Desert in December

Finally gotten out into the desert of Saudi Arabia this month. Here’s a few pictures from a hike out in the dunes this pst weekend:

I’ve got to mention that no filters were used in these photos, it was just a windy day causing for a hazy sky. In the photos is a friend who also joined the group of 25 or so of us from an organization called InterNations – connecting expats around the world. Happy to be the only American other than this dude:

Yes, that’s a KC cap he’s wearing, and he hails from south KCMO. After the sun set, we all headed through the desert in our cars to a spot to build a campfire and enjoy dinner in the dunes.

It was an awesome trip out there, and I’m sure many more InterNations trips will be made.

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. I’m thankful for many things, and remaining in touch with you all in KC, using this site to share my adventures, is something I’m especially grateful for this year. Being away from home does help me really value the great friends and family I have in each of you there in Kansas City.

Being away has also helped me appreciate the complex experience of building an identity from scratch in a place where no one’s got a clue who you are or shares any of your references of home. A complicated, yet fun process shared by most expats anywhere. And it’s in that shared new-ness of identity we expats commiserate, bond, and find family in one another. All making for a never-dull experience which I’m also very thankful for this year.

Ah, and finishing with a couple shots from my three Thanksgiving dinners. It was wonderful to have three new family friends invite me to join them for their holiday meal:

And I can’t help but share this photo of sunrise outside my school building in our now very beautiful daily weather. Low 50’s in the mornings to upper 70’s in the afternoon.

And one of the park in the center of camp.

Thats all. See you soon!