2 months under my belt and still smiling** :)

I can't believe it ... but I've already been in the largest sandbox for TWO MONTHS!!!!!!!!!!!  Time has flown by!!!!!!!!  I can't tell you how often I think, "wow, I really DO live and work in Saudi Arabia - this isn't a dream!!!"  Granted, it's a dream come true :) awwwwww :)

Soooo, first off - I apologize that I haven't posted since I moved here ... life has been super super super crazy and I didn't have internet in my villa until recently :)  Get ready for your life to be filled with a few more sparkles, because miss sarah jean kleven is ready to blog awayyyy :)

Since I haven't posted for two months, here's a quick rundown of fun things that have happened while living in the Kingdom:
- camels.  they're everywhere in the desert - and every time I see one, I squeal with excitement :)  FYI: you have to go out INTO the desert to see them ... they don't wander down the streets or sleep in my backyard (which is what I thought might happen!!!!)
- i coached the varsity B girls volleyball team :)  I had so much fun with these girls ... lots of laughs, smiles, and goosebumps (because they grew SO much over the course of our 4 week season)

- I found Tillamook cheese AND wisconsin cheese at the grocery store!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I screamed in the aisle :)  I've also found Bob's Red Mill (what up Portland and gluten free, wha whaaaat!!!), MAC make-up, Forever 21, Starbucks, Theo chocolate, and a jumbo extra large craft store :)

- NACHOS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  my Nach-yo pub girls would be so excited/happy/proud :)  granted, the nachos here are kind of weird :)  Last weekend while in Bahrain, I had nachos with bbq sauce on them????  aka middle easterners don't know how to do mexican well, ha ha :)

- there are no addresses???  weird, right??  you can only imagine how hard it is to describe to someone HOW to get to our villa ... just ask my neighbor, Jodi, what I told her after dealing with a guy to instal our internet after describing our address for TWO HOURS (no joke) - it may have involved the "corner of Sand avenue and a naughty word"  :)  But, seriously - my villa (An Nassim) is phenomenal ... here is  picture of my villa!!!!

- I've gone many times to Ikea ... and come home with THIS many bags, whoops :)  my villa 'might' look like a bright colored rainbow exploded in the style of Ikea :) ha ha :)  ps - pictures of my villa will come as soon as I paint the place :)

- I went to a rugby game with Tanya and Bob on Sara Village Compound (where all the British airspace folks live ... it's an amazing place!!!!!!!!!!!).  We had SO much fun this night!!!!  We drank a lot of apple juice (show in picture!!), laughed, met tons of people, and may have attempted the "dirty dance" lift in the middle of a bar while I was wearing my red/white striped badger game day bibs :)

- i. love. the. craft. store.  it's called Zamil's :) and it makes me smile :)  4 floors of some of best craft treasures :)  I had a jumbo bean bag made there a few weeks ago (awesome) ... and I found the fabric that my mom used to make me my "horse quillow" when I was in 7th grade (aka 1994)!!!!!!  my brother's "fish blanket" fabric was there too!!!!!!!!!!!! :)

- The food is great!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  We do a lot of delivery :)  and also make a lot at home :) ... Tanya, Jodi, and myself (the tree amigas) order in every Friday night (which is our "sunday" since we have thursday and fridays off!!!!)

- I also danced my butt off and drank some grape juice at October Fest at Sara Village Compound (remember, it's a realllllly awesome place!!!)  Tanya and I had A LOT of fun that night, A LOT!!!!!!!!!!!! :)

Okayyyyyyy, I gotta run (jumping on a flight to Oman tonight with my friends Tanya and Mark!!!!!!!!!!!!)

hearts and hugs ... miss you all :)


** speaking of belts, I purchased a GLITTER belt from Forever 21 today!!!!!  glitter + Forever (31) = two of my favorite things, awesome :)