We’re fortunate to have our nanny/sitter stay late on Thursdays so we can get out for a weekly date night. Last week we decided to check out a “Latin American” restaurant. I use quotes as it was more of a loose interpretation of an entire continent of food. Not Mexican, not Cuban, not Bolivian, not Argentinian, but an amalgamation of dishes that could be made with the ingredients that are available locally. It wasn’t bad…it was just different. This sentiment seems to be a recurring theme lately.
While we were at dinner, JR mentioned that we’re closing out our first month in Cairo and asked me, “Are you happy here?” This took me back to our first few weeks and months in Riyadh when he would periodically ask me the same question. I genuinely replied “Yeah,” and knocked on the wood table we were seated . “It’s good, it’s just different.” For those of you that don’t know, I’m superstitious. I don’t like to get ahead of myself. As positive as I try to be, I’m also realistic that things can change quickly. So if knocking on wood delays any negative energy coming our way, I’ll take that preventative measure.
Particularly when this is the toughest and most challenging time for me. It’s hard raising three incredibly energetic and strong minded children under the age of 4, while also getting adjusted to a new city, schedules, routines…and doing it all without our live-in nanny. My days start between 5-5:30 because that’s when the kids get up. I have tried to adjust their sleep schedules, but cannot figure out how to get them to sleep later. I’m sure this is a gripe of most parents. The first 2.5-3 hours of the day quickly flies by in a fury of diapers, trips to and attempts on the potty, making lunches, making sure we all sit down for breakfast together, getting faces washed and teeth brushed, asking the boys to tidy up their beds and put toys away, repeatedly, and get us all downstairs to meet the driver to get us to school on time. Somewhere in there I drink coffee and make myself look presentable for the day. Thankfully The Gents dress themselves, put their shoes on and grab their backpacks and lunches as we rush out the door.
By the time Pepa and I get back home I have a few peaceful moments while she takes her bottle. The 4.5 hours I have before returning to pick them up flies by with laundry, cleaning the rooftop, meal prep, looking for a job, running an errand, etc. I won’t even both you with the afternoon and evening routines. You get it, or you know it firsthand, it’s tough being a Mama. But it’s a lot of fun to spend so much time with these babes, to witness Pepa’s development daily, to observe improvements in The Gents’ schoolwork that they bring home everyday. I enjoy those few minutes on the way to school when we play Eye Spy and the return when we talk about their day. I get to interact with their teachers and know their classmates. If I was going into an office we’d be paying someone to do drop offs/pickups, and I’d miss all of this. I didn’t imagine a lot of aspects of this phase of my life with the kiddos or how much I’d be doing on my own. It will definitely make me a stronger mother. And it’s good, it’s just different.
And then there are the challenges of Cairo. It’s dirty, there is a lot of trash, you can’t go on a main street without someone asking for money. The kids and the elderly are heartbreaking. Uber drivers have no idea where they are going, and we rely on Uber a lot here while waiting on our care to arrive! There are SO many stray dogs and cats. Some are indifferent to Wally, some dogs bark loudly to assert their dominance, some dogs posse up to let us know to not come any closer (this also happened with just me a Pepa, too), some cats are really aggressive and try to scratch him. This is why it’s recommended that we all get rabies vaccinations…seriously. And then there are the lack of and sidewalk irregularities. Admittedly, I’ve gotten used to walking in the street, like everybody else does. I can’t wait to be able to drive myself and not have to depend on a driver to get us around. Again, it’s very different.
So much here is still an adjustment, and probably will be for quite a while. Some things we’ll never get used to, like the Friday-Saturday weekends of the middle east. We often think about Riyadh, since it was our last post, comparing certain aspects of it to Cairo. But it’s kind of unfair. It’s like comparing Riyadh to Virginia/DC and comparing Virginia/DC to Chicago. I didn’t even fully appreciate Chicago until after I moved back from London years ago. Each place I live I take a little bit with me, the positive and the negative. But to compare, and I admit I do, isn’t fair. Each is unique. If every city was the same we’d never leave home to travel. I do appreciate the challenging experiences because they make me appreciate home, and where we have been, even more.
Although it may be the most challenging time for me, it honestly is the most rewarding as a parent…and exciting as a traveler! There is definitely so much more available to us here as a family and travel that we couldn’t take advantage of while in Riyadh. We’re lucky to be here, for the personal experiences and JR’s career. I’m doing my best to exhaust my connections and look for opportunities, too. The Gents will have so many memories of this place and our travels in the region. Hopefully Pepa will have a few as well. So without sounding melancholy about it in the slightest, it’s ALL good, just different. xo