Our Villa

We arrived at our new villa @ 10:50pm. Solomon, our extremely picky eater, was famished. He had barely eaten anything for a full 24 hours. He didn't like anything on the planes. I will admit we were given some "interesting items" that I tried but didn't care for. I ate some things anyway to keep from being too hungry and to try to set a good example for the kids. They didn't even pass out regular peanuts, but smoked almonds instead.

We were so thankful when we arrived at our compound we discovered the school had supplied everyone with a basic set of food and drinks. We all really appreciated that first meal in our new home, cereal and fruit. When we arrived at the compound armed guards came out and checked out the bus and looked over all of the new staff. We had a couple veterans on our bus too. I was so glad they were with us. Once you clear the initial gate you turn past a camouflage covered shelter that has a swiveling machine gun in it. Yes! Then onto the next gate and more soldiers before a huge metal obstruction is lowered into the ground and the last gate is opened.

Back to our villa, it is ridiculously big. The rooms are massive. Currently we have an upstairs family room that has no real purpose because we already have a living room and family room downstairs as well as a large entry/foyer type room, dining room and eat-in kitchen. All the rooms are furnished.

The kids love it. They've made lots of friends. The compound feels a bit like a college dorm…people popping in and out of each other's villas, hanging out at the pool, kids in the rec room, or ladies planning shopping trips with our drivers or just borrowing eggs or sugar from the next door neighbor.