The Long Trip Home
An unforgettable experience ...31 total reviews
Comment from Karen Cherry Threadgill
A very long and involving hardship. How did you manage the stress level? Adults have it bad enough, but the children, they have little understanding of wordly concerns. You write well. Karen
reply by the author on 06-Aug-2024
  |
A very long and involving hardship. How did you manage the stress level? Adults have it bad enough, but the children, they have little understanding of wordly concerns. You write well. Karen
Comment Written 05-Aug-2024
reply by the author on 06-Aug-2024
-
Thank you very much for this lovely review. I tried to keep the children's lives as normal as possible, to minimise stress for all of us. Not always easy.
Wendy
-
As parents, most of us juggle all the balls in the air the best we can. We tell them and show them we love them the best way we know how, and hope for the best. :-)
Comment from Verna Cole Mitchell
I've enjoyed all your Saudi Arabia stories. I felt like I got well acquainted with your family in this one. I find myself a bit partial to Joe and his efforts to "be the man." You certainly had plenty of experiences to write about. I applaud the bravery and adaptability of your whole family.
reply by the author on 06-Aug-2024
|
I've enjoyed all your Saudi Arabia stories. I felt like I got well acquainted with your family in this one. I find myself a bit partial to Joe and his efforts to "be the man." You certainly had plenty of experiences to write about. I applaud the bravery and adaptability of your whole family.
Comment Written 05-Aug-2024
reply by the author on 06-Aug-2024
-
Thanks so much for the super review, Verna! Yes, he tried so hard to be brave. I am so pleased you enjoyed this one too.
Wendy
Comment from jmdg1954
Wendy, as I'm reading your story, I'm putting me and my family in your shoes thinking how we would've reacted to each incident as you wrote.
I'm no sure there are plenty of emotions you went through yet not written in this short story.
I was engaged from beginning until the end and am glad you all were once again reunited.
I recall watching intently the Kuwait invasion back then with our son, Mark who was eight at the time.
Life's experiences...
John
reply by the author on 05-Aug-2024
 |
Wendy, as I'm reading your story, I'm putting me and my family in your shoes thinking how we would've reacted to each incident as you wrote.
I'm no sure there are plenty of emotions you went through yet not written in this short story.
I was engaged from beginning until the end and am glad you all were once again reunited.
I recall watching intently the Kuwait invasion back then with our son, Mark who was eight at the time.
Life's experiences...
John
Comment Written 05-Aug-2024
reply by the author on 05-Aug-2024
-
Thank you John! A wonderful review, and rating - thanks so much for the six stars. Very much valued. Oh yes, you are right. There were lots of emotions and "small" experiences not written, all of which made it a difficult experience. Thanks so much for your support!
Wendy
Comment from Brett Matthew West
Faught in Desert Storm.
Second paragraph a good description of Saudi Arabia and its deserts, heat, and isolation. What a world of difference they were compared to the much more modernized Riyadh.
Pretty much conveyed these events as they unfolded. Remember them well.
reply by the author on 05-Aug-2024
|
Faught in Desert Storm.
Second paragraph a good description of Saudi Arabia and its deserts, heat, and isolation. What a world of difference they were compared to the much more modernized Riyadh.
Pretty much conveyed these events as they unfolded. Remember them well.
Comment Written 05-Aug-2024
reply by the author on 05-Aug-2024
-
Thank you for your contribution to Desert Storm. It was very decisive! Thanks too for a great review. Yes, the changes in Riyadh are unbelievable. SA even has tourism now, which in the late nineties would have been unimaginable.
Wendy
Comment from Mintybee
That's a terrifying story to live through. I'm glad you were eventually reunited as a family. Your detail in this account is amazing. The strain, especially for the kids, came through clearly.
Mintybee
reply by the author on 05-Aug-2024
|
That's a terrifying story to live through. I'm glad you were eventually reunited as a family. Your detail in this account is amazing. The strain, especially for the kids, came through clearly.
Mintybee
Comment Written 05-Aug-2024
reply by the author on 05-Aug-2024
-
Thank you very much, Mintybee. Your lovely review shows insight and understanding. You are right, it was a bit harrowing! I greatly value the six stars - many thanks.
Wendy
Comment from Jim Wile
What a fascinating and well-written story about a harrowing time in your life, Wendy. It's hard to imagine the emotions involved in all you and your family went through.
Government policies are often not very well thought out, and your government proved that with its lax attitude about what was happening in the middle east. I'm sure a lot of what you went through could have been avoided, had they followed the lead of the other countries with ex patriots.
But you all made it safely back, though at great inconvenience and with much trauma. It sure makes for an interesting story, though!
reply by the author on 05-Aug-2024
|
What a fascinating and well-written story about a harrowing time in your life, Wendy. It's hard to imagine the emotions involved in all you and your family went through.
Government policies are often not very well thought out, and your government proved that with its lax attitude about what was happening in the middle east. I'm sure a lot of what you went through could have been avoided, had they followed the lead of the other countries with ex patriots.
But you all made it safely back, though at great inconvenience and with much trauma. It sure makes for an interesting story, though!
Comment Written 05-Aug-2024
reply by the author on 05-Aug-2024
-
Thank you for another lovely review, Jim. Very positive and most encouraging. Yes, it wasn't easy, but we were all safe, and that's all that matters. I appreciate your words, and I am happy you enjoyed this story.
Wendy
Comment from T B Botts
Hello Wendy,
what a story gal! All the more reason for me never to leave the country. I traveled around a lot when I was in the navy back in the seventies. I've no desire to go overseas again. The world has changed so much since those early days, and with the threat of war always looming in this unpredictable world, who knows whether you'll be thrown in jail or detained for something that you never knew was illegal. No thanks. All these experiences help to shape our lives. Thanks so much for sharing this. Good luck in the contest gal.
Blessings,
Tom
reply by the author on 05-Aug-2024
|
Hello Wendy,
what a story gal! All the more reason for me never to leave the country. I traveled around a lot when I was in the navy back in the seventies. I've no desire to go overseas again. The world has changed so much since those early days, and with the threat of war always looming in this unpredictable world, who knows whether you'll be thrown in jail or detained for something that you never knew was illegal. No thanks. All these experiences help to shape our lives. Thanks so much for sharing this. Good luck in the contest gal.
Blessings,
Tom
Comment Written 04-Aug-2024
reply by the author on 05-Aug-2024
-
Thank you very much Tom for this great review and for the six stars. We did quite a bit of travel, but now I have no desire to go overseas. We'll have a short break next week but only a few hours drive. My husband had to adjust to the normal family noise after five months of total silence from 4pm till work began at 8am, many evenings of the week. The experience in Saudi had been very interesting and different and enjoyable up until the evacuation. Great review, thanks again.
Wendy
Comment from Carol Hillebrenner
That was an adventurous time, but also a difficult one. With war looming, you had to leave nearly everything behind and go to England. Eventually you went on to Australia, but your home was no available to you until after Christmas. Your kids did very well to hold it all together most of the time and moved on with their lives. Do they remember the uncertainty of those times or the adventure of leaving under the threat of war and living in new places? Kids are generally more resilient than adults. This is a well-told tale.
reply by the author on 05-Aug-2024
|
That was an adventurous time, but also a difficult one. With war looming, you had to leave nearly everything behind and go to England. Eventually you went on to Australia, but your home was no available to you until after Christmas. Your kids did very well to hold it all together most of the time and moved on with their lives. Do they remember the uncertainty of those times or the adventure of leaving under the threat of war and living in new places? Kids are generally more resilient than adults. This is a well-told tale.
Comment Written 04-Aug-2024
reply by the author on 05-Aug-2024
-
Yes, I think they all do remember a lot of it, even the youngest (although I'm not sure they remember the smaller details). We ended up with two or maybe three irons, several school bags etc. It was interesting that my husband had the biggest adjustment - he found it hard to cope with the three children talking all the time, when he was used to silence in the home for nearly five months. Thanks so much for your very positive and thoughtful review.
Wendy
Comment from Rachelle Allen
Wowie zowie!! I was on edge throughout this entire story!! It was absolutely CAPTIVATING!! Honestly, Wendy, you have had QUITE the life experiences!!
So interesting what the final straw was for Joe to start him crying: that his teacher's piano, which had been bestowed by her mum, was gone. What a sweet child you have raised...but then, familiar with your own compassion, it honestly doesn't surprise me.
The toll wars take on everyone. And what do they EVER prove? Ugh.
Well, I am certainly glad that your story had a happy ending, but I cannot imagine the stressful days upon days upon days you must have experienced until that came to fruition. Ditto for your husband, who was in a terrifying place while his family was having to cope with his absence.
This section had one spag I noticed:
where we were to be **bussed** {I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS DIFFERENT IN AUSTRALIA, BUT HERE IN THE US, THE WORD AS YOU HAVE SPELLED IT IS THE PAST-TENSE OF 'TO KISS.' THE PAST TENSE OF THE WORD 'BUS' IS WEIRDLY SPELLED "BUSED" WHICH LOOKS LIKE IT WOULD BE PRONOUNCED LIKE THE SECOND SYLLABLE OF "ABUSED." I'VE ALWAYS FOUND IT SO BIZARRE. BUT THERE IT IS NONETHELESS. to London.
In this next section, I put ** in front and behind the times you started with "we" then used a past-tense verb. I amounts to three in all, and it gave me pause for being so repetitive. One woman's opinion. Potentially worth exactly what you paid me for it!! xoxo
**We climbed** around the lady still prone in the aisle, and exited the aircraft, thankful to be safely on English soil.
**We were** immediately dazzled by blinding glare - and surrounded by television cameras, and dozens of journalists. **We were** forbidden to talk to the reporters about our experiences
Absolutely outstanding job here, Wendy!! Wow! What an eye-opener! xoxo
reply by the author on 04-Aug-2024
|
Wowie zowie!! I was on edge throughout this entire story!! It was absolutely CAPTIVATING!! Honestly, Wendy, you have had QUITE the life experiences!!
So interesting what the final straw was for Joe to start him crying: that his teacher's piano, which had been bestowed by her mum, was gone. What a sweet child you have raised...but then, familiar with your own compassion, it honestly doesn't surprise me.
The toll wars take on everyone. And what do they EVER prove? Ugh.
Well, I am certainly glad that your story had a happy ending, but I cannot imagine the stressful days upon days upon days you must have experienced until that came to fruition. Ditto for your husband, who was in a terrifying place while his family was having to cope with his absence.
This section had one spag I noticed:
where we were to be **bussed** {I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS DIFFERENT IN AUSTRALIA, BUT HERE IN THE US, THE WORD AS YOU HAVE SPELLED IT IS THE PAST-TENSE OF 'TO KISS.' THE PAST TENSE OF THE WORD 'BUS' IS WEIRDLY SPELLED "BUSED" WHICH LOOKS LIKE IT WOULD BE PRONOUNCED LIKE THE SECOND SYLLABLE OF "ABUSED." I'VE ALWAYS FOUND IT SO BIZARRE. BUT THERE IT IS NONETHELESS. to London.
In this next section, I put ** in front and behind the times you started with "we" then used a past-tense verb. I amounts to three in all, and it gave me pause for being so repetitive. One woman's opinion. Potentially worth exactly what you paid me for it!! xoxo
**We climbed** around the lady still prone in the aisle, and exited the aircraft, thankful to be safely on English soil.
**We were** immediately dazzled by blinding glare - and surrounded by television cameras, and dozens of journalists. **We were** forbidden to talk to the reporters about our experiences
Absolutely outstanding job here, Wendy!! Wow! What an eye-opener! xoxo
Comment Written 04-Aug-2024
reply by the author on 04-Aug-2024
-
Thank you for this super review, and for the several helpful suggestions. I have never heard "bussed" used like that, but maybe I'm not in touch with the sayings of the younger generations, and that is our normal spelling - but I have changed it to "taken by coach" which is probably more innocuous, and thank you for the other, as well. I have changed two of those so it does read better.
Despite everything you still awarded six stars!! Many thanks. That's lovely and very supportive.
Wendy
-
The piece was exceptional.
Comment from barbara.wilkey
Thank you for sharing this contest entry with us. I do understand but have not actually been through it. Our first tour of Germany was before the wall came down. Often during that tour, the Russians would assemble along the border. We were always supposed to ready, at a moment's notice, to evacuate. Women and children would leave, while the dads, soldiers, would remain and fight. Lucky we never had to but were always prepared. Good luck with the contest.
reply by the author on 04-Aug-2024
|
Thank you for sharing this contest entry with us. I do understand but have not actually been through it. Our first tour of Germany was before the wall came down. Often during that tour, the Russians would assemble along the border. We were always supposed to ready, at a moment's notice, to evacuate. Women and children would leave, while the dads, soldiers, would remain and fight. Lucky we never had to but were always prepared. Good luck with the contest.
Comment Written 04-Aug-2024
reply by the author on 04-Aug-2024
-
Yes, any international issue like that bringsa certain amount of tension. Thank you for this lovely review.
Wendy
