Outward Bound Oman

Well this post is coming quite a bit late but wanted to make sure I gave the update from the latest program for work. From May 12-16 I had the privilege of bringing 22 Education City students to Oman for an Outward Bound program. Outward Bound was founded in the UK in 1941 and is a program that challenges youth towards personal development through outdoor education. There are Outward Bound schools in 33 different countries including Oman. Outward Bound Oman (http://www.outwardboundoman.com/) has been around for 5 years and is the only school in an Arabic speaking country. I have been working with them since September to get a group from Qatar to join in their program.

We traveled to Oman on May 12 as a group and arrived in Muscat in the morning. Once we arrived we went directly to Jebel Akhdar (the Green Mountain) where we would spend the next 4 days. The students we brought were separated into a male group and a female group. This not only honored local culture but provided fewer distractions in an already challenging environment. We would be hiking and camping for 4 days and 3 nights without running water, no showers, no proper toilets, and making all of our meals. For most students this was a trip of first. First time traveling without family, first time cooking, first time cleaning, first time camping, first time hiking. It created a very challenging environment but I was VERY impressed with how they rose to the occasion. Outward Bound Oman and their staff ran an incredibly organized and thoughtful program. My role was just as an observer and it was great to sit back and learn.

Over the course of the 4 days you saw noticeable change within the students. They were more responsible, more proactive, worked together more efficiently, and most importantly learned how to manage their time. We ran on a tight schedule and there was a lot that had to get done each day. We would wake up every morning at 6am, needed to have tents broken down by 6:30am, breakfast finished by 7am, and we were having the morning brief before 8am. Being out in the wilderness during the program was just amazing. I felt very lucky to have this kind of opportunity and was very proud to see the vision for the program become a reality. It did an amazing job highlighting another GCC country and I believe that students had a transformative experience. As we have gotten reviews and feedback about the program, it is one of the most successful we have done this year. It was a great way to end the year for programming and I can't wait to go again next year!

Summer is quickly approaching in Doha and might even already be here. Temperatures are upwards of 115-120 degrees each day and people are just beginning to leave for summer holidays. Next weekend I will be in Egypt visiting Amrou before my big trip to South America that I leave for on June 21. This is going to be the summer of a lifetime and can't wait to share my adventures with you. Talk soon!

 

Return to the Lonestar State and the Frigid North

Ever since moving to Doha, America has called my name more times than I thought it would. Whether it is for conferences, graduations, or in this case weddings. I was lucky enough to be invited to the wedding of Miss Erin Lavey (now Erin Andrews...but not the one you are thinking of) and Mister Kyle Andrews. Not only was I invited but I had my second go-around as a "Bridesman" along with Brennan Biddle and Mister Michael Shea Kelly. While I was in the US I figured it would be a good idea to spend some time at home so I made a little trip of it.

The trip started with visiting my parents on Long Island for Easter. Brandon was able to work from home a few days so we had a long weekend together in Massapequa. It was great having some quality time with them, much less rushed than my previous visits home had been. While I was home I had the chance to catch up with fiends, family, and even my high school guidance counselor (many of whom I had not seen in over a year). Felt great to be back on the old stomping grounds but things really got going once I arrived in Austin.

I got to Austin on a Wednesday morning. I was picked up at the airport by Erin, Kyle, and Brennan. Once in the car we went immediately to the cowboy boot and hat warehouse. I picked out my attire for the rest of the week, a pair of brown cowboy boots and white cowboy hat. It was perfect. After a few hours Kristal arrived from New Zealand (some 33 hours of travel to get there...and with a smile on her face no less) and we could properly begin celebrating. The first big story from the trip was the Air BnB room that Kristal and I stayed in. We have used Air BnB on nearly even trip we have taken and have had great experiences. This time we couldn't find a private apartment or home so we rented a room in a house of two girls, Iris and Hope. They were incredibly kind, had a quaint little house, but the decorations were a bit odd. The entire
house was covered in Dia de lost Muertos dolls, which was fine enough until we got to the bedroom. Over the closet door, written in chalk was REDRUM (shout-out to Jack Nicholson). I even tried to erase it before Kristal arrived so it wouldn't freak her out, and it wouldn't erase. The rest of the week we referred to it as the "Murder" room and actually did stay there. We survived two nights before checking in to our cabin with the rest of the crew for the wedding.


Speaking of the wedding, Erin and Kyle have set the bar incredibly high for any future wedding I attend. Not only was this a 2 day, 2 night affair...they also had a food truck serve on sight, had a full catered BBQ from Salt Lick, had us float the river the day of the rehersal, had corn hole and ladder golf, had cabins for all the guests, and Erin even wore Cowboy boots with her wedding dress!!! It was incredible. Not only was the wedding a huge hit but it was the first time in YEARS that myself, Matt, Brennan, and Shea were all in the same place. Brennan, I get to see all the time. But Shea and Matt?!?! It had been too long. I wish the wedding could have lasted a week, but like all other good things it came to an end. 

 

After Austin, Kristal and I made our way back up to NY to start celebrating her birthday week. Her birthday was May 6th so we figured might as well start the celebrations in NY! We had dinner with Uncle Bill and Aunt Eileen, we made dinner for my parents, we visited vineyards and farm stands, we saw the statue of liberty, we rode a broadway bus through times square, and even trucked through freezing rain and winds all day in NYC!!!! Kristal, being the small town girl that she is, just LOVES New York City and it was so much fun watching her light up even when the weather was miserable. It was a huge contrast from the hot and humid Austin we had been in days before. As our time in NY came to a close it was time for Kristal to head off to Minnesota and me to make my way back to Doha.

 

I am so privileged and thankful for being able to visit home as much as I have and still be part of the lives of friends and family back in the states. It was an amazing trip and definitely made me miss home and the people that are there. My hope is to come home from the Christmas holidays next and do my best to see people I didn't get the chance to see while I was stateside this time. My next adventures on this side of the world are taking a group of students to Oman for an Outward Bound trip next week (http://www.outwardboundoman.com/), followed by a potential visit to Egypt to visit the one and only Amrou Kotb as he finishes his time in Cairo. Thanks for checking in and until next time!!!