In late April 2001, Joe applied for an overseas job as a machinist in Egypt. At the end of June, he got a phone call asking if he was still interested. He went in for an interview, and they asked if he could be in Cairo by July 15. He said yes. The job would last at least one year, maybe two or more.
They offered him the job. The next day—June 28—Joe and I gave two weeks' notice to our employers. My boss said it sounded like I’d need time to get ready, so we agreed that day would be my last. Joe would work his two weeks but take a day off to help get emergency passports for Megan and me at the Passport Agency in San Francisco (an all-day event, even with an appointment).
Between June 28 and July 13, we packed our household items into storage, found a renter for our house, got updated vaccines, and packed the things we’d take with us to Egypt. It was a busy time!
The company, ACI, offered Joe a better salary than he was already making, plus a $75 daily per diem in U.S. dollars. On top of that, they covered our apartment (called a "flat"), a jeep, and Megan’s school tuition. Another bonus was that if we stayed outside the U.S. for a certain number of days, we’d get back all the federal income tax on Joe’s earnings. ACI also provided round-trip business class tickets for all three of us, with the return date open.
In 2001, Nathan was in college and Lauren was a junior in high school. We invited Lauren to come with us—her plane ticket and school costs would have been paid for too—but she decided to stay with her mom in Davis. Before we left Egypt in July 2002, Lauren and Nate came to visit and toured Egypt with their dad and Megan for two weeks.
Our furnished flat in Maadi, Egypt, was 1,800 square feet with three bedrooms and two bathrooms. It had marble and wood floors with beautiful woven rugs throughout, and two small balconies. It felt luxurious. The walls were bare, but we bought plants and colorful glass and ceramic pots from local shops to make it feel like home. I became friends with a shop owner who even kept an eye out for pots she thought I’d like.
We had an amazing year—exploring, making friends from different countries, and finding ways for me to volunteer. Megan was in sixth grade at Cairo American College, a school for pre-K through 12th grade with about 1,400 students. It was just four blocks from our flat, and I walked her to and from school every day. She was on the swim team, played on the school’s first middle school soccer team, and sang in the choir. One of her favorite classes was digital arts—it was fun and challenging for her.
Living in Egypt was an incredible experience for our family.
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