This is my first p[retty], h[appy], f[unny], r[eal]. For more, join the fine folks at Like Mother, Like Daughter. Also, I’ve finally figured out how to photo, so we have my first photo post just in time to share my overseas adventure.

On Sunday night we kicked off 31 hours of travel to go half-way ’round the world to see my sister in Bahrain and then take in as much as we can in the 2 weeks we’ll be in this part of the world. We landed in Bahrain on Tuesday afternoon (local time) and experienced very little jet lag…says the woman who is typing this at 3am. (I blame hormones not jet lag, but I’ve been wrong before.)

So, let’s get right to it.

Pretty

That top picture is a screen shot of our transatlantic tail cam mid-flight. Isn’t that wild? We flew so high for so long. There’s also a pretty little meteor.

Bottom left, my girl paddle-boarded like a champ. My sister lives on a canal, so the kids have been waking each morning and heading directly outside to propel themselves along like true Venetians Bahrainis.

Bottom middle, my girl breakfasting on the balcony overlooking the canal. You can’t even tell we’re on a desert island.

Bottom right, my dad gondoliering. My middle son informed me that, “Paddle boarding is my thing!” We’re not a bit surprised given his overall beach-bum outlook on life and the genetic legacy of my dad.

Happy

Top left, we went to “The Lagoon” on the “Floating Island” where my sister lives to eat dinner last night. We walked around the shops afterwards and my daughter found a cop car photo-op. We had spent hours poking around ruins, a mosque, and the camel farm and had forgotten to eat lunch. We were pretty happy to get dinner.

Top right, this little guy was only 1 week old and still had his umbilical cord hanging from his belly. My tender-hearted middle was in love.

Bottom, close and personal with the King’s camels. The kids really loved the royal family camel farm. It hosts 500 camels, which are kept as the King’s personal hobby. We were guessing he kept them for racing, but, no, it’s actually a camel dairy. Babies stay with their moms for 6 months and then the moms are milked until they dry up. The milk is for the personal use of the royal family and, according to the camel-keeper, it is “sweeter than cow’s milk.” Whodda thunk?

Funny

Top left, the architecture here is really interesting. Lots of creative license is taken and construction does not appear to be meant to stand the test of time, so design risks are regularly taken. Sometimes the result is truly form over function as in the case of this building, which was meant to house three wind turbines. If all three run, it makes the building sway so precariously that it is in danger of falling down.

Top right, GoogleTranslate is used frequently with varying results as in this traffic awareness sign warning that you not become a number in the statistical…

Bottom left, and this sign warning against “over speed driving.” I’ve also seen a sign for a gym advertising that workouts there will help you “loose weight and build muscle” and it entertains me to no end that parking lots are called “car parks.” A hotel down the street has an “exclusive car park” and near the shore there are “overflow car parks.” I want the cars to have a teeter-totter so much.

Bottom right, there really is a Starbucks on every corner. I wonder if there are translation problems from English to Arabic in this sign.

Real

31 hours of travel is no joke. We had an overnight flight to JFK on our first night because why not start the trip off tired. We were not able to check into our next flight for 6 hours, so we had to just make the most of the airport lobbies. We rode the AirTrain So. Many. Times.

Left, my oldest catches some zzzz’s on the 40th trip around the AirTrain circuit while…

Middle, my middle and youngest terrorized other passengers by hopping from seat to seat and spinning around the hand rails while…

Right, my husband stared into space.

Really, everyone did great. My kids were super-troopers and I’m so glad my dad is along for our adventure. It’s such a privilege to travel like this. We’re off to a new country tomorrow. Adventures abound.

Check out parts two, three, four, five, six, seven, and eight.