Sri Lanka

I've been away from the blog for a while now.  I'm not sorry about that.  It's been a busy summer and we are making the most out of it.  It is so incredible to look back through a year of blogs and be able to read about all the emotions we went through with our move from Alabama. And, here we are, doing it again.  That's right, we are being posted!  It's exciting, nerve wracking, overwhelming, emotional, and an awesome opportunity all rolled into one.  I want to share more about that as well as the logistics of the move...in another post.  For right now, I am just going to introduce you to our new home!

Sri Lanka is known as the pearl of the Indian Ocean.  Located just off the tip of  India, Sri Lanka is a beautiful island filled with warm friendly people.  While it hasn't always been so peaceful, in recent years it has become a coveted tourist destination for much of Europe.  Formerly known as Ceylon, it won independence from The United Kingdom in 1948 and changed its name in 1972.  The Sinhalese people are the largest ethnic group followed by the Tamils (the largest minority) those also are the two native languages, although English is widely spoken there (whew).  The civil war between the Sinhalese and Tamil people lasted much of the 1980s and early 1990s and has had a negative impact on economic growth there.  However, in recent years, Sri Lanka has experienced peace and a growing tourist industry.

Sri Lanka has two monsoon seasons.  One that hits the upper eastern part of the island (October-January), and another (May-September) that strikes the southwestern part of the island, where Colombo, the capital is located and where we will be living.

We have already learned so much about this country that will be our home in just 44 days.  We are looking forward to making a home in Colombo, and can't wait to share our adventure with you!