Fond Memories

I grew up in Saudi Arabia, where my parents worked for Aramco (Arabian American Oil Company). I found the article “Postcards from Saudi Arabia” [December] to be a very memorable and well-written description of life in the country based on my experiences growing up. Both my parents and I have many insights on the country from having lived there and been a part of the community up to and right after the first Gulf War. My parents started as farm kids from Minnesota, yet ended up as educators living in Saudi Arabia for twenty years, and lived through the first Gulf War. They gave me the opportunity to see the world as many have not, and I am very appreciative of the experiences I have had. I spent my formative years in Saudi Arabia (second through ninth grades), then had to return to the U.S. for boarding school due to Aramco policies, but was allowed to return during breaks. I was fortunate enough to be able to visit soldiers in the desert during the war and spend time with them over Thanksgiving and Christmas at my parents’ house in Dhahran. I’ve got great memories of the country as a child and am always amazed at the change that took place within the country and region after Saddam invaded and the U.S. landed as a military force. I love the article and it brings back many memories of a culture not many can experience.