2 Weeks in Abuja

Well, folks...I have been in Abuja for two weeks and that is how long it took for me to gain access to my blog. I appreciate Google's two-step verification, but seriously...

I try to ask the kids each day what moment was their High, Low (if anything) and Something to Grow/Improve.

The Highs:

Our compound is full of children and friendly neighbors, pools are beautiful and the house is comfortable and spacious.

We met and hired a steward who is hard-working and an awesome cook.  We are lucky have met home via a departing employee.

Quick WiFi access on Day 2

Tropical fruits are abundant and sweeter than I have ever tasted

Most of all, the pace of living here is slower and relaxed. For someone coming from D.C. with our precious bad commutes and rushed evenings, it has been wonderful to get our afternoons/evenings/weekends all together with limited school/extracurricular obligations.

The not so good:

Internet data plans run out here. After streaming a few movies over the weekend, our Internet plan "ran out". The issue can be solved by purchasing a scratch card to load more until the month rolls over.

Not having a car. We are not in a walkable neighborhood at all, so not having a car has been very tough. We have carpool, a shuttle and motor pool, but I miss having wheels. I am hopeful the car will be here by Christmas. 

A cash based society means always having to plan ahead for purchases. Probably not a bad thing for people who need to be budget conscious.

Beer selection. 

Improve:

Need to get to the Catholic Church. It's a goal of ours to get to Mass this weekend!