Free at last!

We are done with classes! The only thing (at this point) that separates us from vacation is Exam Week. Once I plow through 97 exam papers, I will be free to vacation with Chris and Kyle in the cities of Beirut, Damascus, and Antalya from June 8th-13th. This will be our last intense adventure before we head to Istanbul, Turkey and the Mediterranean coast on June 15th. I am looking forward to this R & R time and getting out of the 120° weather…it’s so hot! I can remember talking with Cyndi H. about her and Matt’s time over here. She compared the weather to standing in an airplane engine’s exhaust, and I’d say that’s about accurate. Fortunately for us, we get to spend a lot of time in the A/C.

We are moving to a new apartment next Sunday, which should give us a little more room and let us be closer to the sea. I have begun the process of organizing things into two piles: what we don’t need or will bring to the States this summer and what we can leave here. Most of my efforts will come next week when we need to prepare before going away. I laugh every time I pack, because I don’t know where my new “home” will be the next time I pack. If my calculations are correct, I’ve moved roughly every year for the last eight years. It can be quite the escapade to adjust, but I continue to learn the meaning of these verses:

“The heart of a man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.”
“I know, O Lord, that a man's life is not his own; it is not for man to direct his steps.”

As it looks, we will be settled in the same place in Kuwait for a few years, but who knows. It’s not me.

22 Days to the U.S.

What to post?

The days seem to be going by so quickly, but not fast enough. Plans keep changing, mostly due to our schedule at school. The good news is that we don't have to work as long. The bad news is that we have to wait around for a week to pick up our summer paycheck, which for some reason unknown to man, cannot be direct deposited. In the meantime, we are making some new travel plans for what has been coined "the week of agony." I confess my discontentment with the situation, but also my gratefulness that we'll have extra time to spend with our friends in yet another exotic location. More details will come as we make some decisions! What remains the same is that we will arrive in Boston, MA on June 21st. Or, maybe the 22nd. I know we leave Istanbul on the 21st; I'll have to check with Chris, my official travel agent.

My life is like a blender. I am thrust into it with different people/situations/struggles/joys/obligations/freedoms, swished around, and come out being totally different than I went into it. As of late, I would say I've been coming out the better from it. We are having a lot of fun, but learning and growing at the same time

Recently, I have spent a lot of my free time reading books, especially while the guys are playing HALO. I admit, I do enjoy a rousing game of shoot-em-up every once in awhile, but I just can't handle the intensity for long periods of time without getting a headache. I am currently working on a few books, which am really enjoying and should have critiques for by the time we come to the U.S.

Two Prisoners by Lajos Zilahy
Wild Goose Chase by Mark Batterson
Savannah from Savannah by Denise Hildreth
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith

29 days to the U.S.

It's the Final Countdown

No, I'm not just talking about the amazing song done by Swedish band, Europe. I'm talking about days of school. It's crazy when I stop to think that 13 years of my life were spent in school. If like me, you have post-secondary education, make that 17. If you go for more qualifications, make that 19. Or it could be 22 or more, depending on how educated you really want to be.

On the flip-side, I can see how terrible my classmates and I probably were for our teachers toward the end of the school year. (Fellow teachers, can you relate?) The students are becoming more eager to go on their long-awaited vacations, and that excitement overflows into daily routines. The only problem is that it usually presents itself as loud behavior, especially in this culture. Man, these kids can talk.

Our last teaching preparations are being made, with exams submitted and two weeks of classes left. Then, we have a week of finals and grading. After that, there are just a few days of cleaning and turning in materials. We will be in Turkey before we know it. Antalia, here I come.

We wrapped up the softball season with a banquet last weekend. I didn't get to take too many pictures, but I have some up on our web album page. Pics
Pictured with me is my friend Chelly, who I coached with this season. She and her family are moving to Saudi this summer with her husband's job. The expat life is bittersweet because great friends can be made quickly, but people are constantly shifting. We'll be sad to see them go...but they won't be too far away.

28 days to Turkey
37 days to the U.S.

Dubai

Pictures are up!
http://picasaweb.google.com/thecsfreemans