The Expat Wife Life: What do you DO?

One of the first questions I'm usually asked by new expat wives in Saudi is, "So what do you do here?" It's a simple question, with an interesting answer.


In short: I'm systematically ticking off my "things to learn when I retire" list! This includes:

• Playing Bridge, Shanghai and Canasta
• Learning Quilting and (soon) smocking
• Self-teaching crochet and (soon) knitting
• Doing Yoga and other exercise classes (yes, water aerobics is offered!)
• Shopping and going out to lunch

All with no alcohol, lots of coffee and homemade snacks. When I was kid-less, I found myself really clicking with the "empty-nester" ladies since we had a lot in common - lots of free time to ourselves that needs to be filled with some kind of social life. Many days were spent on the road to and from Khobar for shopping.

Now that we have Luke, my social agenda is usually limited to the four hours he is at play group in the morning, but it is still thriving, just different.

Some other activities that have kept me busy through the three summer I've spent here:

• Digital scrapbooking - making photo books of our vacations on Shutterfly
• Vacation planning - this really can take up hours and hours. From flights to hotels to activities to tickets to car rentals, vacation planning is a great way to focus on our next adventure and get my mind off the frustrations of life here.
• TV Show and Movie Binging - I am known for downloading an entire series of a TV show or movies on iTunes and watching them one after another.
• Sunbathing and exercising - most of this happened pre-baby.
• Drinking coffee and just generally hanging out with other ladies.

Living over here can be difficult. It is not for the dependent woman. You must be an independent sort who is willing to get out there and find things to do. However, it can be extremely rewarding to master a new craft or start a new friendship. The pace of life is much slower, allowing you time to focus your energy on what you truly want to spend it on.

When we are back in the US, I always feel like I'm barely keeping up with the busy schedule we are trying to keep. We are constantly in the car driving between commitments, and at night we sit and talk about all the things we have to do the next day. In contrast, there have been weeks in Saudi where I've only gotten in the car once to run to the grocery store. We walk between our friends' houses and the compound market for necessities and to the playground. We have more time to just relax in the evenings together as a family, and on the weekends we meet up with friends for play dates and grown-up game nights and potluck dinners.

While the lifestyle is slower, the opportunities to use your time are multiplied. The important thing is to think more about what you can do than what you can't (especially in this culture). There is so much that this kind of life offers, but only if you are willing to look at it as an adventure away from our Western lifestyle. Embrace the change and realize that you will do things here that you wouldn't back home, and that's okay.

Embrace the retirement community activities... they sure are fun and pass the time!

My first quilt - made in Saudi!