A good friend of mine Sadie’s Nestsadiesnest.com asks me questions about times and places after I post a story. We moved around allot in Saudi so I realized it might be confusing. I am posting a timeline for anyone who follows my story and finds it helpful.This timeline was compiled with the best intentions so if there are any errors I apologize in advance. Here it is and I tried to add pictures if I had them for each time period. Thanks for reading and supporting me!
October 1993
Moved from Seattle to Riyadh Saudi Arabia
Boys attend first school in Riyadh a few blocks from the villa
Lived in Villa with no furniture
June 1994 moved to apartment with no electricity downtown Riyadh
Boys attend second grade at a different school next door to apartment
June 1995 Moved to Al-Khobar and into first compound
Boys attend a nice, Westernized school
Picture below is the pool at the compound
June 1996 moved back to Riyadh to large new compound
The two older boys started at a large school in Riyadh.
June 2002 Moved out of the compound and to a little compound in Riyadh
June 2005 Took the two oldest boys to America to University.
When we came back we moved to a different small compound in Riyadh.
June 2008 moved back to Al-Khobar to Villa
2009 moved back to the United States
Wow-yes a lot of moving! But you are home in US now…Never to return to Saudi, I hope!
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yes no way!!!
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Too many years away (from home) but the memories will always be there not only for you but for your children. As I have said before we can not always choose who we fall in love with; you were young and it was all romantic and lustful. The hardships made you stronger. He is the loser Lynz not YOU! Remember that point. Cheryl
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Thanks Cheryl!
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I agree with Cheryl!
I can’t imagine 16 years in such a suffocatingly stifled atmosphere.
And however did you live without furniture??
Well, you certainly learned gratefulness for when you got away, didn’t you??!!
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yes I did. We had no beds for about 2 years and no real furniture until we moved to the compound.
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Oh my goodness. You have suffered so much.
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Thanks for reading my timeline
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Of course! You’re welcome, Lynn. That’s what friends do!
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🙂
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I love your stories! 🙂
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thanks so much 🙂
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The separate boys and girls section in schools over here too. I love your recount.
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yes common all over middle east syria too
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I can’t imagine living like that. Tough on you and your kids. Thank God you are back in the states and safe. Blessings & hugs!
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Thanks dear!
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Thank you for sharing this Lyn
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Sure I just posted another part so I thought let me add this to it! thanks dear!
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You are welcome Lyn. You are such an extraordinary woman :))
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I’m reading and learning … hanging on your every word.
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thanks so glad you are reading. I have my memoirs at the top if you ever want to read them! thanks!
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Thanks so much for posting the timeline, Lynn. I am so inspired by you — you are such a sweet friend and such a wonderful mother to your children! Blessings to you, sweet Lynn!
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Thank you dear Anna! Maybe some day we will say hi in person at sadies lol
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I would love that, Lynn!! 😀
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🙂
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I’d love that too! Maybe one day we can make it happen:)
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coool 🙂
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But through it all you have stayed strong and your kids had a wonderful mother, they will have learnt valuable lessons on life…bless you all 🙂
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Thanks so much! 🙂
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“June 1995 Moved to Al-Khobar and into first compound
Boys attend a nice, Westernized school”
For me June 13, 1995 was my birthdate 😀
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🙂
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The timeline helps! Thank you. Are all your kids back in the USA and how old are they now?
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Yes they all came with me. Oldest is 28 and youngest is 12
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Thank you for this, I admire you and your strength Lynz 🙂
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Thanks so much!
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Thanks for the time line, I have just started following your amazing journey of survival it seems, so this was very helpful. Like so many others on here you are truly a pillar of strength.
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Thanks!
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Wow you have been through so much. Thanks for sharing and bless you!
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Thanks
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You have been trying many places there Lynz and at least you had some better years in the good compound.
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oh yes those were nice years!!
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What a journey! I was looking forward to the last point. 2009 was also my breakthrough year. I think that is a good occasion to pass an award on to you, Lynz 🙂 https://erikakind.wordpress.com/2015/10/18/lucky-number-7/
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Thanks so much Erika! As you might have seen I am not good at awards. I did a few and also tried reblogging which was not a success ha ha. I do adore you and this is an honor!! thank you to a special endearing person!
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No problem at all Lynz. It always is just a sign to make you see how much I appreciat you! I hope I keekp it in mind, but I hope you don’t mind if I nominated you again 🙂
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thank you dear friend! oh no I love it! 🙂
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How it should be 🙂
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🙂
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What an odyssey and what strength on your part.
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Thanks so much, I had been getting questions so decided to post one!
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Super Lynz, this helps to keep track of your amazing journey xx
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Glad it is helpful! how are you doing? full recovery I hope!
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I loved the pumpkin curry and the catacombs! quite interesting and cool pics. You are lovely!
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Ah thank you – yes I am fully recovered, but VERY VERY busy, problems way beyond my control that I don’t want to go public on, but could e mail you to fill you in – all quite stressful.
The plus side is my Christmas cake is in the oven – YES, you must make them at least two months in advance and feed them brandy every week and the fruit just matures. I am going to tie a post in with the Christmas markets…..
Just catching up on posts that I have not had a chance to read as I have been like a headless chicken all week!
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wow cool. I hope you are ok. swisher.lynn@yahoo.com email me if you want dear! I would love to hear and support as you support me! much love!
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Glad you’re back in the goof ol’ USA. Bet you are too.
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I am!!
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Lovely post Lynz. .. 🙂
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🙂
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I thought I had an interesting life… but its nothing compared to your life. I have so many questions running around my head. For the most part, were the children able to attend schools with a western curriculum? I’m so happy the first two were able to enter college in the states after spending a few years being schooled in Saudi. Lord knows its hard enough apply for colleges when the family/child lives here in the States.++ I saw in one of your photos that you and one of your daughters were still ‘covered’ even though you had returned ‘home’. How did it take you to get used to the idea about leaving the house in regular Western clothing? It must’ve been such a culture shock for all of you. ++ I remember when we were living in Malta and the grocery stores were nothing like our huge stores here in the States. I would wander around the grocery stores (while home on vacation) and remember being amazed at the quality and quantity of all the foodstuffs. And I had probably only been in Malta for about two years at that time & we came home sometimes twice a year!! ++ The schools in Malta have a British system of education – from the time the British were in Malta. I found the education system so different from what I was used to… there was so much stress on ‘do it this way’ and not enough creative problem solving and generating your own opinions and ideas. The tests are so stressful that I knew parents that wouldn’t attend a party etc. because their (often very young) children were facing exams and they had to help them study. Sooo much stress. I volunteered at an excellent private school and loved the children and teachers… but did NOT like the system.
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Wow I didn’t know any of this about you! Ok my first beginning stories talk more about this but here is the brief idea, the boys went to Saudi school from 1-12 grades! the last picture in our last year in Saudi, dont have a picture of the last place in Khobar where we lived the last year so I put my daughter and I instead at the beach there. The school system is not good!!! I had the girls and all the kids in the system until my boys went to college. They had helped me because they spoke arabic and could talk to the school teachers. We came home 3 times in 15 years. The little kids didnt go to school we home schooled. ha ha there is all is!
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Wow Oh Wow Oh Wow – what a story!! Thanks so much for taking the time to write to me. I know how busy you are. I so enjoyed reading your reply!! And I thought I had it hard when we moved to Quebec (Montreal) and I couldn’t understand any French. The only thing I understood during the birth of my twin sons was,”Encore” when they discovered there was another baby!! LOL (My French is much better now after owning our farm near Quebec City!)
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WOW! I read about all the places you lived wow! You have had an adventure!!!
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Lynz!!!! You have the best stor83/ `§
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Thanks!
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Goodness! I think my phone went crazy before I could finish writing the rest of my comment. I was going to say I love all your stories and I can tell you’re an amazing mother. You love your family so much. I’m so glad you’re here in in the US! Yay!! US!! I admire you so much!!! ❤️
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Oh thank you dear Carisa!!!! It has been a journey for sure!! thanks for reading and being so kind! Yes YAH! being over there I had no power and no way out!
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I’m so glad you got out. It makes my heartache for those who are still over there who don’t have those things. I’m so glad you’re out though. ❤️ it makes me realize how much I take for granted.
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I have several friends who left their kids behind which is heart breaking!
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Oh! Lynz! I can’t imagine making such a difficult decision. Do you think they could ever be reunited or is that something that doesn’t really happen? I’m so sorry for your friends.
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my one friend just had her 19 year old son after 7 years of not seeing him, come to live with her, going to school. He made the choice to come here. My kids their dad is not a saudi, so he could not keep us there, only fear and no money etc. to leave. But if you marry a saudi, you cannot leave and take your kids!!!! but of course at age 18 they can leave!
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Lynz! I didn’t see this last night! This breaks me.. It’s just so hard to even imagine. I’m naive about laws like this. In so sorry people have to endure such things. (((,Lynz))))) ❤️
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Oh thanks dear! I put up a story on Saturday and will put one tomorrow I hope! your so sweet!
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Goodness! I think my phone went crazy before I could finish writing the rest of my comment. I was going to say I love all your stories and I can tell you’re an amazing mother. You love your family so much. I’m so glad you’re here in in the US! Yay!! US!! I admire you so much!!! ❤️
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This was a great break down. The time line really helps. Thank you for being so courageous and tactful in telling your story.
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Thanks for reading!!:)
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This is a very good breakdown Lynn!! Thanks so much for inspiring all of us!! 🙂
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Sure dear Freda! thanks for reading!
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🙂
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🙂
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You have done a lot of moving around Lynn! Finally back to your own country – I am sure that must have felt nice and sweet!
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yes it has been nice to just be in one place
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Thank you Lynn! Yes, very helpful to me:) I the way you write, my heart breaks for what you have endured. I didn’t realize you had been in the states so long. Has he been gone the whole time?
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Oh my goodness Lynn, how terrible. I’m so sorry, and glad you have this time right now. At least you can prove that he has given you no financial support in all of this time. That’s on your side. I’m praying for you regularly. And can’t wait to read more about it!
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Well I’m sure the story will unfold itself. I’m all ears:)
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thanks for your thoughts and prayers it has been a long journey and one that is still continuing!
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No worries
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🙂
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Your story… no… really? No furniture? No electricity? I guess I was lucky enough to have electricity, but there was no furniture. Managed to get some money to buy a bed, washer and dryer, but I had to transfer money from the UK to buy a sofa and table, as I was pregnant and eating off the floor. (It was rare that I was allowed to eat. I was starved during and after my pregnancy).
Thank you for sharing your story.
Thank you for you for being so inspiring and so strong.
I shall keep up with your posts.
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that is awful! Where did you move to?
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London, UK – Savannah, GA – New York (hurricane Sandy hit, plus I had 8 weeks to go before having my son) – Upstate New York – and with 6 weeks to go before having my son – Marietta, GA.
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wow!!!!
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Indeed. Most of the moving around was in the last two months of my pregnancy. We were homeless, sleeping in the car with no heating in winter. I was so hungry and weak. I thought I was going to lose my baby. I remember when my little one didn’t move for 5 days. I was so afraid of what a doctor would say, I just cried.
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so sad!!!! Are you back with family now?
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Yes and no. Still haven’t decided where to settle yet! Wherever I find work that can cover everything my son needs, that is where I will go. x
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xx
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So you’ve only been back for 6 years? Seems like a short amount of time compared to the decades of hell you went through in Saudi Arabia.
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Wow…I could see why you have anxiety! You mentioned another kid and marriage…did he remarry?
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Lynz, your story is made of stuff one only reads about or sees in a movie. I can’t wait to come back here to see the pictures after my eye is fixed.
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oh thanks dear! I can’t wait for you to come back and see pictures!!!
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Wow, your family hopped around like bedbugs! I can’t imagine the stress. I’m sure you’ve mentioned this in previous posts, but what was your husband’s profession? Was that what drove most of the moves?
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he is an engineer, in saudi if you dont go from your country with a contract then you have little stability. But he became unhappy with each new job and place we lived and then we moved or got kicked out!!!
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Oh yeah, the grass is always greener syndrome. I know it well.
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yes I agree!
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Wow Lynn! I don’t know how you did it. I bet it’s weird looking at your years there summarized in a timeline!
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It is!
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This is very helpful!
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thanks so much for viewing!
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And here I am thinking I have a difficult life. I can’t imagine. I admire your tenacity, Lynz.
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Thanks Anna! I just posted my latest story today. I hope you are well!:)
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I’m 99% better. Thank you. 🙂 Yes, I saw your latest post. I’m saving it for next time because I don’t want to rush reading through it. It’s pretty late here and I’m dozing off on and off :D. I think it’s best to hit the sack. 😀 I will definitely visit again just to read it. Have a great night, Lynz. Take care. 🙂
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yes me too! night dear! thanks and sleep well!
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Thank you, Liz. I hope you slept well. I was out like a light when I hit the sack. 😀
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ha ha me too!
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he he…:D
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