Qatari Mall

Qatar is dotted with malls, which are frequently used, especially in the hot summer months, when temperatures reach 120 degrees Fahrenheit, and air conditioned entertainment is the only option. Villagio Mall is by far my favorite!

Gondola!

Notice the man wearing traditional Qatari dress

Indoor ice skating

Dates are huge in Qatar.

Amusement Park

Venice?

Grocery store in the mall.

Every produce states what country it was grown in.

Weighing station for all fruits & veggies

deez nuts

An entire row dedicated to.... CHOCOLATE!!

off the road

Loved spending last weekend driving through Zekreet, Qatar. Zekreet is on the about an hours drive opposite of Doha. It really showcases how beautiful Qatar can be. BEIGE IS BEAUTIFUL :-)

I'm loving my time here and having such a blast! Thanks for all the love. 

Megs Meets Martha

Just last week, I was cooking pancakes from a Martha recipe, without the slightest clue that in just a few days, I would come face to face with the master chef herself.

It's true. I've seen the real Martha Stewart. Sipped the juice she made moments earlier. Stood five feet away from her. Bonded with fellow Martha fans around me. Sat front row at her cooking lesson. Looked Martha in the eye. My life is forever changed. Thank you, Martha for all that you do. 

I've created a fan video in honor of my two favorite people, Martha Stewart and Katy Perry. 

Come & Get It

Thanks so much to all my pals who joined me in making my first music video. After a few months of filming, here is the final product:

Dhow Boats

These little boats are so fun! We took a trip to see the skyline and enjoy the salty breeze. The water is SO blue and beautiful here, I was seriously mesmerized by the color. Moments like these give me glimpses of the beauty waiting to be found in the desert.

National Sports Day

Qatar takes the second Tuesday of February off every year in the name of exercise. We went to the Islamic Museum Park and played around all day (I also snagged a nap in the sun). Seriously an awesome day created to encourage everyone to stay active.

Red carpet entrance

Free kites for everyone!

A plethora of water bottles for the public

The dream team

Pro paddlers

The day ended with a pan of brownies to gain back all the calories we worked off. Nothing like eating peanut butter and Oreo brownies in the name of National Sports day.

Sand Dunes

WOOOOO!!! I love the sand dunes. We had a peaceful day relaxing in the warm sand, with a majestic wolf in tow. The sand boarding was super fun and speedy. The sand 'sings' when it moves by vibrating and making a groaning noise, which is so cool. The dunes are truly Middle Eastern and awesome. What a top notch day.

January 24-30

Highlights of the Week

1. Arrived home from the Philippines after 24 hours of travel

2. Learned how to skateboard

3. Went to a musical soirée

4. Visited a Qatari home/museum

5. Iraq vs. Japan soccer game

Japan won!!!

6.  Made my first ever balloon dog

7. Tried Qatari food (delicious!)

8. Visited a dreamy park

9. Ate Shake Shack

10. Had a BLAST!!

ARRIVED!!!

Hey everyone! I'm in Doha, and it's been great so far. Loving everything, especially the warmth. I was in airports for about 24 hours, 12 of those hours were on one plane! I actually loved the long plane ride, mostly because of the unlimited movies and juice delivered straight to my seat. I watched the sun rise... and then set a couple hours later. That was wild. I arrived in Qatar late Wednesday night.

We went to the Villaggio Mall, basically Middle Eastern Vegas! The ceilings looked like the sky and the tops of the stores were like houses. There was also an ice skating rink, a gondola boat ride with running water and boat drivers, and a little amusement park. It was so cute! 

Friday and Saturday are the weekend here. On Friday, we had dinner with some super cool people. We played the ukulele and got serenaded by the Ukranian version of Michael Buble - except better. That was a really fun night.

Saturday we went to the Islamic Museum of Art. It's on a man-made island, designed by I. M. Pei. The architecture is seriously incredible, and definitely my favorite part of the entire building. The artifacts dated as far back as the 10th century. My favorite artifacts always seemed to come from Iran, but other countries featured were Syria, Iraq, and Turkey. The details on some of the items were super intricate, even from so long ago. LOVED IT!!! Here is a little video I put together from the museum.

I've been pretty jet-lagged but I think the worst of it is over! Whew. We are 10 hours ahead here. Download "What's App" and sync your contacts to reach me.

?????

"are seriously going to live in Qatar?"
           -yes

​"when are you going?"
          -mid-January to mid-April

"why are you going??"
          -this super cool family gave me permission to go out and live with them for a semester. I think it is an incredible opportunity and I am beyond excited to be with them and in Doha. I hope to learn a lot about Qatari culture and possibly lasso a camel and keep it as a pet.

"where the heck is Qatar?"
          -please refer to the map. Qatar is located in the Middle Eastern part of Asia on the Persian Gulf.  It is a desert climate.

"what about school?"
          -unfortunately, I will not be able to drop out of school like Harry Potter in search of the horcruxes. Instead, I will enroll in online school for the semester.

"where will you live?"
          -in a super safe compound in Doha, the capital, protected from the rampaging camels that sometimes roam the streets (just kidding)

"are you going to be safe?"
          -yes! However, in case of death , I request that the entire Jonas Brothers soundtrack be played at my funeral. 

"wow, you're so cool." 
           -thanks

"will you bring me back a present?"
          -yes. I will bring anyone that desires a pebble from the Persian Gulf, and lots of camel photos, of course.

All jokes aside, I am so psyched to be heading to Qatar. I hope to share my experiences with my faithful blog readers (you), and get you some insight on the woes and whims of a first-time international traveler. I am so excited!! :-)