Between The Desert And The Sea. Djibouti With Rachel Pieh Jones

Djibouti is a meeting place of cultures with French, Somali, and Yemenese influences. It’s shaped by its geographical position between the desert and the sea, on the borders of Ethiopia, Somalia and Eritrea as well as the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea. In this interview, Rachel Jones explains how she came to love the country she now calls home, some tips for traveling to Djibouti, and thoughts on being an expatriate as well as raising Third Culture Kids. Rachel Pieh Jones is the author of Welcome to Djibouti: Arrive, Survive and Thrive in the Hottest Country on Earth, as well as Stronger Than Death, The Djiboutilicious Cookbook and Finding Home. She’s also a freelance writer, blogger and runner. * How Rachel went from Minnesota to the Horn of Africa * Djibouti’s French colonial history and the influence on food and architecture as well as religion * How Djibouti’s capital city — also Djibouti — lies between the desert and the sea and how that shapes the fascinating landscape and things you can do there, like snorkeling with whale sharks over Christmas * Some of the good things to eat locally * Safety and health factors including the sun in the hottest country on earth * Bringing up a family in Djibouti and Third Culture Kids (TCK), those who live between cultures * The meaning of home and being an expatriate * What travel means when you live somewhere ‘else’ * Recommended books for getting a sense of the culture You can find Rachel at DjiboutiJones.com and her books on Amazon here. Transcription of the interview Joanna: Rachel Pieh Jones is the author of Welcome to Djibouti: Arrive, Survive and Thrive in the Hottest Country on Earth, as well as Stronger Than Death, The Djiboutilicious Cookbook and Finding Home. She’s also a freelance writer, blogger and runner. Welcome to the show, Rachel. Rachel: Thanks, it’s great to be here. Joanna: It’s so good to have you on the show and just such an unexpected place. First of all, many people might not know anything about Djibouti. Tell us where is it in the world and also how you came to be living there. Rachel: Djibouti is in the Horn of Africa. It is bordered by Somalia, Eritrea, and Ethiopia and it is on the Red Sea across the water from Yemen. It’s a very small country and a hotspot in the world, but it’s peaceful and stable. It’s got about a million people, so it’s very small. And we came by accident. And then we stayed on purpose. In 2003, my husband took a job teaching at a university in northern Somaliak which is Somaliland kind of a breakaway republic which also is peaceful. So in 2003, we left our home state of Minnesota moved to the Horn of Africa. But then after about a year the stability sort of crumbled and things got a little violent. And so we were forced to flee. At that time we had two-year-old twins so we grabbed the kids, grabbed a suitcase and just ran to the airport. And then because Djibouti borders Somaliland and it’s also a Somali population, we had some connections there. So my husband was invited to teach there at a university. In 2004, we moved to Djibouti and then we’ve just kept on staying. Joanna: Which is so interesting because when people hear the words ‘flee’ and ‘violence’ they’re like, okay so you actually stayed in the area. What keeps you there? What is so interesting and amazing about the place? Rachel: A lot of it is our work. My husband was a professor at the university there for years and then he finished his teaching and education. As the country has developed – it’s a young country – it’s really growing quickly. And the English language was identified as one of the urgent things that they wan...