March 11, 2010

Today is Thursday and I am exhausted.  The classes are the work schedule are easy, and even sometimes darn right boring.  I am emotionally exhausted.  This is the hardest move I have ever made.  I did not think it would ever be this hard.  Trying to pack the right gear in the right luggage - trying to sell or lease my house - trying to deal with my emotions as well as Kirks emotions - uprooting my doggie kiddos to live with my family where they can't get along with the other animals in the house - leaving my family for a year or more.  I am not at the end of my rope yet but it is sure taking a toll on me and it is starting to physically show.  My anxiety is kicking in, along with acid reflux...ugh.  This will be the third time in my life that I have experienced acid reflux and I can't stand it.  So now I am not even hungry because I just don't want to have to deal with it.

I am keeping myself busy with classes and trying to stay social.  Tonight I went out with three other girls from class to a steak house down the road from the hotel.  One of the girls has been very quiet and does not talk very much.  Tonight she talked up a storm and we found out that this will be her third tour in the Middle East.  She has learned to keep her head down and not bring attention to herself so that she does not have to deal with the men.  Her instincts kick in and she just does not want to have to deal with anyone.  Turns out she is a really cool woman and someone I really enjoyed hanging out with tonight.  She even gave me all of the warnings I should be looking out for in Dubai and when I travel in to Afghanistan - which I will tell you some of them now.

Blondey - I will call her that to protect her name (and she is the only blonde in our class) took me through her experiences in Kuwait being a woman in a Muslim country.  Apparently Muslims believe, or act, like the way to date is to stalk someone.  She has been followed in car and on foot repeatedly, men walking up and bumping her and then turning around and doing it again over and over, etc.  I hope this does not happen to me.  I don't think I would be so nice.  I might just have to give them the "thumbs up" which is apparently a rude hand gesture.  LOL  If they keep it up I will have to give them the "OK" sign - another rude gesture.  - yes I am a dork, I crack myself up!

Something strange in SC: The restaurant we ate at was in a popular shopping center.  The storefront right next to the restaurant had a bunch of stuffed animals in it.  It finally dawned on me after staring in disgust for a bit that it was a taxidermist!  I have never seen one since they seem to be off old roads in the middle of nowhere.  It was so strange to me to see one right in the middle of a busy shopping plaza.