I have a love/hate relationship with Kuwait as well. I associate it with some of the best and some of the worst parts of my life. I learned so much when I was there and grew up a lot.

My experience was a bit different because I was there to be with my then girlfriend (now wife), who is a Kuwaiti citizen. Technically she’s half Kuwaiti, half European. But, we’re both women, so it was obviously super secret. I got to see the cultural side of Kuwait that a lot of expats don’t see since Kuwaitis are pretty private, which I feel lucky for.

Kuwaitis can be unbelievably generous to their friends and family, which is wonderful, but to strangers they can be very cold. They may have always been this way, but I know that the Gulf War really fucked their ability to trust strangers.

The trauma from the war is strong, and I feel that it is the cause of a lot of problems still. Foreign media outlets didn’t really cover it well, but Saddam committed thousands or war crimes against Kuwait. 605 people were abducted and have never been found. Others were tortured to death in front of their families. Iraqi soldiers stole or destroyed anything they could get their hands on. They left land mines all over the place, sometimes disguised as toys specifically to kill children.

The place is a mess, but I have this strange affection for it anyway.