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Published: September 11th 2006
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Did I say one more trip? I should have known better. When October finished we loaded up and headed south to Grants Pass and Mike’s family. I dropped Mike off and headed north to The Dalles where mom was scheduled for a knee replacement. The timing was right for us and I was able to be there for her for family support and as caregiver once she got out of the hospital and the rehab facility. I am pleased to say she is now 100% mobile and pain free. I spent Thanksgiving with my family and Mike with his. Christmas we were actually together in Grants Pass.
Mike & I had both been fighting off colds for a couple of weeks and Mike was recovering from hernia surgery which meant no lifting so we decided to head toward sunnier days and warmer temperatures. I had always read about very cheap vacations being available for last minute bookings so we decided to see if it were true. Well, we ended up booking a 7 day trip to the island of Isla Mujeras (island of women), located about 7 miles off the coast of Cancun, Mexico. What a beautiful place! Thanks to
my sister for the suggestion. Our hotel sat on the beach and we enjoyed the sounds of the waves as we slept. It was a great full service hotel (a photo is below) with a fresh water pool next to the beach and each room having either a patio or balcony with a hammock. You could get room service or a massage either in your room or on your balcony/patio. Now normally this would be a good thing (you would think) except for the sighting of a naked (does the little towel covering his fanny count?) fat guy with a hairy back getting a massage on his ground level patio near the pool. It was like the jaws movie all over again. Children running and screaming and parents grabbing their kids to keep them away. It was only a 10 minute walk to the village-center. Our days consisted of quiet mornings on the balcony followed by a walk on the beach, then a walk into town for some lunch; this always started with a big bowl of fresh guacamole and cold beers. The afternoons were spent lazing around the hotel, a nice little siesta and then come evening we it
would be off to town for a dinner. A cool breeze would always show up around dusk, making the evening meal even more enjoyable. Towards the end of our trip we went snorkeling at one of the near-by reefs and were treated by the sight of many colorful fish. The island was populated by stray dogs and cats who were all very friendly. The dogs were out during the day and the cats at night. They would both hang around the restaurants hoping for a generous tourist to provide them with a snack. Of course we had to give them something. They were so friendly and skinny! One of the benefits of the trip was that we rid ourselves of our colds but it did take a few days. One of the results of my cold was laryngitis. For 4 of our Mexican days I couldn’t talk or even whisper which when combined with Mike not being able to lift or carry the luggage made for getting some strange looks from the hotel and taxi drivers. A silent wife who carries all the luggage. For Mike the luggage part was not bad but the lack of conversation made for some
Hotel
View of the hotel from the pool. quiet meals. Gorgeous sunrises and sunsets, excellent food and an over-all laid back atmosphere that made it very hard to leave. But we did, and now it’s time to start the next phase of our travels. IRAQ!
Yes, you read that correctly and no we aren’t crazy. So, why Iraq? Well, a friend of ours in Houston, Texas works for a large company that supports the military camps in Iraq; feeding the soldiers, transportation of supplies and basic maintenance of the camps themselves. While visiting with him last year he suggested we consider working for his company doing administrative jobs and after much debate we decided to take advantage of the opportunity. Even though the living conditions will be rough there are many pluses. The pay is very high, we get 3 paid vacations a year (10 days each) with airfare covered by the company plus they provide all meals and housing. We first go to Houston on Sunday, the 6th of February for 2 weeks of briefings and training then it’s off to Iraq. Our contract will be for one year, with the option of extending for another.
Mike’s job is Operations Specialist and mine is Logistics Coordinator. We’ve read the job descriptions but they’re pretty vague. You’ll just have to wait until we start working to find out the details of what we’ll be doing day to day. Right at this moment we are staying with Mike’s parents in Rogue River Oregon, packing our bags and boxes and waiting for Sunday to arrive. The next journal you receive will be from Iraq. Wish us luck!
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