The end is here!

It seems poetic that this post comes exactly 2 months after the last one. Like everything in my life, this blog has taken a back seat while my training has been taking place. Most of our conversations either start or end with the phrase "after training" and it seems this day has been a long time coming! Well finally it's here! Today is "after training" and so is tomorrow, the next day and every day to come!

S and I both did really well and I am so proud of him and myself! It was a lot easier to cope with it all once we got back to the Middle East, we had our own routine and were at more similar stages of training so could actually help each other rather than one confusing the other! Now it is over I keep thinking of all the things I promised I would do "after training" and wondering where to start! The obvious three are of course the wedding, Christmas and my diet!
I haven't done too badly really, I finally weighed myself the other day and could barely stand to look at the numbers, but it was a pleasant surprise when I did. I have of course gained weight but it was only 8lbs in total and I can live with that.
I finally used our kitchen for the first time yesterday, while on triaining we have been surviving on take away and eating out as neither of us had the energy to cook and I think it's time to get our eating habits back in line or we will be fat and broke in not too long!

Our very first visitors have already been and gone, my parents came out in November and it was absolutely wonderful having them. We did a few touristy bits but generally just spent the time catching up, chatting and stocking up on hugs! I made the mistake of dropping them off at the airport and not stopping which I will never do again. It doesn't matter that it takes five minutes extra to park the car or that you only stay together while they check in, every second counts when you miss people as much as I do and I could kick myself for not stopping. The journey home was heart-wrenching and unfortunately only highlighted how wonderful it had been to have someone familiar around and how lonely our first few months have been.

Friends are a hard concept the older you get. When you are young it's so easy, share a doll, kick a ball back and you have made a friend, but when you get to our stage of life it's a little different. Luckily sharing a drink seemed to work and we have met a lovely couple who are also new out here. I am realising how geographical friends are, if they are not party to your day to day goings on it is very easy for them to become someone you once knew. With the age of Facebook and email upon us you would think it would make it easier for people to stay in touch, and yet it seems to separate us further. Why would you bother emailing someone when you have read "updates" on their lives and can see they are doing ok. It certainly seems to be the way of things and a week ago I dispaired at the 314 "friends" I had on Facebook and finally culled anyone who wasn't family or hadn't contacted me within a year. I now have 118 and the number is due to continue dropping!

Unfortunately it's not like you can assume that family make the grade either. The saying "you're given family, thank god you can choose your friends!" has different meanings to different people. It is true though, the only family you ever choose is your partner and the rest are just in the package. I have been very hurt by at least one family member, and I know I am not alone in that. I have been here 5 months now and have not heard from him once. I used to have him on a pedestal, he is charming, very intelligent, highly motivated and can be the centre of attention in any room he chooses. But there is the problem, it's when he chooses, and only then. You can't win them all though, and I'm very blessed with the family I have and the friends that do make the effort. Those who have followed the ups and downs of the last few months, provided advice when advice was needed and an ear to listen when I needed to talk. I hope I can do the same for you.

This week brings exciting times, it's my birthday which always makes me act like a kid. It's the one day where you are justified in expecting it to be all about you and I don't really mind how that sounds as I am very easy to please really! My family always make a big deal, with presents and champagne, flowers and a big cake and sometimes decorations too! This year it is just my husband and I and I guess we have to start new traditions of our own. I'm interested to see what it's like!

After that comes Christmas, and what a strange one this will be! On our own in a sandy, Muslim country celebrating Christmas... It should be entertaining! When I was younger, my dad was always home at Christmas, and now I appreciate that that couldn't possibly have been correct. Pilots are NEVER off for the holidays you want and certainly wouldn't get Christmas off 12 years in a row! It turns out my mum just moved Christmas to a day when he was around! You never know what date it is as a kid anyway and it meant much more to us to be together as a family than what day of the month it was! Seeing as S and I are working on the 25th this year we have done the same! Our advent calendars will have to wait a few days so they match up with our day on the 28th! I have even told our friends all about this as we plan to spend our Christmas eve playing games and having drinks with them all. For them it's an added party and for us it's making sure Christmas is celebrated together.

Now I just have to find a Christmas tree in the desert... Shouldn't be too hard right?!