Exploring

This weekend we were anxious to get out and about to explore our new surroundings.  Keith was looking for a national forest, but his only "map" was the satellite image from Google Earth.  As it so happened, we ended up stumbling upon several cool spots in our search for the perfect "nature trail" to hike.

The first spot we accidentally discovered was this beautiful lake with picnic areas, a walking trail, and a large, fun playground.  We were tempted to get out and enjoy some time here, but decided to save it for another day.

Keith let his nose guide him to where he thought the national forest would be... well, we turned off into a bunch of trees and headed up a narrow winding road that was reminiscent of the Road to Hana in Maui (another amazing place!)

Even though we didn't find the particular trail for which Keith was looking, we did find this trail...

We saw giant ants (and I mean giant... like 1 inch long!), red dragonflies, and LOTS of mosquitoes.  Some things don't change on the other side of the world!  

Next, we stumbled upon some beautiful gardens, the National Forestry Center, and a museum!

Terima Kasih means "Thank You" in Malay

This was the exit at the museum

Our last discovery (of which I didn't get any photos) was a huge recreation area with lots of hiking trails and an awesome playground for the kids.  By this time, however, the kids (and I) were tired and ready to go eat lunch, so we plan to return another time.

We drove back to Seria town, where we ate at a local fast-food restaurant called Jollibee.   It's kind of like a KFC, but instead of mashed potatoes, you get a ball of rice as your side dish!  Very Asian.

We had a great time exploring, and all of this was within just 25km or so (gotta get used to metric!)  Just wait until we really venture out into the Borneo jungle!!!

What are we doing on the other side of the world?!?

Although I have kept a personal journal since I was in 3rd grade, I am one of those people who said I would NEVER have a blog.  I am also one of those people who said I would NEVER move to another country.  I am eating my words, because obviously I am now doing both of those things!


So, HOW ON EARTH DID WE END UP HERE?


About 7 months ago, Keith called me from work (at Shell in Houston) and said, "What do you think about Australia?"  I think I said something like, "Australia is nice, and I like their accent."  He asked what I'd think about moving there.  For some reason I didn't immediately tell him he was crazy for asking me that, but rather I actually considered the possibility!  Well, that opened up the door in my mind for being an expat, and when the Brunei opportunity came available, Keith thought it would actually be a better fit than Australia.  My first question was, "Where is Brunei??? I've never even heard of it!"  


So began my geography lesson... Brunei is in Southeast Asia, on the island of Borneo.  Borneo is divided up mainly between Indonesia & Malaysia, but a tiny little piece on the NW side, by the South China Sea, belongs to Brunei.  It is 5 degrees north of the equator, and pretty much about as far as you can get from Texas.  Literally.  It is truly on the opposite side of the world!


Keith and I started praying about where we should be... whether Australia, Brunei, or Houston.  I started getting the answer that Brunei was going to become home.  BUT... Keith still had to apply for the position and be accepted.  In late March he got the word that he'd been hired.  SURREAL is all I can say.  What on earth were we thinking?  Were we really going to do this?  Surely it would somehow fall through.  I didn't even have a passport!


Fast forward to August 15 when our family of 6 landed in Brunei, after a 32 hour trip.  That alone was a bit insane with 4 kids ages 8, 7, 4, and 1!  People on the plane would ask if we were on vacation, and it was so strange to reply, "No, we are moving to Brunei."  Wait, did those words just come out of my mouth???  Yes, they did.  Holy cow.  We ARE really doing this.  We are actually here.  It still feels surreal.  Like it's just a vacation.  I don't know when reality will set in, that we are, in fact, living on the opposite side of the world.  It's crazy!


Who knows what amazing adventures lie ahead for us, and what God's plan is for us over here?  That remains to be seen.  For now we are going to embrace the experience.  Today is our 4th day here, and so far so good!  The kids got to feed monkeys today, we enjoyed a nice, cool day on the playground (yes, it was overcast and cool this morning!), and I ate some yummy Singapore fried noodles for lunch.  This afternoon we plan to go to the pool.  Keith has the day off because it's a Muslim holiday celebrating the revelation of the Quran.   Brunei is a Muslim country, although they are tolerant of Christians.  Not sure what we'll do for church though... stay tuned for that one.


I hope to share our experiences, as well as the unique culture, with our family and friends through this blog.   So many people have requested it, so I hope I don't disappoint!  Thanks for reading!