It was an amazing year, full of many ups and downs, but by far it was a wonderful experience. For God to pluck this middle aged woman out of Midwest small town USA and plop her down into a desert in the Middle East was something only He could make sense of. So many friends and family had grave misgivings regarding me traveling and working in the Middle East, especially when so many embassies were being closed shortly before I left. But I always had peace about my decision to leave my beloved Iowa and venture into the unknown. I'm not a particularly adventuresome person but I had faith that if God led me to this place, He would guard and protect me. That he did. Not only did He protect me, he blessed me with wonderful friends and coworkers and a school that needed a music teacher with passion for the job and patience for the challenges ahead.
It took forever for the the school year to end. I'm used to wrapping up the year in mid-June. We didn't dismiss until June 17. The last two months were as warm as the previous August and September, well into 120 degrees. I thought a person had to be standing on the edge of a live volcanic crater for it to be that hot! After my last program, anticipation for coming home made the days drag on and on. The last day finally arrived. There was this blur of cleaning and packing and getting a taxi to take us to the airport and there I was on a plane to Portugal, soon to be reunited with my daughter who I hadn't seen since she left for officer military training in Texas in July of 2013.
Lisbon!
After ten months in Kuwait, it was time for a much needed vacation. Where to go? My daughter had been sent to Lisbon, Portugal when she was in ROTC at the University of Nebraska at Kearney. She had a great experience there, so we decided that would be a perfect place for a holiday. She got there a day ahead of me and was able to meet me at the airport. After many hugs and tears, we headed outside to catch a taxi to our bed and breakfast. Stepping outside into the balmy Mediterranean climate of Lisbon after the searing heat of the Kuwaiti desert was indescribable!
View of the street below from our bedroom at our bed and breakfast.
This is what awaited us every morning. Good thing we had a lot of walking to do every day to burn off all the calories!
Castle of Sao Jorge is a Moorish castle occupying a hilltop overlooking Lisbon and the Tagus River. It dates back to the medieval period of Portuguese history.
This was the first place we visited. It was a good thing I wore my good walking sandals because I never climbed so many stairs in my life! It was well worth the effort because the view of the city from the battlements was breathtaking.
Discoveries Monument is located on the north bank of the Tagus River. It was built in 1960 to commemorate the 500th anniversary of the death of prince Henry the Navigator. It represents a three sailed ship ready to depart with important historical figures of the time. It was very impressive. The figures on the monuments reminded me of the sand sculptures I saw in Kuwait last February.
Belem Tower
Belem Tower stands on the banks of the Tagus River at the point where it opens up into a bay. Built in 1515, was originally conceived as a defensive fortress. It also served as a lighthouse and finally a prison.
It was raining hard that day, not just a gentle sprinkle here and there. Neither one of us thought to bring an umbrella. But we were determined tourists and we suffered through the downpour. The tower isn't that big, so they could only allow about a hundred people in at a time. Walking through the gates was like stepping back into time. You could almost hear the footsteps of the men rushing up the steps to man the canons, ready to defend their country at all costs. The view of the bay was spectacular when the sun finally came out.
One of our favorite attractions was the Jeronimos Monastery. It was constructed under King Manual I. Construction began in 1501 and was completed one hundred years later. The role of the monks who occupied the monastery was to pray for the eternal soul of the king and provide spiritual assistance to navigators and sailors who departed from the beach of Restelo to discover the new world.
We climbed up into the balcony and had the unexpected pleasure of listening to the rehearsal of a visiting children's choir.
Portugal is well known for their wine. We enjoyed a beautiful sangria at this little mom and pop restaurant.
The proprietor of our bed and breakfast highly recommended we eat our last supper at a restaurant run by a friend of hers. Their specialty is a traditional Portuguese dish called cozido. So we made our way there that evening negotiating the labyrinth of tiny streets so common in Lisbon. We ordered the cozido and waited patiently for our meal to come. We really had no idea what cozido was, but we wanted to try a Portuguese specialty so we decided to go for it. When it came, we were somewhat taken aback by all this shellfish staring up at us from a pot of stew. It was a tomato based soup with a wine reduction. There was also rice in the bottom. I guess it tasted ok, but I couldn't quite get pass the spector of my food seeming to look back at me. I guess that's my small town Iowa colors showing!
Botanical Gardens of Lisbon
Home at Last
Coming home felt a little like Dorothy clicking together the heals her ruby slippers and chanting "There's no place like home, there's no place like home." To wake up at last in my own bed and run out to my gardens and feel the sweet pleasure of green grass between my toes was a special heaven on earth. There's nothing like spending ten months in a flat a barren desert to make you appreciate the simple pleasures of home. It was so liberating driving a car again. And yes, I could still differentiate between the gas and the breaks! Cooking in my own kitchen, attending my St. Paul's Lutheran again, FaceTiming my family in the same time zone, shopping in stores where I could find what I needed, and of course seeing my sweet, sweet granddaughter who was an infant when I left and was now an official toddler...all of these were among the best things about coming home again.
Getting reacquainted with Julia
My daughter, Stacia, and I at the Iowa State Fair
It was wonderful to see friends and family again, and to those of you I didn't have a chance to see, there is always next summer! The two months I was home flew by in a whirlwind of weddings, baptisms, 4th of July celebrations, and reunions with family and friends. Every day I was home was an absolute blessing. Before I knew it, it was time to head back to Kuwait for another year of "Life in the Sandbox" as we like to call it around here.
I'm back in Kuwait for another year. The beginning of a new school year is a busy, busy time. I've been here for two weeks now and it almost feels like I never left. But I do have my memories of a magical summer in Portugal and the "land between two rivers" called Iowa.
A monarch resting on a zinnia at the Discovery Garden at the Iowa State Fair
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