Is it vacation time yet?

The first month in Kuwait has come and gone, and I don't have a whole lot to say about it. The place is still dull...boring...and very flat. I have made my way into Kuwait City to visit civilization, so that was a welcome break. The 360 Mall is quite a treat--found a nice steak house there, even though there is no alcohol served. Which brings me to my next thought...

Leslie and I have planned a Mediterranean cruise for this summer, and I gotta tell you how excited I am about it. We had spoken many times about visiting Europe during my stint over here, but never could really come up with a good plan. I suggested a cruise just because it seemed like the most affordable method of visiting, eating and sleeping in the shortest amount of time. Ireland and the UK will have to wait until I have completed my rounds over here...but we will be back! As it stands, we'll see places like Rome, Pisa and Barcelona, which we'd otherwise likely never get to see. I will also get to spend time with Leslie...and by that time, being without alcohol and "female companionship" for half a year will ensure that we'll be spending a good bit of quality time together! But that's enough about that...I'm sure she'd appreciate such references on a public forum.

While I'm here, the "computer geek" in me is forcing me to get my certifications updated...not just because I want to, but because it could afford me the opportunity to advance here and make buku dinero, while also making me more marketable when I return to the US to search out a job. Oddly enough, as I browse the classifieds from Kuwait, I find that the job market isn't really just bubbling over with opportunities. What does that mean for me? Depending on the opportunities available in the US when it's time for me to fly, I may or may not be staying here longer (UGH!). As unpleasant as that sounds, the money I'm making here is certainly plentiful enough to make things just a bit more bearable--JUST A BIT. Soldier deployments are typically a year or less in most cases, and as I've always said, if it's good enough for them, it's certainly good enough for me. And I'm making considerably more than most of them do!

So, that's all for today. I'll update again with some pictures when I have something different to show. Until next time....

A month at Camp Buehring

It's now been about a month since I flew out of Little Rock, en route to this place they call a "Camp". I've seen plenty of tents, but this isn't what I'd call FUN! The work here is gruelling--it takes a while to adjust to 12 hour days, especially when you spend those hours locked in a windowless room, taking call after call, listening to people drone on about this and that. I guess the best part is, I'm getting paid, and getting paid WELL. It could be worse--I could be one of the soldiers stomping around in that horrid sand, getting paid a fraction of what is deserved. But I digress...

On a good note, Leslie and I have managed to secure our Mediterranean cruise in July. We'll be cruising out of Barcelona, Spain, on Royal Caribbean's "Liberty of the Seas", en route to destinations like Nice and Provence, France, Florence, Rome and Pisa, Italy, and good old Barcelona! It's eight days of sun and cruising, with plenty of fun and food and adventure for anyone. I'll be posting lots of pictures from that trip--bet on that! It may not seem like much, but when you're away from friends and family for such a long time, you really look forward to things like this. Besides, how many people get to see such sites in their lifetime? This is exactly what we had planned when I took this position in Kuwait--to travel and see the world. And so it begins!

On another note, I have made mention of how absolutely trashy this country is. I've been as graphic as I could, but without seeing, you may not be a true believer. So, I took the liberty of recording a little video while we were driving down the highway the other day. It's an HQ video, so you can freeze it at any point and see just how utterly disgusting this place is. I actually shot two videos--you can't see all of the trash properly in a single video!




Welcome to the world of Kuwait and all of its trash!

That's all for today. Until next time....