arrival: Santorini

After another awesome departure from Jeddah International at 3am, I spent a 10 hour layover in the beautiful Cairo airport.  Note to the World: if you find yourself with a long layover in Cairo (which you shouldn't because you should never ever ever fly with Egyptair), pay the 35 euros to get into the executive lounge.  Best 35 euros ever spent.  After a nap in the comfy oversized lounge chairs, a cappuccino, and a pain au chocolate, I headed to my gate and departed for ATHENS!  Several hours later, and a couple of This American Life episodes listened to, I was in Athens.  I waited another couple of hours for my connection to Santorini and one diet coke and a 30 minute flight later, I touched down and found myself in paradise.

I quickly grabbed a taxi to my hotel where my mom, sister, a bottle of wine, fresh fruit, and the caldera awaited me....

one of those days

Today I am on a busy bee!  Flitting around the lab, checking things off my "To Do List," making plans.  Do you ever have those days where you feel like you are just really on top of it all?  Things are being accomplished, you feel like you got this down.  

Perhaps its just that I have had way too much coffee, but today is one of those days for me, and I am glad for it!  The past several weeks I have felt like I am churning my wheels and getting nowhere (besides Spain, Germany, and Greece)...  sitting in front of the computer for 8 hours a day editing manuscript figures, forgetting to order some reagent for someone, not knowing what is the next step in my life.  At times I get a bit boomboogled, but not today, today I've got it all figured out!

Have a good rest of your week, I hope you have a day like this soon!

the road never ends unless you let it

Spain was great, really great.  The week back to work and back to Saudi was not so much fun.  It is starting to get really hot here.  I mean sticky, sweaty, at 8am.  I always find it is hardest living A. in the summer and B. when I am coming and going from here frequently.  I suppose that might be true of vacationing from anywhere, but here, in KSA, it seems that a "readjustment period" of at least three weeks is really necessary following a vacation abroad.  I guess it is just hard seeing the normal things that we miss out on here...

...that being said, I cringed my way through the week following the Spain trip and then I packed up my bags again and headed to Greece!

End of the Road

We drove and drove and drove until finally out of  nowhere the road turned up the mountain and we saw the most beautiful view out the window.  The day of driving was worth it to watch the sunset at Formentor.  

Mallorca was amazing.  Really a beautiful island and if you get the chance to go, do it!  Rent a car, drive around, eat lots of Paella, drink some Sangria and hang out at the beautiful beaches!

poppies, sheeps

We drive along and they yell, "SHEEPS!!"  I kindly tell them that... sheep is the plural of... sheep.  But I think that english rule should be changed because a flock of sheeps is much cuter than just one sheep.  Especially when those sheeps ar frolicking through a POPPY field!  Seriously, I don't think I could have more of a Dorothy moment... if only I had red shiny shoes...

But I really like those sheeps and poppies.  The bright red specks strewn across the field, furry little tails waddling around.  It was like a perfect sunny moment right in the middle of no-where Mallorca... 

GRRR.... mean people....double grrr

Have you ever worked with someone that is just rude?  Like someone that feels the need to make every interaction a power struggle?  Come on, you know these people, maybe you work together on a project and they give you very limited information about the topic and then they belittle you when don't provide the correct answer or product?  Well I am dealing with one of these right now.  I am working on a paper with this lady and she not only delays our progress but she makes me feel bad about myself.

I dedicate this video to her...



..sorry Grandmas for slightly explicit content!

a Soller

Our first day in Mallorca we hopped in the car and hit the road for Soller, one of the little towns outside of Palma.  With pop music blaring, we navigated the winding roads through the hillside until we spotted the cute little stone town.  We parked our bite-sized vehicle among the Fiats and SmartCars, and explored the little town, wandering into the shops, stopping for cappuccinos, and taking photos of the cute little flowers in every window.