Home..For Now

First, let me apologize for the long wait between blog posts. A few people have reached out asking for an update, so I figured it was finally time to sit down and write.

The morning of our departure started with a knot in my stomach.

I woke up to messages that sirens had been activated across Kuwait. My heart immediately sank. After everything we'd been through over the previous few months, my first thought was, "Here we go again." I just knew the airspace would close before we had a chance to leave.

From the moment we left for the airport until we were finally seated on the plane, I was a nervous wreck. I think I worried so much that I actually made myself sick.

But somehow...we boarded.

Our first flight took us from Kuwait to Cairo, where we had a 13-hour layover.

Before booking, I had heard that passengers with layovers of six hours or more were often provided complimentary hotel accommodations. Since Kuwait was only allowing one regional flight per day, I really didn't have many options anyway, so I decided to take my chances. A colleague had taken this exact route just a few months earlier with her own fur baby, so I felt even more confident that everything would work out.

Then we landed in Cairo.

Imagine my surprise when I was told that I could not receive a hotel room because I was traveling with Charli. I was informed that the hotels used by the airline would not accept pets. I spoke with one person after another and eventually found myself waiting in the transit holding area. I pleaded my case a few times, hoping someone would be willing to help.

Then I was told to wait.

Hours passed - or at least it felt that way. It was probably three or four hours before someone finally came back with good news.

They had found us a hotel room.

I cannot begin to describe how grateful I was. 

Our flight from Cairo to Newark couldn't have gone any smoother.

The flight attendants absolutely loved Charli. She received plenty of attention, compliments, and kisses along the way. As usual, she was the perfect little traveler.

We landed back on U.S. soil on Monday, June 30th.

These past few weeks have been filled with family, catching up with friends, and enjoying the little things I had missed while living overseas.

One of the biggest reasons I wanted to make it home this summer was to attend my sorority's national convention in Nashville, Tennessee. It was my first time visiting Tennessee! I had an amazing time meeting and reconnecting with sorors from across the country and globe. Being surrounded by sisterhood again reminded me of how much I've missed attending sorority events. It's one of the sacrifices that comes with living abroad - you gain incredible experiences, but you also miss milestones, traditions, and opportunities to simply be present.

But while we've been enjoying our time here, the conflict in the region has continued to escalate. In many ways, it feels like we're right back where we started. I still find myself checking the news every day and talking with friends and colleagues who remain in Kuwait. As of now, we're still scheduled to return on August 10th. As long as the airspace remains open, that's exactly what we'll do.

This experience has also helped me make a difficult decision. For quite some time, I had planned to renew my contract one more time, which would have kept me in Kuwait until 2029. Now, I think it's time to close this chapter. It wasn't the way I imagined making this decision, but sometimes life has a way of making those decisions for you.

Thank you to everyone who checked in on us, prayed for us, and reached out over these past few months. Your messages meant more than you know.

Here's hoping that when it's time for Charli and me to head back to Kuwait in August, the journey is much less eventful than the one that brought us home.

A Summer on Hold

My last blog post was about saying goodbye to my students on our final day of school. I ended that chapter thinking about all we had been through together during an unexpected year of online learning. What I didn't know then was that my own summer plans were about to become just as uncertain.

After nearly two months, Kuwait finally reopened its airspace on April 23rd. I was ecstatic. Like many others living here, I had been waiting anxiously for news that flights would resume. The possibility of going home for the summer suddenly felt real again.

On May 3rd, I purchased my ticket with EgyptAir. At the time, only a limited number of airlines were operating, and I hoped EgyptAir would eventually be permitted to resume service. I also chose EgyptAir for one very important reason: Charli. Anyone who knows me knows that Charli and I are a package deal. EgyptAir allows her to travel in cabin with me, which makes a world of difference.

Then came June 1st.

Terminal 1 officially reopened, allowing some foreign and Arab airlines to resume flight schedules. I was ecstatic to open Facebook and see my flight listed on the departure board. 

And then June 3rd happened.

Another drone attack caused significant damage to Terminal 1. The airspace closed once more. One person lost his life, and dozens of others were injured. In an instant, so much hope and happiness disappeared. What has stayed with me most is the man who lost his life while on his way home to his family. We were all dreaming of reunions with loved ones, and for one family, that reunion would never happen.

Eventually, the airspace reopened again, but officials announced that repairs to Terminal 1 could take up to a year to complete. Flights had resumed, and Kuwait Airways continued operating throughout much of this time. A few people asked why I didn't simply book with them, but that was never an option for me. Kuwait Airways does not allow Charli to travel in-cabin, and I was unwilling to allow her to travel in the hold. With Terminal 1 out of service, many of us hoped that additional airlines would be moved to Terminals 4 and 5.

My flight was scheduled for June 16th.

Like many anxious travelers, I became slightly obsessed with tracking flights. Every day I checked websites to see if my flight was operating. To my surprise, some sites continued to list departure and arrival times, giving me hope that flights were still operating. I even asked ChatGPT how accurate these flight tracking sites were, and it told me they were generally reliable.

Unfortunately, that turned out to be false hope.

When I checked Google, I discovered that many of the flights I had been tracking had actually been canceled. Eventually, I realized I probably should have started with the airline app from the beginning. Better late than never, I guess.

On Saturday, June 13th, I picked up Charli's travel documents so we'd be ready for our flight. The following day, I went to school to sort out my exit permit situation - which is an entirely different story for another day. Thankfully, I received my permit and was finally cleared to travel.

Everything was ready.

My clothes were washed.

Charli's carrier had been cleaned.

All that remained was packing.

While waiting at school to speak with HR, I continued tracking flights. The June 14th flight had been canceled, but the June 15th flight still showed as scheduled. I was thrilled. If the June 15th flight was operating, surely our June 16th flight would too. Right?

About two hours after arriving home, I received the dreaded notification: 

Flight canceled.

I was disappointed, of course. But for weeks, I had been telling both myself and my family that I would be okay if I couldn't come home this summer. I told myself I could save money. I told myself I could relax in my own space. Looking back, I think I said those things to protect myself from disappointment. Because the truth is, would I really be okay spending the entire summer in Kuwait? I'm not entirely sure.

For a brief moment, I considered a Plan B: maybe I could travel home and leave Charli behind. But I quickly realized I couldn't do it. Some people may say, "She's just a dog." But to me, she's family. The truth is that neither of us would be okay. She is just as attached to me as I am to her. If she has to stay behind, then I'm staying too.

I considered taking a short trip somewhere else for a week or two - just enough to have some kind of vacation. That felt easier to accept than spending more than a month away from Charli.

So on Monday, June 15th, I informed my family that I would not be coming home this summer. I began thinking about virtual meetups and ways to stay connected from afar.

Then one of my great-nieces sent me a text.

She asked, "When are you coming to Nana's house?"

Nana is my mom. That one tugged at my heart. I had to tell her that we wouldn’t be home this summer. I know she was excited to see Charli - maybe even me - but definitely Charli. Charli was supposed to spend a week with her, her mom, and her sister while I attended my sorority's convention in Nashville.

Then, just a few hours later, while scrolling Facebook, I saw an announcement from Kuwait Aviation: foreign and Arab airlines would partially resume operations through Terminal 4.

I immediately went to EgyptAir's website and saw flights scheduled as early as July 1st.

Maybe there really is hope after all.

So for now, Charli and I wait.

And maybe - just maybe - by my next post, I'll be writing from home in New Jersey.

A School Year I’ll Never Forget

Yesterday was the last day of school for students, and we ended our year with a virtual talent show and awards day celebration. We truly had such a great time together. 

I created a poem (with a little help) about our year, and while reading it, I became so emotional that I had to turn my camera off just to get myself together. I’ve never been this emotional on the last day of school before - and I've left three schools during my career. I can laugh about it now because my students were saying, “I think she’s frozen!” after calling my name and getting no response. 😂

But this was such an unusual year, and these students showed up every single day. They worked hard, attended office hours for extra help, and sometimes just came back online to spend time with each other. Even my students who returned to the States stayed committed. One student attended a local school during the day and still came home to complete not only her homework there, but our homework too - without missing a single assignment. I’m incredibly proud of all of them because this wasn’t easy. It was hard for me, so I know it was hard for them too.

One of my families who left during the war also returned to Kuwait yesterday. The mother originally planned for her daughter to try logging in online while they were in the air, but I told her not to worry about it. The fact that she wanted to be there meant so much to me.

Another parent shared that her child had set an alarm to wake up for the celebration but accidentally slept through it. These kids were really trying to show up for their friends. It wasn’t their parents making them log on - they made that decision themselves. And honestly, I just found it so admirable that 9-year-olds were willing to set alarms for 1:30 a.m. just to try to see their classmates one more time. Unfortunately, they didn’t make it online, but it truly was the thought that counted. 

I’m already looking forward to August when I can hopefully see everyone in person again, give hugs, offer reassurance, and send them confidently into 4th grade. I know many other families are planning to return as things have finally started to quiet down. Prayerfully, it stays this way.

And in more hopeful news, Kuwait’s airport just announced that international flights will begin operating again starting June 1st. We have a flight booked for June 16th, and prayerfully, we’ll be on it. ✈️🙏💜

Covered, Even Here

It’s been a while…almost five years since I’ve written here.

A lot has changed since my last post. I’m no longer in China - I moved to Kuwait in August of 2021, and life has taken me on a completely new journey since then. I also became a dog mom, so Charli has been right here with me through it all.

I didn’t plan on coming back to this blog like this, but with everything happening right now, I felt led to share.

Here’s what’s been going on…

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So it’s been 5 weeks since war broke out in the Middle East.

Saturday, February 28th, we’re at home enjoying our last day of holiday break before heading back to work the following day. Maybe around noon, we started hearing and feeling the missiles being intercepted. Our WhatsApp chats began to go crazy as we were all trying to figure out what was going on. Many of my colleagues were en route to Kuwait when their flights were rerouted, or they were in airports when their flights began to get cancelled. As you can imagine, it was pure chaos.

I reached out to my family immediately, letting them know what was going on.

Through all of this, I have been amazingly calm. What has been getting me through are my father’s words. He would always say, “Jennifer, you can’t pray AND worry. You have to choose one - you can’t do both.” So I chose to pray and leave it all in God’s hands. I’m not worried, and I’m not going to allow anyone to worry me. I’m trusting that God is going to do exactly what He promised He would do.

So no, I do not have plans to leave before the school year is over. I feel safe. I’m in my space. I have food, water, and most importantly, I have Charli.

So many people have left, but there are still a lot of us here. I remember waking up and learning that certain people left overnight. I can’t even lie - I shed some tears. I felt like we were abandoned. But just as quickly as those tears fell, they were quickly dried up. I heard a voice oh so clear say, “But I didn’t abandon you. They can’t cover you, only I can.” And with that, I went about my day.

So again, I have no plans to leave until it’s time for me to go. I’m leaning and trusting on God to direct our path - He’s never steered me wrong. The same God that covers me when I’m home in NJ is the same God covering me here in Kuwait. His power has no limits. He is omnipresent.

Charli is doing well. She’s enjoying having me home more as we’re working from home. Early on, when things first happened, she was dealing with stress - not eating, hiding under the sofa, upset stomach, all of that. I started playing nature sounds at night to help her sleep, and she’s been fine ever since.

Please continue to pray for all of us in the Middle East and that this war will come to an end. Many countries are affected by this.

Thank you for still being here…even after all this time.

I’m covered, and I know exactly who’s covering me.

Let's Get Caught Up!

Hey Family! I know I know, it's been awhile. My last post was in July 2020 and it's now April 2021 😩. Back then, I was still in the U.S., stuck outside of China's borders due to the Covid-19 pandemic. I left China on February 1, 2020 for what I thought at the time, would only be about 3 weeks. We were on CNY holiday break so school wasn't an issue. In fact, I was enjoying traveling in Bali then next, Cambodia. Bali was heavenly and I can't wait to go back. I enjoyed Cambodia, but not as much as I really wanted to. Bali wore me out and I won't lie and say that the virus had me wanting to stay within my own resort.

By this time, the Corona virus was rearing its ugly head all throughout Asia. I was faced with the dilemma of extending my vacation, but my wallet was like, "Go home child." So I headed back to Shenzhen, just long enough to unpack, wash clothes, and pack again. I decided to go home because the city was pretty much a ghost town due to the holiday festivities and I didn't want to get stuck if the city shut down. So I purchased a ticket and went home. I was nervous all the way to the airport because airlines begin shutting off flights from China. I had to fly from Shenzhen to Tokyo, then Tokyo to Newark, NJ. The flight from Tokyo was fully booked as everyone was trying to leave. By the time I landed safely in the US, my returning flight had been cancelled. Maybe about a week of returning, Shenzhen was put in lockdown. I'm thankful I left when I did.

Throughout it all my school was very supportive and kept us well informed. We were told to stay put and not travel back to Shenzhen until further notice. Around March, the HR Department was trying to make arrangements for teachers outside of China to return. They were fearful that China would close its borders. March 26th, I was in the middle of making arrangements with the school's travel agents, set to depart on April 5th. Then it happened, China announced that they were closing their borders effective March 28th. I was honestly relieved because traveling during that time period was very scary to me. Add in the fact that everyone had to quarantine at hotels, some of which were very unpleasant (I heard the stories on Facebook), I was in no rush to get back.

In the end, I stayed in the U.S. until November 13th. After 9 months, I was finally on my way back to China. It was a very long process. I went through just about every emotion with this trip. I know God was tired of hearing from my confused self. I was nervous about traveling back. But I met up with 2 of my colleagues at LAX and traveling with them helped my anxiety a great deal. We landed in Guangzhou on November 15th and spent 2 weeks in quarantine. I spent Thanksgiving stuck in a room by myself with less than desirable food. All in all, other than the food, quarantine wasn't bad. The hotel was nice and clean, although you could't tell from the outside (I was ready to tell them that I wasn't staying). We received 3 meals a day, along with temperature checks twice a day. Before I left the U.S., I had to take a Covid test as well as a blood test to determine if I ever had the virus. This had to be completed all within 48 hours of my departure. It was not easy. After arriving in China I had to take a second test, and on the 14th day we took our 3rd test. After we were cleared, my school sent a car for us to bring us back to Shenzhen. I thought we were done with testing but we had to take another test a few days after arriving in Shenzhen. So within 4 weeks, I took a total of 4 covid test. It's almost 5 months since returning and I have taken a test since. Praise be!

As you can see, so much happend in 2020 and there's still so much I left out. I really didn't mean for this to be so long. I should have vlogged this whole experience. Hopefully I'll do more blogging in the future, I have so much more to share with you all! Stay tuned for me!

Until next time...

Why China?

Hi All!

As you all know, I left UAE for China last July. Although I loved living in UAE, I was unable to secure a teaching position in a timely manner. I often receive emails/messages from schools in China, so I thought, why not go to China? When I first begin thinking of teaching abroad, China was my first choice but then I learned about Abu Dhabi, and you know the rest of the story. 

During my job search, I was offered two positions, one in Beijing and the other in Shenzhen. I was originally headed to Beijing and was excited to be able to experience the 4 seasons again. You know Abu Dhabi has hot and hotter. LOl! Just kidding! The school in Beijing offered me a lead position in the KG Department if I accepted the role of KG teacher (I interviewed for grade 1). Overall the package was good, the only negative was that I had to find my own accommodations with the school's help. After traveling for several hours with lots of luggage, I'd rather go straight to my apartment than a hotel. Then came the other offer from the school in Shenzhen. Again, the package was great and I also liked the location. It's about a 20-minute ferry ride to Hong Kong. The weather is similar to Abu Dhabi but with more rain. Unlike Beijing, the school would handle the accommodations. I weighed the pros and cons of both schools and ended up going with the school in Shenzhen. It hasn't been an easy adjustment by far, but I'm dealing. Besides, I've only spent about 6 months in China due to Covid-19, so I guess I can say my first year in China was a success.

Until next time...

On To A New Journey

Hello Family & Friends! I'm not sure who is still keeping up with me since it's been almost two years since my last post. To bring you up to speed, in my last post I stated I was 98% sure that I was leaving either my school or UAE altogether. Well, exactly one year ago today, I turned in my final clearance forms and left my school as well as UAE. I returned home to the US for approximately 3 weeks then I was off to my next destination.

Yes, I left UAE and went to Shenzhen, China. It has been quite the experience. As I come up on my one year anniversary of moving, I'm going to revisit what it was like getting ready for and arriving in China. I hope you're interested in reading and catching up with me. Thanks for hanging in there with me.

Until next time...