The Back Story

Many have wondered how I made it to Kuwait. I ask myself that question all the time. :)

In June of 1992 I was divorced and working at a law firm in New Orleans. A co-worker asked me to go on a double date since her boyfriend's college roommate was in town for a visit. All she could tell me was that his name was Sam and he was from the Middle East. Of course, I said No Way, No How! But my friend called several times trying to convince me -- a double date, dancing, dinner. What could go wrong?
(This picture is of us in Jordan in May this year.)

The evening went well. Sam from the Middle East had been married before and had a precious 3-1/2 year old daughter that he talked lovingly about and shared pictures of. That impressed me the most. The next day, he called and wanted to get together but I had already made plans with a friend. (I was making red beans & rice and Fran and I had rented Fried Green Tomatoes and Silence of the Lambs. What a combination of movies. My memory is not so good most of the time, but I remember that day clearly!)
(Here we are in Bahrain a few years ago.)

The next day Sam went back to Wheeling, West Virginia which was where he was living at the time. I saw him once that weekend and only once, but after he left, he proceeded to call me every day for weeks and then asked, if he sent me a plane ticket, would I go visit him in Wheeling. I had to consult with my friends on that one, but everyone said go for it! The consensus was that he was Tall, Dark and Handsome and how could I pass that up! So I went!

I was there for the July 4th weekend and had a great time. I met his daughter and his ex-wife's family in Ohio (Wheeling is just over the border in WV). It was such a beautiful area - a part of the country I had never been to before. The following month, he moved to Slidell where I was (outside of New Orleans). And the rest, as they say, is history. Of course, it hasn't been an easy road.

My husband is Palestinian but was born and raised in Kuwait and attended college in the States. When he asked me to consider coming to Kuwait so he could work with his father, I spent 6 months saying No Way, No How! I talked to lots of people and went through lots of emotions about it.

I decided to take the plunge. We married on October 20, 1994 and I have now been in Kuwait for nearly 15 years.


I have had the privilege of going to Jerusalem and meeting his family there. Friends went with us on that fabulous trip! Such a beautiful place!

(This is a picture of Yusef and Zack in Bethlehem.)

Never in my wildest dreams would I ever have imagined this is where my path would lead, but here we are, 15 years later.

HA! Not really. That was a fun picture we took in Dubai over the summer!

Happy Anniversary to us!