ABOUT/CONTACT

I am an American woman. In the fall of 2007, we uprooted our lives, our teenaged son, and left life as I always knew it for the desert sands of Saudi Arabia. My Saudi husband wanted to move back to his native country after spending 30 years with me in the states. It was something I never thought would ever happen.

Susie at the Janadriyah Festival 2013.  Photo courtesy of:  Blue Abaya.



(Above photo:  That's me at the Janadriyah Cultural Festival in Riyadh in 2013, taken by my good friend Laura of the blog Blue Abaya.)

At the very least, living here has been an amazing learning experience. That's not to say that it's been easy. I have learned that I'm not as flexible or accepting as I was when I was younger. Despite the fascinating history, the warmth of the people, and the fantastic food, there are some things about life in Saudi Arabia that I would change if I could - the gender segregation, women driving (that will be changing in June 2018, I'm happy to report!), and the unbearable heat.

I write this blog for the benefit of my friends and family that I left behind back home in America. These are my feelings, impressions, and experiences - the good, the bad, and the ugly.

For more background about my personal life, I have shared stories in these posts:  How I Met My Prince and My Perfect Wedding.

Moving here with a teenager presented problems on its own. The move was perhaps toughest of all on my son Adam, also known as "Captain Kabob." But he was a trooper.  You can read a bit about his experiences in Saudi Arabia on the following posts:  Adam's World, a post I wrote after his first year here; Mugged in Saudi Arabia, about an experience in Saudi Arabia that my son would rather forget; A New Chapter, regarding my son's departure from Saudi Arabia after three years here.  Meet Adam, A Saudi American Teenager is the name of the post that American Bedu published about Adam on her blog.

Susie and her son Adam


My Selamta Magazine article:  I wrote an article called "The Amazing Sculptures of Jeddah" for Ethiopian Airlines in flight magazine which also featured several of my photos.  Click HERE for the webpage format, which is a little easier to read.   

INTERVIEWS FEATURING ME!

In addition to the variety of different subject matter I have written about on this b
log, I have also been interviewed on several other blogs and websites:

American Bedu Blog:  Susie of Arabia Revisited

Jeddah Blog: All You Wanted to Know About Susie of Arabia

Future Husbands and Wives of Saudis: Non-Saudi Wife of a Saudi Interview.

CNN-Go Asia: The 2010 Bloggies Best Asian Blob Nominees are...

Expat Arrivals: Interview with Susie, an American Living in Saudi Arabia

Ghada's World:  Interview Susie of Arabia

Adventurous Women Blog, a two-part interview - Part 1 on January 7, 2009, and Part 2 on January 8, 2009.

I also wrote these guest posts on the Sole Sisters Collective:
More Than Just a Pair of Shoes
Walk in Their Shoes (Part 1)
Walk in Their Shoes (Part 2)

MY PHOTO BLOG, FACEBOOK GROUP, AND OTHER INFORMATION:

Please be sure to also visit my photo blog with over 1000 posts featuring a new photo every day from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, ranging from the ordinary to the extraordinary:
JEDDAH DAILY PHOTO JOURNAL, from May 2012 - the present.
JEDDAH DAILY PHOTO JOURNAL, from March 2008 - April 2012.



2 other BLOGGERS and I have teamed up here in Saudi Arabia to encourage open discussions about Saudi Arabia and The Middle East on FACEBOOK.  LAURA of BLUE ABAYA, EMAN of SAUDIWOMAN, AND I, SUSIE OF ARABIA, are now working together to promote a better understanding of Saudi Arabia. 
JOIN US on our FACEBOOK GROUP, "Susie of Arabia / BlueAbaya / SaudiWoman."

YOU CAN EMAIL ME PRIVATELY AT:  susieofarabia@gmail.com