(EDITOR’S NOTE: The Wright family uprooted from Kingston in September to move to Cyprus for a year while Grant Wright teaches about and builds wood-frame houses for a private company. They are sending occasional letters to the Kingston Community News, along with photos, to share with readers. Family members that made the trip include Grant and Gina Wright and their kids, Tony, 18, Chad, 14, and Gage, 5. Their dog, Haven, went along for the ride.)

Things are going alright here in Cyprus. We are slowly getting adjusted to the lifestyle. It took some time at first with the kids; Chad and Gage took a little longer getting used to the time change. It was a long trip here … It was quite a scene at the airport with all of us and our 13 bags and Haven.

The house we’re living in is nice with four bedrooms, two baths and mostly furnished (but missing a lot of the little things you need at your home).

We were left with a car. It’s a stick shift so Gina could not drive until we got the second car. It was quite an experience driving a car on the left side of the road, sitting on the right side of the car and shifting left handed, not to mention looking in your mirrors differently. I was a wreck at first.

People drive aggressively here. It’s defensive driving all the way. Gina and I spent a lot of time finding our way around here; the street signs are bad, if there are any at all. The ones that are here are mostly in Greek. It’s starting to make sense now.

The city is not that big. If you get lost, you just head down to the sea. I can find my way home from there. When you get on the small streets, it’s bob and weave all the way; people park their cars any where in town. The sidewalk is a parking spot in most places.

The weather has been fantastic. It was a little hot at first, 90-plus degrees, but has cooled down to the 70s and 80s. In the evenings, we have had a couple of storms come through. The thunder and lightning is intense; the lightning put our power out for one day. When it rains it pours! And then the sun comes out, I love it!

The boys are doing well in school, Chad adjusted fast. Gage took some work. He was not ready for the long days; his kindergarten here is like first grade in the states. He is doing great with his Greek class and is like a sponge. Chad has made some new friends at school, but misses his friends at home.

Our son, Tony, and his friend, Anthony, have already gone back to Kingston. They were not ready for the challenges of a new country. It was hard for them to get around without a car. You have to be 25 to rent a car. They were ready to go home after one week here. Homesick! Gina has made some friends through the kids’ school, and found an American women’s coffee club. It has been good for her getting out and speaking with other Americans who can share there experiences.

The beaches are nice. We have not been to a lot yet but the ones we have are great! You can just run out, dive in and keep swimming. The water is warm and a little more salty here. Some of the women are not too modest, if you know what I mean! As the weather cools down so does the water, but it’s still comfortable to swim in.

We have done a couple of weekend trips.We went by Aphrodite’s Rock. It is beautiful down by the sea and reminded us of driving down Highway 1 in California. For you golfers, there are some beautiful courses that we stopped at to have a look. I felt like I was looking for the rich and famous.

We got up in the Troodos Mountains. The weather cools down quite a bit. We stopped for lunch in the village of Kato Pitre, just what you would expect from an old village. The roads are big enough for walking and you can imagine the donkeys and wagons that used them and still see the old mud-and-straw bricks. They do not change much in the restoration. It’s a must-see if you visit Cyprus.

We are still working on preparations for building the first home here. I will save that for the next letter. There have been a lot of changes since Cyprus joined the union. There is a saying here, “Saga! Saga!” (“Slowly! Slowly!) We are not going to fall into this pattern if we can help it.

The food here is great and we have found some great Gyros! The bakeries are to die for! YUMMY stuff − they would do well in the states.The coffee is an acquired taste. A Cyprus coffee is called a ‘sketo.’ It’s a small spoonful of coffee cooked in a small amount of water, served in a tiny cup. I like it but others might not.

Thanks to all who helped us on our way here and those who are helping while we are here. Talk to you again soon.