Y’all, I don’t even know where to begin.
Once upon a time, my family was struggling financially. I know we were because I remember we had one tv and me and my daddy used to fight over it. Then, the next thing I know we loaded up the trunk and we moved to Saudi…Arabia that is…gold chains and oil mines. In our home, money was always a topic of discussion, or should I say contention, before that time. But once that “Saudi money” started rolling in, we went from deciding who was watching tv that night to which country we would spend the next holiday visiting.
No one will ever know the influence that time in Saudi had on me. I spent 2 years there as a student, and the next 10 years going back and forth visiting my parents. Middle school is a very impressionable time in the life of a child, and impressed is exactly what I was. My first trip to Saudi was on Pan Am, first class. The first jewelry I ever purchased was gold from the souk in Jeddah. The first international vacations I remember were during my breaks from school in Saudi, visiting Greece, Denmark, and Egypt to name a few. I had friends from countries I’d never heard of, and developed a palate for foods I’d never been introduced to in the US. To say my time in Saudi helped to shape who I am is an understatement. So to be able to return there was nothing less than a dream come true.
I took this journey by myself for a few of reasons.
- My own family didn’t want to go. I just got them to get passports in 2017, so Saudi was asking a bit much.
- It was a last minute decision, like planned in 2 weeks.
- I didn’t want anyone to have to deal with the emotions I knew I would face returning to Jeddah after 30 years. Thankfully tour guide was very patient and understanding.
- I wanted to show others that Saudi is a safe and welcoming place, even for women…even for a Black woman traveling alone.
On day one I attended a gala event at the school where I spent my 7th and 8th grade years. The school laid out a
delectable spread and delightful entertainment, making the trip worthwhile even if it had ended there. The next day my private tour guide took me along the Red Sea to gather sand to add to my collection of the past 20 plus years. The next day a nice gentleman whom I encountered on Facebook, came to my hotel and picked me up to take me to visit the compound where I lived as a child. Along the way we realized that he actually knew my dad from all those years ago, as they worked together. Once at the compound, another nice gentleman whom I also met on Facebook, sponsored me to allow me to have access to enter the compound. He drove me around and showed me how the place I once knew as home had grown into something I could barely recognize, but the feeling while there was very familiar. That evening I was invited to attend a very special event honoring the legendary singer, Ibtisam Lutfi, known as one of the first female vocalists in the kingdom. It was during this event that I found myself in the presence of royalty, meeting and taking photos with a princess. Later that night I was introduced to Yemenese food while out with a lively group, which included a well known singer from Mauritania named Madhawi Mohammad.
The most profound experience I had was at the gold souk. Keep in mind, I was living in Jeddah in the late 70’s when it was mostly a desert. So the only real fun there was for us girly girls on the weekends was either a trip somewhere outside of Jeddah, or a visit to the gold souk. Mom and I literally spent almost every weekend there. Upon arrival at the souk I was immediately flooded with memories of days spent there with my mom shopping for gold to bring back as gifts, and of course for ourselves to adorn. I remember the first time we returned to the US after a 10 month stay, mom had a gold charm for everyone, like about 50 of them. Customs was a beast to say the least. I remember Mom arguing to convince the customs officers that they were indeed gifts for friends and family, and not for her to sell. Lord, the stories I could tell about our customs experiences.
These days there’s way more to shop for than gold. I made my way to the Red Sea Mall, one of the largest malls in Jeddah, on more than one occasion and still didn’t cover it all. And a most delightful treasure was discovering a ladies only bazaar of about a square mile of women vendors selling beautiful dresses, jewelry and more, right in my hotel! This 3 night event was a perfect way to meet with and support local women business owners.
Another absolute highlight of my trip was accepting an invitation into the home of my new friend Mimie, a Lebanese woman who invited several of her friends to cook and have lunch together just so I could get a sneak peek into her culture! Visiting Mimie’s home vividly reminded me of the decor and styling of our home when we lived in Jeddah. I now understand why I absolutely love the low sofa and coffee table style. The details of your childhood never leave you. Mimie and her friends were so sweet and a fun group of ladies. The food was delicious, and vegetarian! Let me just say I was in Lebanese heaven for a short time.
There was no end to things to do while in Jeddah. I didn’t even get to do everything I wanted to, but I tried. And let’s not forget about self care. I made sure to take a day to relax and enjoy the spa, the jacuzzi, the sauna, one of my favorite things to do. I love that the entire spa is just for women, including the pool. That evening another new friend I met on my first night in Jeddah, Snaa, took me out for Egyptian food. One thing I love about being in the Middle East is the proximity to other countries allows you to get more familiar with different cultures. One thing I love about Jeddah is how easy it is to make new friends.
I am so grateful for the opportunity to return to Saudi, and I look forward to the next time. I made more new friends in 4 days in Jeddah than I could make in a year at home. I also feel like I learned a lot about myself, like why I love certain home and clothing fashions and fragrances that are clearly Middle Eastern. I think all of this is a sign that I should definitely return, maybe even annually, don’t you think? There are so many other wonderful cities to explore and experiences to have in Saudi, so I’ll take some time to plan it out a bit more and for sure, longer than 4 days. And just maybe I’ll invite some company to join me on my next Arabian adventure.
