My Dearest Daughter, I have obeyed your demand and ordered new sheets. They will be delivered today. I will now schedule a plumber to fix that nasty shower head. Anything else I can do to make your stay more comfortable?
Ooo, excited for a new design and name. I love this newsletter, and so glad to have been here for its various evolutions over the past year. Very excited for the future of Cairo Dispatch!
I visited Amman and Petra in the mid-‘90s on a short visit to Jordan that I wish had been longer. Petra was unforgettable. I’m eager to read anything you have to say about Jordan. It will be interesting to hear your impressions and how your experiences compare with your stay in Egypt.
I really can’t wait to get to Petra! And I’m very curious to see how my experience in Amman compares to Cairo--my sense is it will feel pretty different. But I like change, so that’s exciting! And I’m looking forward to sharing here 😊
Looking forward to learning more about Jordan. I have a pre(mis?)conception of Jordan as one of the most politically calm countries in the region. So I'm curious whether that's true.
Also, where was that lovely picture taken?
Finally, I have had some family members make comments, and I always enjoy that. You found a very effective way to win that battle!
I’ve understood that to be true as well, though I haven’t been to Jordan before, so I’ll have to see how it feels! The Jordanian government is very pro-U.S., so I assume that will feel different from Egypt, where the relationship was tepid at best. I do wonder how recent events will affect that, though. Jordan has had some civil unrest and lately, but I don’t think it’s anything that would amount to real political instability.
And the photos were taken in a nature reserve close to my mom’s house in the Bay Area. :)
Happy New Year Sam! Excited for you and Nick that you guys are heading to Jordan. Hopefully we get to hear stories of the local cuisine. Also hopefully you guys experience swimming in the Dead Sea, that’s something that’s been on my bucket list for a long time.
The Dead Sea will be one of our first stops, I think!! That’s been on my bucket list as well (and sadly it’s shrinking, so I want to get there sooner rather than later). And I’ll definitely share what I find about local cuisine--I’ve heard the food in Jordan is excellent!
Missing our weekly coffee dates but excited to stay abreast on your life adventures through this newsletter, etc! Miss you, Sam! Oh and hope you thought to mail some sheets ahead to Amman - the welcome kit’s could give your childhood sheets a run for their money 😉
Katie!! Our weekly coffee dates are what I miss the most from Egypt ❤️ being back in the U.S. has made me realize how lucky we were to have a tight-knit community in Cairo.
And luckily we packed some sheets with us--we have an entire suitcase of linens that we’ve been dragging around the U.S., and I was almost questioning that choice until you mentioned the welcome kit sheets hahaha
Ooooh. How exciting. 2024 looks like another exciting year for you. We are travelling there in October along with Petra. Would love to hear about local delicacies and "off the beaten track" visits.
I am right there with you living in the in-between. It’s month 10. Same clothes I packed in March, a mattress on the floor (with excel sheet though 😉) & no sofa. Good luck with your transition & may it be swift!
Oh my goodness, month 10?? That is a brutally long transition, Gillian! I have a feeling we're in for a long wait before our stuff shows up in Jordan, but at least we'll have our sad State Department furniture 🫠
I STILL have a state department sofa that accidentally got switched with my beautiful brand new Crate & Barrel sofa bed at a VA warehouse. It’s on the mainland now finally getting recovered & restyled. I had white slipcovers for it, but I knew that baby blue & gold damask was lurking underneath 😂
Lol the dreaded baby blue and gold damask! This is such a classic expat moving story. It's kind of funny because it's so absurd, but it's also beyond infuriating...once Drexel worms its way into your life, it will follow you forever!!!
My Dearest Daughter, I have obeyed your demand and ordered new sheets. They will be delivered today. I will now schedule a plumber to fix that nasty shower head. Anything else I can do to make your stay more comfortable?
Ow! LOL
Ooo, excited for a new design and name. I love this newsletter, and so glad to have been here for its various evolutions over the past year. Very excited for the future of Cairo Dispatch!
I'm so glad to have you on board, Andrei 😊
I visited Amman and Petra in the mid-‘90s on a short visit to Jordan that I wish had been longer. Petra was unforgettable. I’m eager to read anything you have to say about Jordan. It will be interesting to hear your impressions and how your experiences compare with your stay in Egypt.
I really can’t wait to get to Petra! And I’m very curious to see how my experience in Amman compares to Cairo--my sense is it will feel pretty different. But I like change, so that’s exciting! And I’m looking forward to sharing here 😊
Looking forward to posts from Jordan!!
Thanks, Vicki! I'm super excited to share what I discover!
Looking forward to learning more about Jordan. I have a pre(mis?)conception of Jordan as one of the most politically calm countries in the region. So I'm curious whether that's true.
Also, where was that lovely picture taken?
Finally, I have had some family members make comments, and I always enjoy that. You found a very effective way to win that battle!
I’ve understood that to be true as well, though I haven’t been to Jordan before, so I’ll have to see how it feels! The Jordanian government is very pro-U.S., so I assume that will feel different from Egypt, where the relationship was tepid at best. I do wonder how recent events will affect that, though. Jordan has had some civil unrest and lately, but I don’t think it’s anything that would amount to real political instability.
And the photos were taken in a nature reserve close to my mom’s house in the Bay Area. :)
Happy New Year Sam! Excited for you and Nick that you guys are heading to Jordan. Hopefully we get to hear stories of the local cuisine. Also hopefully you guys experience swimming in the Dead Sea, that’s something that’s been on my bucket list for a long time.
The Dead Sea will be one of our first stops, I think!! That’s been on my bucket list as well (and sadly it’s shrinking, so I want to get there sooner rather than later). And I’ll definitely share what I find about local cuisine--I’ve heard the food in Jordan is excellent!
Missing our weekly coffee dates but excited to stay abreast on your life adventures through this newsletter, etc! Miss you, Sam! Oh and hope you thought to mail some sheets ahead to Amman - the welcome kit’s could give your childhood sheets a run for their money 😉
Katie!! Our weekly coffee dates are what I miss the most from Egypt ❤️ being back in the U.S. has made me realize how lucky we were to have a tight-knit community in Cairo.
And luckily we packed some sheets with us--we have an entire suitcase of linens that we’ve been dragging around the U.S., and I was almost questioning that choice until you mentioned the welcome kit sheets hahaha
Ooooh. How exciting. 2024 looks like another exciting year for you. We are travelling there in October along with Petra. Would love to hear about local delicacies and "off the beaten track" visits.
Oh, what an amazing trip! I will definitely share what I learn about hidden gems and good eats...I’ve heard great things about the food in Jordan!
Jordan sounds exciting! Can't wait to read about it!
I'm really looking forward to getting settled and finding all the gems Amman has to offer!
Can't wait for stories from Jordan, Sam! Looking forward to 2024 here. :-)
Thanks, Tom! Always glad to have you aboard :)
Looking forward to the new year with you.
:) Thanks for being here, Michael!
Really excited to hear all about Jordan! Yay!
I can't wait to share! I've never been to Jordan and I think there will be so much to discover!
I am right there with you living in the in-between. It’s month 10. Same clothes I packed in March, a mattress on the floor (with excel sheet though 😉) & no sofa. Good luck with your transition & may it be swift!
Oh my goodness, month 10?? That is a brutally long transition, Gillian! I have a feeling we're in for a long wait before our stuff shows up in Jordan, but at least we'll have our sad State Department furniture 🫠
I STILL have a state department sofa that accidentally got switched with my beautiful brand new Crate & Barrel sofa bed at a VA warehouse. It’s on the mainland now finally getting recovered & restyled. I had white slipcovers for it, but I knew that baby blue & gold damask was lurking underneath 😂
Lol the dreaded baby blue and gold damask! This is such a classic expat moving story. It's kind of funny because it's so absurd, but it's also beyond infuriating...once Drexel worms its way into your life, it will follow you forever!!!
Insha'allah!! And thank you, Kimia! 😊 I'm pumped to share this new chapter!!
(Also, side note: my mom has a Substack profile and her bio literally just says "Sam's mom" lol)