Vacationing by the sea

Many of you will ask "why are you vacationing by the sea when you live by the sea?" Well, what better place to relax and ponder than watching the dolphins frolic as they leisurely swim by?

There were several reasons that compelled me to come back to the states for vacation this year. And why not do it at the beach?

First, I had to come back to the states to close on my house. Yes, I am officially without a mortgage. And boy does it feel great! It was a bit of an ordeal but at least it is done now. The mortgage has been paid as of today, November 5, 2012!

Secondly, I thought that as long as I was here that I would take my certification examination. I am officially a board certified Nurse Executive - Advanced. And boy was it a tough exam!! But it was worth it and hopefully it will be a plus for my career. If not now then for the future.

Thirdly, I needed a redo on Intralase Lasik surgery on my left eye. The surgery went well and I haven't needed reading glasses since!

Lastly, I wanted to relax and not stress. I have course work to complete for my leadership program so i had to lug the computer with me and I could not see traipsing through Mongolia with my computer praying for wifi! It was just easier to come back home.

So, all is finished and now I am just relaxing waiting for the next dolphin sighting. . . and dreaming about where to go on my next adventure.

I bet you thought I had left the building. . .

Wow! It's been a while since I have posted. Some things have changed. Friends have come and gone (that's been more difficult than I had realized!). It's very different to have friends leave Saudi and know that you won't see them again for a long time. When you are stateside and people leave a job as long as they don't leave the area you can always get together with them for lunch or dinner or whatever. But here we are 9,000 miles away and it's very difficult to see people if you don't go home every year. I like to travel and will usually plan trips home every other year or so. My last trip home it had been two years since the last time I was home. The older I get the more difficult the long trip home is. I was in Houston for a recruitment trip last month and the flight was 16 hours long. That tested my endurance! We were in Houston for only 2 days and then came back to Saudi Arabia. We were gone for only 7 days total (that included an extra day off on the return trip!). My sleep pattern was messed up for days.

I spent 10 days in Nepal last November. Nepal was an amazing trip! We spent 5 days trekking through the Annapurna region of the Himalayas. The trip was even more special because my friends went with me. It was physically the most difficult thing I have ever done without a doubt. But as everyone kept telling me I did it and I was proud of that. There were times when I did not think I would be able to complete the trek. If I want to go the Everest Base Camp I need to do much more specific and intense training. But that is a future dream. Maybe one day I will be back in Nepal. . . .