Qatar Cribs

So if my last apartment post was House Hunters International, this one would definitely be Cribs! Ha! 

First of all, welcome to my home! This is your all access pass into Zach and my little oasis🌴

We have been here for right under a week now and have had a chance to get pretty much all settled in. Still need to buy a few more hangers and sort through a few more things but we have coffee brewing each morning and a snuggly bed to curl up in each night so as far as I am concerned we are there! 

So as you know, we chose to go with an apartment right in the heart of the Diplomatic Area of Doha. So far, we are loving our selection and are finding that it is suiting our lifestyle to a T... And then some! 

When you walk inside, you start off in a bit of a hallway with a bathroom on the left and closet space on  the right. 

Here is a shot looking back towards the front door. 

Then you come further in and are greeted with some beautiful natural sunlight coming through three big, open windows. 

On your left hand side, is kitchen. 

One of my favorite things are the dark brown cabinets and white textured walls. 

Then also the interesting placement of the washing machine which is right square in he middle of the kitchen. It washes and drys which is rather convenient. This placement and functionality is extremely typical of a Doha apartment. 

I also love how the oven, along with many other appliances have on and off switches so when you finish cooking you can assure that everything is off before you walk away. You can also easily flick off the burners rather than dealing with four different knobs and such. 

The kitchen wall facing the living room is actually completely opened up creating tons of countertop space and a great bar area on the other side. I just love a good open kitchen. 

Then if you continue down the hall you are led directly into the living room.

Which is connected to a dining area. 

Outside the windows we get to see this 

Even better at night 

There is city center mall! 

Then after you pass through he living room and enter the bedroom, you have more closet space on the left and a bathroom on the right. 

You probably noticed this: a literal butt sprayer. These things are literally in EVERY SINGLE bathroom in Doha-- luckily we were able to snag a bathroom without the full on bidet. I can handle a sprayer but anything more just feels kind of strange and unclean to me? 

Then here is our bedroom. 

I love that each bedside lamp has this little reading light attached. Z and I love to read each night before bed :). 

I also love the full length mirror--and safety wall mounted flash light?? Lol 

And the double height ceilings. 

One of the other perks that have just made this place five stars for us has been the INCREDIBLE service. And I mean literally. Our apartment is fully serviced twice a week complete with fresh towels and sheets. What a way to live! There is also a 24-7 help desk that will bend over backwards to make sure that each guest is comfortable. 

Our first day in the apartment we were freezing cold and tried messing with the thermostat (there is a separate one in EACH ROOM) we couldn't figure it out how to get the place warmed up so they sent someone up to help us. He explained that the building literally doesn't have central heating -- hahahaha yes NO CENTRAL HEAT AT ALL -- guess that is what you get when you live in the desert? I guess they figure there is no real need when the coldest it every gets here is like 55 degrees (but we are Texan so a 65 degree room is still cold to us!) So anyways they rolled in a heater haha 

They also have doormen who carry up all of our groceries ( or whatever else) for us, they have guards who circle the building 24-7 and they even have extra beds that they will set up for you when you have guests over! I feel like a queen! Pool on the top floor as well as an indoor pool on the ground floor ( both with regulated water temperatures of course). I guess these are the things people come to expect when they live in the richest city in the world? I'll take it! 

But my favorite thing is that I get to share it with my beloved hubby. Coming here only 8 months into marriage and knowing no one else has been such a wonderful experience and I couldn't have done it with anyone else! 💗💕

(Yes this is an old photo from our last apartment, we'll have to get another more updated selfie soon!) 

Shokran & Gig 'Em ! 

Living On Less

So here we are, all moved into our new apartment, setting up our daily routines and settling into life abroad. 

As we started getting situated into our new apartment ( blog coming soon with full detailed layout) I started thinking of all of the things that I needed to fill this apartment with. More plates, more clothes, more food and definitely more decorations.  

You see, we went through this huge purging process to get here, literally selling and donating everything we had collected thus far in life from tables and couches to picture frames and shoes (ouch!) Our plan coming abroad was not to stay in one place for too long and for that reason we wanted to keep ourselves from being bogged down with all of the stuff again. 

So we opted for a furnished apartment that even came with its own kitchen furnishings. That was good. Then we got here my flesh started searching for more. We have eight plates, four small four large but somehow it didn't feel like enough. Before, in Houston, we had double this amount plus extra plastic plates for snacks and quick meals. Same with cups, here there are just four water glasses four mugs. Two towels. One frying pan, one pot and one mixing bowl. 

How easy it is to fall back into the same lifestyle that we loved but found ourselves bogged down in. What if living fully includes a commitment to living on what you need and being satisfied? That more plates and cups and less loads through the dishwasher isn't what is best. That having a car to drive around and haul a closet full of new clothes in just brings you even further from joy and possibly other people? 

My hoarding stops here. 

I am deciding that what we have, no matter how little, IS enough. That having this place filled with people and loving them well is what matters. That Jesus is my source of joy and fulfillment and giving thanks to him and celebrating in having enough is praise to him. 

I pray that this small step will pull me a little bit further from stuff and a little bit closer to Jesus. That I could find true fulfillment from the only source. That my treasure is everlasting and stuff is temporary.

That joy could be full in the light of his grace and mercy. 

That true freedom starts here. 

Shokran & Gig 'Em 

Museum of Islamic Art

I can hardly sit still I am so excited that we are just days away from moving into our brand new apartment. I am just as excited that you guys like and support our decision, now all you have to do is come visit us at it :)

This weekend we got an invitation from the HR side of Zach's work to go to an impromptu dinner at the rooftop Tarrace at the Al Gassar Resort, ironically the "resort" we almost chose to live in! Even more ironic we received a second invitation from a coworker of Zachs to meet at the exact same place for dinner-- yes two dinners within two sectors of the same company at the same rooftop Tarrace on the same night.  Can you say awkward?! 

We went ahead with the first invitation and it actually turned out to be treat because we were able to spend time with both.  Even better, we rode to the whole thing with Zach's co worker Firoz and his wife Myriam (a couple from Lebanon that we have begun to spark a friendship with). 

(Here they are talking with Zach) 

It was an absolutely perfect night right at about 75 degrees with a slight, cool breeze from the elevation. Yes, a cool breeze in the desert, we were just as surprised. 

Most interesting if all was that there was alcohol?! Upon stepping off of that Emirates Air Bus I had officially kissed alcohol goodbye. Turns out I kissed too soon and it is actually fairly widely available here if you know where to go. There are ways to get alcohol permits and buy it legally for home use (if your home is in certain buildings) but even easier than that is getting it from s hotel like this one. Hotels have the unique privilege of serving alcohol first hand and it all became clear why all parties wanted to be at a hotel restaurant. 

The younger crowd (dinner invitation  #2) even went a step further and brought these Jell-O shots! I have never even had Pinterest worthy orange slice Jell-O shots like these in all of years of college and here I am having them in the alcohol forbidden land. What? 

As we spoke with the Qatari natives-- okay not totally native ( I don't think I have met a single one of those?!) but more native than us, we talked of all of the must see things in Qatar. When they mentioned the Museum of Islamic Art they said to go, order a nice coffee and relax on the couches by the window  and soak it in before you go to explore the museum. So of course we nodded and noted it in our mental checklist of things to eventually do. 

Then she mentioned that entry was FREE of charge. 

We decided at that point to go the next morning. :) 

Haha whoops! Did our frugality show? ...embarrassing.. 

Only not! We were pumped and ready to go! 

Side note: everything that we had read before coming told us that Doha is simply not a walkable city but that is completely FALSE. Side walks line every road and the city is layed out in a way in which it is easy to walk from one side to the other.  ( during the winter that is! ) 

So we did! It was only about a half hour beautiful stroll from our hotel.

AND you get to pass this! And the Souq! 

Soon we could see it and it's totally iconic shape. 

I never really thought the architecture of the Museum of Islamic Art was too special (especially compared to West Bay) but OH MY WORD just wait until you see inside! My mind has TOALLY been changed! 

Then omg walking up was HILARIOUS. First you go through these gates and up this massively long drive way completely lined with palm trees and a fountain of sorts running through the middle. At the top before entering you can lookout to the left and see West Bay then to the right and see acres of green grass. We sat on a ledge and looked across soaking in the beautiful of the city and fantasising of returning to this place to throw the football or play soccer. THEN out of no where a young guy came up to us holding out his phone. He didn't  speak a touch of English so we were all !?uhhh!!? And he was all lkdsjfhvlkjbkljdzfj,kgefer,kinsfokn so we kind of awkwardly got up thinking he wanted us to take a picture of him and his friends in front of the museum but he shook his head, that was wrong. He wanted a photo alright but he wanted it WITH ZACH!! Hahahahahaha omg it was so funny! I wish that I had captured the look on Zach's face at that moment. 

It may have been how tall he is...or the fact that we are American? Even the light skin we have heard is very well liked here. Whatever it was we may never know but I did manage to snap a shot on my own phone. 

What I didn't capture though were the moments after this, all of their friends came ( at least 4 more guys) and all crowded around to get a photo with Zach.  It was so funny and so odd. What a way to start a trip to the museum!

So they scattered and we decided we better go ahead in!

Whoa! Who would have expected that kind of entrance? 

Beautiful metal work hanging above the door. 

Then we went through a quick security scan and ... 

BAM 

HUGE AND BEAUTIFUL AND WOW 

SO STUNNING.
You walk in underneath a giant split stairway then it opens up to at least six story high ceilings and a window all across the back wall spanning from floor to ceiling with a breathtaking view of the West Bay skyline.

(View from above) 

My jaw                It is absolutely just one of those things you have to see in person. 

            dropped.

Once we regained composure we did as we were told and grabbed a snack to sit on a couch with a soak it in. You really need this time when traveling to the museum because it's magnitude will take your breath  away.

Funny side note - 

Noticed that on my can of Coke instead of saying "calories" it says "energy"   

Nice twist there Coke 

That reminds me of this other funny twist Coke pulled in an ad I saw on the street the other day .. 

"Sleeker and taller...the look everyone wants." Haha

HEY! Maybe that is why they wanted a photo with Zach! He is sleek and tall... Just me? Okay. 

So anyways we finished our snack and started exploring.

This museum has three viewable floors ( others closed off for who knows what) and the worlds largest collection of Islamic artifacts. 

The way it is set up is different than what I have seen before. You move through very dimly lit rooms with what seemed like a mixture of different pieces in each(mixture of time frames, origins and styles). The artifacts were cool to see but even beyond them (I know it is so terrible I moved right past the artifacts) the displays were gorgeous. They would have for example a huge five foot tall and one foot wide glass case with a tiny tiny maybe only inch tall jewelry box inside. It was amazing how the display itself would add so much prestige and grandeur to such a tiny little item. 

Every display has this effect and every display was different. Some rooms had two story ceilings with giant rugs on the wall others pillars glowing from below. Even full out chainmail armore on a chainmail ladened horse. 

We finished our visit with a step outside onto an open patio. Fountains all around and huge arches with a perfect view of West Bay behind. 

We soaked it all in.

I was just in awe. Beautiful artifacts, beautiful display and beautiful architecture. It was all art.  

"Art is the last from of magic that exists."

Thankful today for time to slow down and simmer in the moment. 

Thankful for a best friend that I call husband to simmer with me. 

Shokran & Gig 'Em 

<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/13718875/?claim=shs7mgyax56">Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a>