First gin and tonic in a LONG time.  Thank goodness they were as big as our heads.

Imagine ... another city park!!

Adam checking out Gaudi's work.

A view back over the city of Barcelona from the park.  We could have viewed it all day.

Adam says "two thumbs up to Barcelona."  Now let me drink my beer in peace.