Vancouver Island-Vancouver-Dublin

This seems like a l.o.n.g time ago already!

I'm back in Kuwait and back at work. All that green hurts my eyes now.  

The day was mostly spent hugging friends and talking about holidays. Occasionally showing lost newbies around and, for rather too long, listening to loud animated voices trying to motivate teachers by showing them photos of Mr. Bean and sporadically shouting out names to check that everyone was listening. All that was missing was the red nose and clown shoes, but it was all rather (I've spent a long time thinking about the next word- fun/good/nice/inspiring...) easy.

We're going on a bear hunt...

A highlight of my trip to Canada, was spending time with my friend Heather at her dad's cabin. The cabin is not reachable by car, so after a three hour ferry ride from Port Alberni, we kayaked for an hour and a half through open water to a small pass where half a dozen cabins were hidden. Seals and sea lions popped up to say hello and once we were in the pass we opened a can of beer to toast the god of good weather.

Heather's dad and family built their cabin. There is no mobile phone reception, sounds of passing cars or noisy neighbours; a few days there felt like a month long holiday- a true retreat. The water gently rocked the cabin like a cradle and we slept long and soundly, only waking early one morning to fish for salmon.

Every morning and evening we watched a bear nearby searching for food. We even were lucky (!) enough to see a mummy bear swim across the water to protect her two young cubs. (The fact that Heather and I were sitting in a row boat separating the bears was a bit nail biting-thankfully I had a glass of wine in my hand to calm my nerves!!) The light was not great, so my photos are memories of a wonderful experience rather than art for the wall.

I feel so lucky to have been shown this part of the great outdoors by Heather, it really was a 'Canadian' experience.

We'll Always Have Paris

It's the time of year for goodbyes and farewells. The leaving parties and weekends away started over a month ago...making sure everyone has their moment, their closure.
I was going to say that even after being an expat for over half my life, that goodbyes don't get easier, but that is not true, they do.

When I left the Middle East four years ago, I kissed best friends farewell, then cried and cried as I said goodbye to the life I made for myself.

 The world seems a smaller place to me since then. I know that lots of my goodbyes are "see you soon", made easier with  set plans of races together, visits and promises of joint holidays sooner rather than later. This summer I'm spending time with a good friend I met in Uganda, my Kenyan running buddy and seeing new friends in Canada from this year in Kuwait. All this does actually make those goodbyes easier.

Kuwait itself is not a hard place to say goodbye to, especially at this time of year. Friends that leave the security of the strong Kuwaiti Dinar, comfort themselves in the knowledge that they are moving to a greener, cleaner country. Here, every day the dust is blown in and the blue sky is once again hidden. Photos don't even capture the sweeping sand.  So instead, I will share some photos of a much more beautiful city.