Going Outward Bound in Oman

There are many lessons that you can learn from nature. To start you learn how to appreciate the simple aspects of life, you learn how to take care of yourself and others, you learn organization, and you learn how to disconnect from the outside world. Last week I had the privilege of organizing another Outward Bound course for 25 college students in the Omani mountains. It is one of my favorite programs I get to organize and we were fortunate to have a great group of students who made the most of the experience. 

The course took place over 4 days and 3 nights but felt much shorter than that. Our journey began at 4:00am on May 10 as we departed campus for the airport and a 7:00am flight. We arrived in Oman around 10:00am and began to make our way to Jebel Akhdar (the green mountain) about a two hour bus ride from Muscat. People were tired, hungry, and ready to get started. Day one of the course focused on distributing gear, some basic team building, and learning how to set up camp. During the course students had to make camp, cook all their own food, carry their belongings on their backs, and hike each day. For many of them it was their first time doing each of these things and really stretched their comfort zones.

 

Over the time we had on the mountain students had some intense realizations about their own skills as a leader, how they interact with groups, some of the obstacles groups face in achieving results, and reflections on the privileges they have in their daily lives. Even for me as a course chaperone it was an opportunity to disconnect, reflect on the last year, and really appreciate all the things that have been happening in my life recently. For most of the participants the Outward Bound model of using the outdoors as a classroom is quite powerful. Opportunities like this are not common in the Gulf area so we are lucky to have this partnership in Oman.

 

This program marked the end of the academic year for me in Doha and the official start of summer. This year has been the most challenging yet most rewarding of my time in Doha. I am looking forward to the quiet time this summer to recover and spend time with great people.

Finally Making it to Beirut!

One of the biggest positives of being in Doha is the opportunity to take long weekends all over the world. And what is the best way to do this? With friends who see that place as a second home! For years now I have been putting off a trip to Beirut because I wouldn’t have enough time or I always knew it would be there. The first weekend in May my friends Ahmad, Peter, and Fiorella had plans to visit Beirut for the weekend. They knew I had never been and invited me along to celebrate Fiorella’s birthday. At first I was hesitant with only 3 days to spend there but in the end I booked my ticket and didn’t look back! 

The way it worked out my friend Ahmad landed in Beirut on Thursday afternoon and I would land at around 1am on Friday morning. To prevent me from needing to drop my bag, Ahmad brought all of my things with him on Thursday. So when I arrived at the airport I had a passport in hand, smile on my face, and was ready for a great weekend. When I got to Beirut I got in a cab and immediately went out to meet the group. We ended up at an underground club that we stayed at until the early hours of the morning. Lebanon is famous for its nightlife and this was the perfect introduction to it.

 

On Friday our touring of the country began. Lebanon is a small country and we did our best to see as much as we could in a short time. We did a road trip to the Al Shouf Cedar Forest to visit trees that were thousands of years old. On Saturday we visited the Jeita Grottoes, Harissa, and Byblos. Although all of the sites were amazing, Byblos was one of the most amazing places I have ever visited. It was set as an old fishing harbor and had so much charm and character. I could have walked around for days there. On our final day we took out my friend Peter’s boat to go to lunch in Batroun and celebrate Fiorella’s birthday. Ahmad and I flew out late that night to return to Doha and head straight to work on Monday. The whole weekend was a whirlwind but I can’t believe all the amazing things we got to do.

I know this won’t be my last time in Lebanon but I am so thankful I finally made the trip. So often I think to myself, “what can you see in just 2 or 3 days?” But once you arrive in country it is amazing how much you can see, do, and experience in a short time. I have never regretted any of those short trips and I hope to take more while I am here! Thanks to Peter, Ahmad, and Fiorella for organizing a great weekend!