The art of the scarf

Thank you to a good friend who showed me the art of the scarf. I of course, will not be required to wear the scarf. But being prepared is always a good idea. Plus, I may cover when traveling to blend into the crowd. Both pictures below are options for covering. The one showing the bangs is the more modern way. Probably the way I would wear it around Jordan or in more “western” areas. The second, showing no hair is more traditional and would be worn in areas to completely blend. Strange to see myself completely covered but neat at the same time.

Long term goal – Marathon #2

Marathon M is back!

After debating for about 2 years and some deep soul searching, I have finally decided to officially start training for marathon #2. If you didn’t know, I ran a marathon in Ireland in October 2001. It was amazing. Training was grueling, as I trained all summer in Florida, but the outcome was amazing. I think living in Tallahassee this year and not training or running our annual 15K River Run really made me miss it. So, with that being said, I have done some research on marathons over in Jordan. I have found two so far and I am going to keep on looking. The most important detail, I don’t want to be running 26.2 miles in the sweltering heat. I know what you are thinking, ummm, Jordan is in the Middle East surrounded by the desert, so of course, there will be the sweltering heat factor. BUT, if I pick the right month in the winter/spring, it won’t be too bad. It is all about the preplanning. Plus I have done some research and potentially found a gym located in the Mecca Mall. Now it is just a matter of getting my mind in training gear. Wish me luck!

THE flight

The flight has been booked. Can you believe it?

We are set to leave September 5th and arrive September 6th. Just had to double take as the flight confirmation said 05/09/2009...but they do the month and date backwards. Whoo, that could have been disastrous. We will actually be taking two flights, one from Jax to NY and the other from NY to Amman Jordan. In total, it will be 24 hours of flying, waiting, of course eating sometime during that because you all know Rob :) and flying again. Thank goodness for iPods, laptops, and books. If anyone has any advice or tips on long flights, please give.

For those of you that don't know (me included until I was brought up to speed), we will be arriving to Jordan during Ramadan. This is for one month during the Islamic calendar during which Muslims fast from the first light of dawn until nightfall. That includes no water, no food, and no smoking. The purpose is to recognize the hardships of those who live in poverty. That being said, for at least 2 weeks after we arrive, the restaurants, food shops, and the like will be closed down until nightfall. We will also not eat in front of any Muslims to be respectful. So there will be no eating in the streets, at work, at school or bascially anywhere but your home during hours of daylight. It will be interesting to say the least but a great way to refocus the mind and understand the hardships others are facing.

Onward!

Moving Logistics

Moving across town or even moving to a new town is one thing, moving to another county something totally different. My list is unending; sort, pack, label, list everything labeled, setup the PO Box, setup the storage facility. Of course, moving from one place to another, you gather boxes from work, friends, neighbors, and practically anyone who could offer you a sturdy not too dirty box. But when you are storing your stuff for a year, the level of dirtiness is a factor. Of course you don’t want to store your clothing or wedding presents in something that may or may not attract pests. What fun would that be to come back to find my wedding dress was eaten through by hungry pests trying to get the last remnants of whatever was stuck on that box. Of course, we aren’t turning away boxes, because those can always be used for garage sales stuff, taking things to Goodwill, and the like. That takes me to sorting, boy we have a ton of stuff. I have now started the keep, give, and throw away piles. The hope is that everything in our house will fit in the seemingly small storage area we have setup to use. If not, we will have to get creative. Of course we have last minute doctor’s appointments, one last dentist checkup, telling all our family and friends how to keep in touch with us, girls weekend outings for one last hurrah, family BBQs riddled with Jordan questions and concerns, 2 week notices at work, lining up overseas medical plans, selling a much loved car of 9 years, and other odds and ends. Like I said, the list is unending. The good thing is nothing will go unchecked, lost in the confusion or put to the side; everything will be addressed. My ultra organization has come in handy.