So yeah, its 2022 now

 

Life comes at you fast! I really had no intention of letting 4 years go by between blog posts but here we are. I'm sad that I didn't keep up with posting, we have done so, so much. Here is some of what we've done since 2018:

• went to Goa
• went to Cyprus
• moved to Dubai
• I got to see Beyonce in concert
• solo trip to Jamaica
• went to Mauritius
• Mima came to visit
• went to Seoul with a group of MUNers
• went on safari in Kenya
• solo trip to Turks & Caicos
• Rhys started pre-k
• went to Thailand
• went to NYC with a group of MUNers at the start of the pandemic
• went back to the Maldives
• went to Hatta
• went to Zanzibar
• went to Seychelles
• went to Ras al Khaimah
• solo trip to Antigua
• went to Orlando

Wow, that's a lot! I think maybe when I have time I will sit down and write a short post for each. I think it will be nice for Rhys (and me) to have to look back on one day.

Goodbye 2017, Hello 2018

I can't really remember how I brought in 2017 but I knew I wanted to end it on a high note, and what better way to do that than by going to the Maldives? Going to the Maldives has been on my bucket list for quite some time now, you literally cannot find a bad picture of it and I'm sure you'd be hard pressed to find anyone who didn't enjoy their time there. Now, if I had known beforehand that getting there would require 4 different kinds of transportation I might have chosen a different resort but it was an adventure I'm glad we had all the same.

So, because we live in Al Ain and the nearest airport is 90 minutes away, our journey started with a coach bus (provided by the airline) to Abu Dhabi. I think I've pretty much got traveling with a baby down to a science, or at least I thought I did until we lost Rhys' bear in the airport right after this picture was taken.  I'm pretty sure I was more upset about it than he was but I've learned to keep anything important in the luggage until we get to where we're going.

After the coach bus and the airplane, we had to take a seaplane to get to our resort which was its own island. I didn't think there would be as many people on the plane as there were but luckily it was only a short 45 minute flight. I don't mind flying normally, but taking off and landing in such a small plane made me nauseous.

When we finally got to the resort, we landed in the middle of the ocean. There was a small bit of dock that folded up right there in the water that didn't look big enough to hold much more than a few people. Just as I was wondering how we were going to get to the resort, which I could not see, a small boat came speeding up to take us, one other passenger, and the two pilots to the resort. I didn't get any pictures of that because it was either that or keep hold of Rhys.

The resort itself was amazing, there are no other words to describe it. The island took about 5 minutes to walk the entirety of. There were two restaurants, a spa, and about 40 villas. I love being surrounded by the ocean, the sound of waves crashing is so soothing to me. With the resort being so small, it was easy just to do nothing and enjoy our surroundings. Each morning we could see nurse sharks in the water from our breakfast table and little crabs on our walks to the beach. In the evenings, we would go watch old movies in their theater room since our room didn't have a tv. The weather was nice for most of the week but we did have rain once or twice which was a nice change of pace.

After a week in paradise, it was time to go home a little fatter (from all the yummy food), a little darker, and better rested. I never usually want to visit the same place twice but the Maldives is definitely worth a second visit.

On our way home, I did manage to get a few quick photos of our boat in the middle of the water as we waited for the seaplane to land and pick us up. They're not the best quality but you get the picture.

My guy is becoming quite the little traveler :) Our next trip will be to Goa, India in March.

A Year Later, An Update

It's been a whole year almost! I'm sorry I've been neglecting my blog but I'm back!

This year has been a rollercoaster for us, it has simultaneously flown by and dragged along. I kind of can't believe it's almost over. I'm not usually one to wish away the time, while I enjoyed 2017 and all it brought, I am so ready to be done with it. I pray that 2018 is less of a rollercoaster and more of a smooth sail across calm waters for us all.

Here is a look back at some of the highlights of our year...starting in July because honestly, January through June were basically a blur of sleep deprivation and trying to manage the balance of being a working mom and wife.

So, we made the long flight home when school ended in July for Rhys to meet my family. I had my brother call everyone together for lunch and we surprised them by casually arriving to surprise my mom. We learned that it takes Rhys a minute to warm up to people, just like his mama :) so he was a bit hesitant at first but eventually warmed up to everyone.

*maybe* his favorite uncle

cousin Jerica

Meema

Also in July, I took my first trip without baby and went to Cuba. I have to say I don't remember much about it other than I got to sleep a lot and eat good food but I really missed my baby. Most of my days revolved around walking to the main hotel in the area that sold internet access cards so that I could try and call home to facetime with Rhys, and pumping every 4 - 6 hours so I wouldn't get engorged and to maintain my supply. Luckily, Uncle Jamie was on the job and kept me updated with pictures like this.

Here are some other photos that I took on the trip. Looking back at them now, I don't think I truly appreciated the open availability of pork products and rice and beans while I was there. I sure wish I had some right now.

ready to go

yes to all of this

 

bath time at grandma's

 

"that was fun, now let's go home"

After Cuba, we only had a few weeks left in the states before heading home so we tried to get in as much family time as possible. We also squeezed in a quick trip to Virginia to spend some time with my dear friends Tara, and Renee and her family, who I unfortunately didn't get any photos of.

Rhys learned to walk while at my friend Sara's, and he met lots of his cousins and other family too.

uncle Jie

the fam's all here!

all the uncles

cousin Darian

Rhys immediately fell in love with cousin D

When we got back to this side of the world we still had a little time left before school started so we took a quick trip to Salalah, Oman. Although it is right next door, Oman experiences a monsoon season called "khareef" from June to September where it rains and is much cooler than here in the UAE. The rains cause it to be foggy in the mornings and provide water for plants to grow lush and green. The resort we stayed in had a nice children's club and little petting zoo that we enjoyed, but it was just nice to hear the sound of the ocean waves crashing all day. I'm very easy to please.

Next up was my birthday (snooze) and then Rhys' birthday. I can't believe I have a 1 year old! We did a cake smash photo shoot for him a few weeks before his actual birthday and then on the day had a pretty simple day of opening gifts, eating his favorite meal (chicken nuggets & fries), and then cake, which he wouldn't eat.

Since he's turned 1, we have been able to get out and do a little bit more so we made a few trips to Abu Dhabi within the last few weeks. First, we went to Emirates Park Zoo for a weekend. The zoo is pretty small as zoos go, but they have a small hotel and resort attached, so you can literally just step out of your room and see the animals. Rhys recently developed an affection for lions and has learned to roar like them. I'm pretty sure he thinks all animals roar, it's really cute. Of course, I was most impressed by the giraffes.

On another weekend, we went to the grand opening of The Louvre in Abu Dhabi. We did sort of a power walk through it because Rhys was cranky, but I hope to one day be able to take my time and appreciate all of the art there.

Finally, since we normally have a long weekend the last week of November for Martyr's Day and National Day, I took advantage of our 5 days off and booked a trip to Malaysia. We spent a day in Langkawi at the Berjaya resort, which was breathtaking and just the change of pace I needed, and then spent the other 2 days in Kuala Lumpur exploring the city.

Langkawi is a beach town in the jungle, the resort we stayed was surrounded by huge trees on one side and a beautiful beach on the other. There was a little tram that took us from the hotel lobby to our room, so we got to ride through the jungle and see monkeys and a few other animals. We were somehow upgraded to an over the water villa that had a nice balcony to sit on and enjoy the view. As great as I've become at packing, I always manage to forget something. This time it was the outlet piece of my phone charger. So after I took a few videos of the monkeys and tram ride to our room, my phone promptly died and we slept for 13 hours, right through my alarm. We woke up late for our flight, missed breakfast and made a mad dash to the airport while I prayed that we wouldn't miss our flight. All of my worries were for naught though, because in true island time fashion, our plane was delayed and the security check was pretty much nonexistent, so we made it to our gate in under 2 minutes.

"we've been traveling for 12 hours mom!"

From Langkawi we took an hour flight back to Kuala Lumpur. I wanted to take advantage of every hour we had there so I booked a city tour for an hour after we landed. We got to see a batik fabric factory, the Royal Selangor pewter factory (the world's largest), and Batu Caves.

handprints of workers are put up after 5 years of service at the pewter factory

pewter models of Petronas Towers

the steps to reach the top of Batu Caves

The following day we tried to go to the aquarium but the line was wrapped around the building, so we walked around and found KLCC Park which was right next to a mall and water park. Rhys enjoyed every single moment of his time at the park, he was in heaven and rightfully so because the playground is literally the size of ten regular ones combined.

Good morning Kuala Lumpur!

Unfortunately, we both got sick after our splash in the water and I learned that it's probably best not to let your child take a dip in a public pool if you're unsure whether it's chlorinated or not. Gonna tattoo that lesson on my arm so as not to forget it. We had a great time in Malaysia though, and would definitely visit again if we had more time.

So that is what we've been up to this year. We didn't get to travel as much as I would have liked but I'm happy with where we've been. Traveling with a baby isn't easy but it is so worth the experience. We've got 4 more days of school left before winter break and our next trip. We're going to my ultimate bucket list destination; the Maldives. I can't wait!