People often ask me if it's hard to be an American or to be a woman in Syria.

But it's not those two obvious hurdles that makes life dificult here.

It's the little things that don't first come to mind that are the real obstacles.

It's trying not to faint in the 120 degree mid-day August heat while going from one appointment to the next, walking each time because I dislike haggling with taxi drivers.

It's trying to keep hydrated with a big bottle of water, and finding places to use the bathroom throughout Damascus.

It's waiting ages to get an email connection, and then losing the connection once I've written the message.

It's trying to cross the street while carrying a laptop, when traffic lights are seen as merely decorations in Damascus.

But with all of those little obstacles, it's also the bigger things I appreciate:

The great food, the hospitality, seeing Greek and Roman ruins in the middle of the big cities, juice bars on every corner... and photogenic people and landscapes that makes it almost impossible to take bad pictures.

Well, I'd better post this before I lose my connection.