Arriving

What a journey it has already been. I arrived in Muscat Oman International Airport on June 11 after a remarkably smooth flight with one stop over in Amman Jordan where I was graciously given a hotel room to hang out in for 7 hours. From my very first interaction I have noticed something unique about people in the Gulf. They are genuinely kind. It is the little things; an easy smile, an eagerness to hear about your story, a business card or contact. They open doors for you, let you skip in line, guide you through the confusing airport terminal towards your gate... etc. At 5:10 AM the sliding doors inside the airport slowly slid open to my handsome Lynny waiting for me with flowers in hand. I dropped my luggage and ran into his arms. I hope I can always remember how great it felt to be back in the arms of the man I love after so many months away.

So, what can I tell you about Oman thus far?

Oman is HOT. Can you recall what it feels like to pour water of the coals in a sauna? That is the type of gusty wind blowing around the city. Somewhere over in Saudi Arabia there is a giant sand storm twisting its way around kicking up tons of sand and blowing them our way. The sky is so sandy that you can look directly into the sun without squinting. It is one giant white ball burning a little less bright than other areas in the the world. The sky looks dirty. On our trip to Dubai we were unable to visualize the skyline from our hotel. I am told that these storms only last 4-5 days though and soon the blue sky of Oman will return.

Our group here is quite remarkable. We have Lynn, David, Katy, and Brett the AIESEC start-up team all from the US. Then we have the trainees Elina (Russian born, moved to the US), John (US), Mikael (Finnland), Mufadel (Pakistani American), Hajo (German), and Celeste (US). Gail (India) is also living in our house until the end of the month when her traineeship in UAE begins. The AIESEC Oman students are pretty incredible too. The first national conference for AIESEC Oman took place during my first couple days here and I was able to meet the female students and here they stories on why they want to join this international organization. The Omani guys have really surprised me with their sharp witty sense of humor. They are hilarious to be around, everything turns into a joke.

My first week here was quite incredible. I can only imagine what lies ahead.