We Made It Back...Eventually!

Charli and I made it back to Kuwait safely!

As with almost every travel day with Charli, mine started with an upset stomach. I don’t know why this happens every single time we fly. I trust God and know that He will get us to our destination safely, but I guess there’s always a part of me that stays on high alert when we're traveling together.

We flew out of Newark Liberty Airport in New Jersey, and honestly, everything started off great. Check-in was smooth, we boarded on time, and the flight to Cairo had very little turbulence. Charli did great!

We flew business class, and for some reason, I always enjoy seeing young children in business class.

There were quite a few on our flight, probably between the ages of 8 and 12. The food was okay - nothing to really brag about. But I did get one special treat - as we flew into Cairo, I was able to see and capture the pyramids from the plane! That was definitely a highlight.

After about a 2.5-hour layover in Cairo, we were back on a plane headed to Kuwait.

Now, let me tell you about this plane. OLD! EgyptAir really needs to upgrade this aircraft or retire it altogether. I couldn't believe they were calling it business class. Apparently, I wasn't the only one confused because one of the little boys on the flight kept asking his father, "Is this really business class?" 😂 Because I was wondering the same thing!

Old plane aside, the flight was smooth with very little turbulence. The landing was a little scary, though, and I was VERY happy when we finally stopped rolling.

We made it to Kuwait!

We headed through immigration, and although the lines were long, they moved pretty quickly. I even ran into some colleagues and their families. It was so refreshing to see familiar faces because we hadn't seen each other in person since February.

Immigration? Check.

Bags? Check.

Charli? Check.

I was already thinking about getting home, taking a shower, and relaxing.

Yeah...no.

And Then Everything Went Left

Normally, when Charli and I arrive in Kuwait, we go through Terminal 1. The process is simple: show her import certificate, get cleared, and go home. But Terminal 1 is currently closed due to damage from the war, so we arrived through Terminal 4. This terminal has an entirely different process for pets.

A customs officer pulled me aside because I had Charli. After some waiting and paperwork, I was told I needed to go to the Cargo area, about a five-minute drive away, to finish the process.

Okay, no problem. I grabbed Charli and started to leave.

"No. Dog stays here."

Excuse me?! 😳

I was told I had to leave Charli at customs, travel over to Cargo, and she would meet me there in about 10 - 15 minutes. I don't know why I believed that because I've never gotten anything done here in 15 minutes. Ever. I reluctantly left her and took a taxi with all of our luggage over to Cargo. I asked the driver to wait for me.

Ten minutes became 40 minutes.

Forty minutes became hours.

There were about five of us waiting for our pets, and we were told the system needed to update our information. Eventually, we started moving from office to office, getting signatures, making copies, and paying fees that none of us really understood.

After nearly three hours, I thought we were FINALLY at the last step.

Nope.

They discovered that my information had been entered into the system incorrectly, and I was told I had to GO BACK TO THE AIRPORT.

Y'all.

I’m so grateful for my taxi driver. He was incredibly kind and patient throughout this entire ordeal. I kept apologizing because I knew he could have been making money driving other passengers instead of sitting around waiting for me. But then again, by the time this was all over, I’m pretty sure he made up for any money he might have lost by driving and waiting for me. Y’all don’t even want to know how much I had to pay! Anyway, this poor man drove me back to Terminal 4, then back to Cargo, and then BACK to Terminal 4 again because no one seemed to know exactly where I needed to go or who needed to fix the problem.

By the second trip back to the airport, I was DONE.

I finally found another customs officer. He couldn't see anything wrong with the paperwork either. At that point, I asked him to write down his telephone number.

He looked at me like, Why?

Because, sir, if I go back over to Cargo and they tell me this isn't fixed, they are calling YOU! 

Suddenly, we started making progress.

I received new paperwork and headed back to Cargo for what I hoped would be the final time. Because the system is so antiquated, it still took another hour or so for everything to update and for us to finally be cleared.

And then...

I got my baby back!

I had been a nervous wreck imagining every possible scenario. I pictured Charli working herself up so badly that we'd have to go straight to the vet once we left. Thankfully, none of that happened. Charli came out in good spirits and was VERY happy to see her mama. And believe me, her mama was even happier to see her!

We landed in Kuwait around 11:45 a.m.

We did not leave the airport/Cargo area until after 6:00 p.m.

What should have been the final few steps of a long journey turned into more than six hours of waiting, driving back and forth, paperwork, confusion, and worrying about Charli.

But we made it. 

We're home. 

We're safe.

And most importantly, Charli is home, safe, happy, and back to being herself. After spending hours worrying about her, that was all I needed.

As for me? If I was ever on the fence about whether I'm ready for my time in Kuwait to come to an end, this experience may have sealed the deal.

I do not want to go through that again.

Welcome back to Kuwait, I guess! 😂

Home..For Now

First, let me apologize for the long wait between blog posts. A few people have reached out asking for an update, so I figured it was finally time to sit down and write.

The morning of our departure started with a knot in my stomach.

I woke up to messages that sirens had been activated across Kuwait. My heart immediately sank. After everything we'd been through over the previous few months, my first thought was, "Here we go again." I just knew the airspace would close before we had a chance to leave.

From the moment we left for the airport until we were finally seated on the plane, I was a nervous wreck. I think I worried so much that I actually made myself sick.

But somehow...we boarded.

Our first flight took us from Kuwait to Cairo, where we had a 13-hour layover.

Before booking, I had heard that passengers with layovers of six hours or more were often provided complimentary hotel accommodations. Since Kuwait was only allowing one regional flight per day, I really didn't have many options anyway, so I decided to take my chances. A colleague had taken this exact route just a few months earlier with her own fur baby, so I felt even more confident that everything would work out.

Then we landed in Cairo.

Imagine my surprise when I was told that I could not receive a hotel room because I was traveling with Charli. I was informed that the hotels used by the airline would not accept pets. I spoke with one person after another and eventually found myself waiting in the transit holding area. I pleaded my case a few times, hoping someone would be willing to help.

Then I was told to wait.

Hours passed - or at least it felt that way. It was probably three or four hours before someone finally came back with good news.

They had found us a hotel room.

I cannot begin to describe how grateful I was. 

Our flight from Cairo to Newark couldn't have gone any smoother.

The flight attendants absolutely loved Charli. She received plenty of attention, compliments, and kisses along the way. As usual, she was the perfect little traveler.

We landed back on U.S. soil on Monday, June 30th.

These past few weeks have been filled with family, catching up with friends, and enjoying the little things I had missed while living overseas.

One of the biggest reasons I wanted to make it home this summer was to attend my sorority's national convention in Nashville, Tennessee. It was my first time visiting Tennessee! I had an amazing time meeting and reconnecting with sorors from across the country and globe. Being surrounded by sisterhood again reminded me of how much I've missed attending sorority events. It's one of the sacrifices that comes with living abroad - you gain incredible experiences, but you also miss milestones, traditions, and opportunities to simply be present.

But while we've been enjoying our time here, the conflict in the region has continued to escalate. In many ways, it feels like we're right back where we started. I still find myself checking the news every day and talking with friends and colleagues who remain in Kuwait. As of now, we're still scheduled to return on August 10th. As long as the airspace remains open, that's exactly what we'll do.

This experience has also helped me make a difficult decision. For quite some time, I had planned to renew my contract one more time, which would have kept me in Kuwait until 2029. Now, I think it's time to close this chapter. It wasn't the way I imagined making this decision, but sometimes life has a way of making those decisions for you.

Thank you to everyone who checked in on us, prayed for us, and reached out over these past few months. Your messages meant more than you know.

Here's hoping that when it's time for Charli and me to head back to Kuwait in August, the journey is much less eventful than the one that brought us home.

A Summer on Hold

My last blog post was about saying goodbye to my students on our final day of school. I ended that chapter thinking about all we had been through together during an unexpected year of online learning. What I didn't know then was that my own summer plans were about to become just as uncertain.

After nearly two months, Kuwait finally reopened its airspace on April 23rd. I was ecstatic. Like many others living here, I had been waiting anxiously for news that flights would resume. The possibility of going home for the summer suddenly felt real again.

On May 3rd, I purchased my ticket with EgyptAir. At the time, only a limited number of airlines were operating, and I hoped EgyptAir would eventually be permitted to resume service. I also chose EgyptAir for one very important reason: Charli. Anyone who knows me knows that Charli and I are a package deal. EgyptAir allows her to travel in cabin with me, which makes a world of difference.

Then came June 1st.

Terminal 1 officially reopened, allowing some foreign and Arab airlines to resume flight schedules. I was ecstatic to open Facebook and see my flight listed on the departure board. 

And then June 3rd happened.

Another drone attack caused significant damage to Terminal 1. The airspace closed once more. One person lost his life, and dozens of others were injured. In an instant, so much hope and happiness disappeared. What has stayed with me most is the man who lost his life while on his way home to his family. We were all dreaming of reunions with loved ones, and for one family, that reunion would never happen.

Eventually, the airspace reopened again, but officials announced that repairs to Terminal 1 could take up to a year to complete. Flights had resumed, and Kuwait Airways continued operating throughout much of this time. A few people asked why I didn't simply book with them, but that was never an option for me. Kuwait Airways does not allow Charli to travel in-cabin, and I was unwilling to allow her to travel in the hold. With Terminal 1 out of service, many of us hoped that additional airlines would be moved to Terminals 4 and 5.

My flight was scheduled for June 16th.

Like many anxious travelers, I became slightly obsessed with tracking flights. Every day I checked websites to see if my flight was operating. To my surprise, some sites continued to list departure and arrival times, giving me hope that flights were still operating. I even asked ChatGPT how accurate these flight tracking sites were, and it told me they were generally reliable.

Unfortunately, that turned out to be false hope.

When I checked Google, I discovered that many of the flights I had been tracking had actually been canceled. Eventually, I realized I probably should have started with the airline app from the beginning. Better late than never, I guess.

On Saturday, June 13th, I picked up Charli's travel documents so we'd be ready for our flight. The following day, I went to school to sort out my exit permit situation - which is an entirely different story for another day. Thankfully, I received my permit and was finally cleared to travel.

Everything was ready.

My clothes were washed.

Charli's carrier had been cleaned.

All that remained was packing.

While waiting at school to speak with HR, I continued tracking flights. The June 14th flight had been canceled, but the June 15th flight still showed as scheduled. I was thrilled. If the June 15th flight was operating, surely our June 16th flight would too. Right?

About two hours after arriving home, I received the dreaded notification: 

Flight canceled.

I was disappointed, of course. But for weeks, I had been telling both myself and my family that I would be okay if I couldn't come home this summer. I told myself I could save money. I told myself I could relax in my own space. Looking back, I think I said those things to protect myself from disappointment. Because the truth is, would I really be okay spending the entire summer in Kuwait? I'm not entirely sure.

For a brief moment, I considered a Plan B: maybe I could travel home and leave Charli behind. But I quickly realized I couldn't do it. Some people may say, "She's just a dog." But to me, she's family. The truth is that neither of us would be okay. She is just as attached to me as I am to her. If she has to stay behind, then I'm staying too.

I considered taking a short trip somewhere else for a week or two - just enough to have some kind of vacation. That felt easier to accept than spending more than a month away from Charli.

So on Monday, June 15th, I informed my family that I would not be coming home this summer. I began thinking about virtual meetups and ways to stay connected from afar.

Then one of my great-nieces sent me a text.

She asked, "When are you coming to Nana's house?"

Nana is my mom. That one tugged at my heart. I had to tell her that we wouldn’t be home this summer. I know she was excited to see Charli - maybe even me - but definitely Charli. Charli was supposed to spend a week with her, her mom, and her sister while I attended my sorority's convention in Nashville.

Then, just a few hours later, while scrolling Facebook, I saw an announcement from Kuwait Aviation: foreign and Arab airlines would partially resume operations through Terminal 4.

I immediately went to EgyptAir's website and saw flights scheduled as early as July 1st.

Maybe there really is hope after all.

So for now, Charli and I wait.

And maybe - just maybe - by my next post, I'll be writing from home in New Jersey.

A School Year I’ll Never Forget

Yesterday was the last day of school for students, and we ended our year with a virtual talent show and awards day celebration. We truly had such a great time together. 

I created a poem (with a little help) about our year, and while reading it, I became so emotional that I had to turn my camera off just to get myself together. I’ve never been this emotional on the last day of school before - and I've left three schools during my career. I can laugh about it now because my students were saying, “I think she’s frozen!” after calling my name and getting no response. 😂

But this was such an unusual year, and these students showed up every single day. They worked hard, attended office hours for extra help, and sometimes just came back online to spend time with each other. Even my students who returned to the States stayed committed. One student attended a local school during the day and still came home to complete not only her homework there, but our homework too - without missing a single assignment. I’m incredibly proud of all of them because this wasn’t easy. It was hard for me, so I know it was hard for them too.

One of my families who left during the war also returned to Kuwait yesterday. The mother originally planned for her daughter to try logging in online while they were in the air, but I told her not to worry about it. The fact that she wanted to be there meant so much to me.

Another parent shared that her child had set an alarm to wake up for the celebration but accidentally slept through it. These kids were really trying to show up for their friends. It wasn’t their parents making them log on - they made that decision themselves. And honestly, I just found it so admirable that 9-year-olds were willing to set alarms for 1:30 a.m. just to try to see their classmates one more time. Unfortunately, they didn’t make it online, but it truly was the thought that counted. 

I’m already looking forward to August when I can hopefully see everyone in person again, give hugs, offer reassurance, and send them confidently into 4th grade. I know many other families are planning to return as things have finally started to quiet down. Prayerfully, it stays this way.

And in more hopeful news, Kuwait’s airport just announced that international flights will begin operating again starting June 1st. We have a flight booked for June 16th, and prayerfully, we’ll be on it. ✈️🙏💜

Covered, Even Here

It’s been a while…almost five years since I’ve written here.

A lot has changed since my last post. I’m no longer in China - I moved to Kuwait in August of 2021, and life has taken me on a completely new journey since then. I also became a dog mom, so Charli has been right here with me through it all.

I didn’t plan on coming back to this blog like this, but with everything happening right now, I felt led to share.

Here’s what’s been going on…

---

So it’s been 5 weeks since war broke out in the Middle East.

Saturday, February 28th, we’re at home enjoying our last day of holiday break before heading back to work the following day. Maybe around noon, we started hearing and feeling the missiles being intercepted. Our WhatsApp chats began to go crazy as we were all trying to figure out what was going on. Many of my colleagues were en route to Kuwait when their flights were rerouted, or they were in airports when their flights began to get cancelled. As you can imagine, it was pure chaos.

I reached out to my family immediately, letting them know what was going on.

Through all of this, I have been amazingly calm. What has been getting me through are my father’s words. He would always say, “Jennifer, you can’t pray AND worry. You have to choose one - you can’t do both.” So I chose to pray and leave it all in God’s hands. I’m not worried, and I’m not going to allow anyone to worry me. I’m trusting that God is going to do exactly what He promised He would do.

So no, I do not have plans to leave before the school year is over. I feel safe. I’m in my space. I have food, water, and most importantly, I have Charli.

So many people have left, but there are still a lot of us here. I remember waking up and learning that certain people left overnight. I can’t even lie - I shed some tears. I felt like we were abandoned. But just as quickly as those tears fell, they were quickly dried up. I heard a voice oh so clear say, “But I didn’t abandon you. They can’t cover you, only I can.” And with that, I went about my day.

So again, I have no plans to leave until it’s time for me to go. I’m leaning and trusting on God to direct our path - He’s never steered me wrong. The same God that covers me when I’m home in NJ is the same God covering me here in Kuwait. His power has no limits. He is omnipresent.

Charli is doing well. She’s enjoying having me home more as we’re working from home. Early on, when things first happened, she was dealing with stress - not eating, hiding under the sofa, upset stomach, all of that. I started playing nature sounds at night to help her sleep, and she’s been fine ever since.

Please continue to pray for all of us in the Middle East and that this war will come to an end. Many countries are affected by this.

Thank you for still being here…even after all this time.

I’m covered, and I know exactly who’s covering me.

Let's Get Caught Up!

Hey Family! I know I know, it's been awhile. My last post was in July 2020 and it's now April 2021 😩. Back then, I was still in the U.S., stuck outside of China's borders due to the Covid-19 pandemic. I left China on February 1, 2020 for what I thought at the time, would only be about 3 weeks. We were on CNY holiday break so school wasn't an issue. In fact, I was enjoying traveling in Bali then next, Cambodia. Bali was heavenly and I can't wait to go back. I enjoyed Cambodia, but not as much as I really wanted to. Bali wore me out and I won't lie and say that the virus had me wanting to stay within my own resort.

By this time, the Corona virus was rearing its ugly head all throughout Asia. I was faced with the dilemma of extending my vacation, but my wallet was like, "Go home child." So I headed back to Shenzhen, just long enough to unpack, wash clothes, and pack again. I decided to go home because the city was pretty much a ghost town due to the holiday festivities and I didn't want to get stuck if the city shut down. So I purchased a ticket and went home. I was nervous all the way to the airport because airlines begin shutting off flights from China. I had to fly from Shenzhen to Tokyo, then Tokyo to Newark, NJ. The flight from Tokyo was fully booked as everyone was trying to leave. By the time I landed safely in the US, my returning flight had been cancelled. Maybe about a week of returning, Shenzhen was put in lockdown. I'm thankful I left when I did.

Throughout it all my school was very supportive and kept us well informed. We were told to stay put and not travel back to Shenzhen until further notice. Around March, the HR Department was trying to make arrangements for teachers outside of China to return. They were fearful that China would close its borders. March 26th, I was in the middle of making arrangements with the school's travel agents, set to depart on April 5th. Then it happened, China announced that they were closing their borders effective March 28th. I was honestly relieved because traveling during that time period was very scary to me. Add in the fact that everyone had to quarantine at hotels, some of which were very unpleasant (I heard the stories on Facebook), I was in no rush to get back.

In the end, I stayed in the U.S. until November 13th. After 9 months, I was finally on my way back to China. It was a very long process. I went through just about every emotion with this trip. I know God was tired of hearing from my confused self. I was nervous about traveling back. But I met up with 2 of my colleagues at LAX and traveling with them helped my anxiety a great deal. We landed in Guangzhou on November 15th and spent 2 weeks in quarantine. I spent Thanksgiving stuck in a room by myself with less than desirable food. All in all, other than the food, quarantine wasn't bad. The hotel was nice and clean, although you could't tell from the outside (I was ready to tell them that I wasn't staying). We received 3 meals a day, along with temperature checks twice a day. Before I left the U.S., I had to take a Covid test as well as a blood test to determine if I ever had the virus. This had to be completed all within 48 hours of my departure. It was not easy. After arriving in China I had to take a second test, and on the 14th day we took our 3rd test. After we were cleared, my school sent a car for us to bring us back to Shenzhen. I thought we were done with testing but we had to take another test a few days after arriving in Shenzhen. So within 4 weeks, I took a total of 4 covid test. It's almost 5 months since returning and I have taken a test since. Praise be!

As you can see, so much happend in 2020 and there's still so much I left out. I really didn't mean for this to be so long. I should have vlogged this whole experience. Hopefully I'll do more blogging in the future, I have so much more to share with you all! Stay tuned for me!

Until next time...

Why China?

Hi All!

As you all know, I left UAE for China last July. Although I loved living in UAE, I was unable to secure a teaching position in a timely manner. I often receive emails/messages from schools in China, so I thought, why not go to China? When I first begin thinking of teaching abroad, China was my first choice but then I learned about Abu Dhabi, and you know the rest of the story. 

During my job search, I was offered two positions, one in Beijing and the other in Shenzhen. I was originally headed to Beijing and was excited to be able to experience the 4 seasons again. You know Abu Dhabi has hot and hotter. LOl! Just kidding! The school in Beijing offered me a lead position in the KG Department if I accepted the role of KG teacher (I interviewed for grade 1). Overall the package was good, the only negative was that I had to find my own accommodations with the school's help. After traveling for several hours with lots of luggage, I'd rather go straight to my apartment than a hotel. Then came the other offer from the school in Shenzhen. Again, the package was great and I also liked the location. It's about a 20-minute ferry ride to Hong Kong. The weather is similar to Abu Dhabi but with more rain. Unlike Beijing, the school would handle the accommodations. I weighed the pros and cons of both schools and ended up going with the school in Shenzhen. It hasn't been an easy adjustment by far, but I'm dealing. Besides, I've only spent about 6 months in China due to Covid-19, so I guess I can say my first year in China was a success.

Until next time...

On To A New Journey

Hello Family & Friends! I'm not sure who is still keeping up with me since it's been almost two years since my last post. To bring you up to speed, in my last post I stated I was 98% sure that I was leaving either my school or UAE altogether. Well, exactly one year ago today, I turned in my final clearance forms and left my school as well as UAE. I returned home to the US for approximately 3 weeks then I was off to my next destination.

Yes, I left UAE and went to Shenzhen, China. It has been quite the experience. As I come up on my one year anniversary of moving, I'm going to revisit what it was like getting ready for and arriving in China. I hope you're interested in reading and catching up with me. Thanks for hanging in there with me.

Until next time...

It's a Recruitment Season!

Hey All! Sorry for the long break and thanks to those who still keep up with me.  I'm now in year three teaching in Abu Dhabi.  I'm currently teaching grade 1 and still at my school.  I'm 98% sure that this will be my last year at my current school and I've begun my search for my new home/school.  

This past weekend I attended my first job fair and it was an experience.  There were about 75 schools there and they were looking to fill 700 positions.  I was totally overwhelmed with this experience.  There were so many educators present searching for their ideal school.  Most of the schools that I were interested in either had long lines, no vacancies for my grade level or required PYP experience.  I did manage to secure 2 interviews for that day.  The first interview went well and I was told that I passed the first round.  I'm disappointed that I missed the second interview, I couldn't find the meeting room and there was no representatives present to help me out.  I immediately emailed the head of recruitment of the school to inform them of the situation.  But we'll see how everything goes.  I would love to stay in UAE but if the right school comes along with the right package, I'm leaving.  My ultimate goal is to save money.  Although I managed to save some money at my current school, I know I would be able to save more in different locations.  

But anyway if you're looking to teach overseas, now is the time to start sending out your resumes or sign up with a recruitment agency.  Over the next few months there will be several job fairs where many teachers will be hired on the spot or immediately after.  You can try applying directly to schools or sign up with Teach Away, ISS/Schrole, Search Associates, TIE and many others. Many schools use specific agencies to recruit teachers, however you may still have luck contacting schools directly.  

I'm a member of ISS/Schrole and these are the upcoming job fairs:

Good luck on your job search!

Until next time...

End of Year Two

Well hello out there!!!!!!!!!  I know, I know, I don't have any excuses 🙅 but I'm here!  Thank you to all of those who follow the blog, I apologize that my posts are so sporadic. 

Last Day of School Happy Dance

I'm now in NJ on summer vacation.  Tomorrow will mark three weeks since I arrived home.  I had another successful year at my school and I am returning for year three.  I originally signed on for two years but decided to extend my stay.  For the 2018-2019 school year, I'm moving on to first grade.  So if you're keeping up with me, I started off in KG1, the following year KG2, now onto grade one. I'm looking forward to the grade level change.  I'm P-3 certified, so I'll now have experience in each grade, except for grade two.

This has been my mood since July 5th! 😂😂😂😂😂  I don't have any summer travel plans, just enjoying my time off.  Today I ordered some books for professional development that I plan to read before returning to work on August 26th.  Although, this is vacation time I can't seem to turn my mind off from work.  I have so many goals that I want to implement this year.  I think I'm going to dedicate two days out of the week to concentrate on work. 

I'll try to give updates during the rest of the summer.

Until next time!

Parent Teacher Conferences/New Team Member

Hello All!

Well it's not Friday, but in the Middle East, Thursday is the new Friday for me.  We just finished week two of term two and we're already tired.  After being on vacation for 2 1/2 weeks, we returned back to work with Parent/Teacher Conferences the same week.  I'm not sure why we started the term off with conferences, but I hope this is the first and last time doing so.  I was able to meet with 15 out of 22 families.  All were pleased with their child's progress, as was I.

The following week we earned a new member to our KG Team.  My principal asked me to meet the new KG1 teacher at the airport and take her to her new apartment.  I've spoken with the teacher over the past few months via Facebook.  She's was in search of job and I informed her of an open position at my school.  Fast forward a few months later and she's now the newest addition to our school.  She's living in one of the areas I would like to move to next year.  I was glad I was able to get a tour of the place before I request a housing transfer.  The apartments are spacious and it looks like every one has a balcony.  The complex has a pool, basketball court and gym.  I've grown to like where I currently live but I'm open to moving.  The downside to that complex is that it's not a lot of  stores/shops in the area.  I was thinking of returning my rental car at the end of the school year, but I may need to rethink this.  Anyway, I have until April to make a decision about housing.  I'll keep you posted!

Happy New Year

Happy New Year Everyone!

I truly didn't realize how long its been since my last blog.  I know I say it often, but I'm going to do better with updating this blog.  I don't have many new year resolutions but updating my blogs is one of them.  I say blogs, because I have another teaching blog that I haven't updated since 2015 😞.  But it's a great tool to have for self reflections as well an added resource for my teacher's portfolio.  But enough about that.

I finally traveled over the Christmas break and I absolutely enjoyed myself!  We traveled to Thailand (Bangkok & Phuket).  I had such a great time that I started looking for teaching positions in Thailand.  Lol!  I will definitely visit again.  Traveling was what I needed since I didn't return home for the holiday.  We kept busy so our minds wouldn't be on our families back home.  I can't wait to travel again for Spring Break, I'm thinking of visiting the Philippines.  

On the work side of things...
I had my evaluation a few months back and everything went well.  The Head Boss knows that I'm searching for a new teaching position and asked that I reconsider staying.  She also said that she received so many phone calls/emails from parents about me.  It really feels good to hear positive feedback and have your hard work recognized.  I told her I'm open to staying but I also would like to open myself up for other opportunities.  Some of my current and former parents are already asking me what grade I'm going to be teaching next year.  I don't have the heart to tell them that it's a possibility that I might not be there.  They (parents) either want to move up with their children or move down for the siblings who are starting KG1 next year.  Decisions, decisions, decisions.  Although I'm looking elsewhere, I'll most likely stay at my current school.  As I've mentioned before, I really like our new principal and would like to be a support to her and the school.  Who knows, I might even put myself out there for a leadership position.  Before I left my school in the States, my principal did talk with me about this.  Maybe it's time I step out on faith and give it a try.


Until Next time......

Before you go, check out a short video of my trip to Thailand

Recruitment Season

Hey All!

I apologize for the long breaks in between posts.  I always have the intention to make a post but I get sidetracked every time.  I'm currently on midterm break, and it's a much needed 4 day weekend.  We have 7 more weeks before term one ends.  I'm excited that I will go on my first trip over Christmas break.  My friend and I are traveling to Thailand.  I'm a little sad I won't be with my family during the holidays but I have yet to travel since moving here.  I want to travel as much as I can, before my time here is up.  

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Dear educators who are considering to teach abroad, Recruitment season is upon us. If you are serious I would update that resume and get on it now. There are recruitment fairs and job listings happening. You can secure a job for next school year and finish your current contract. 

Sincerely,
A teacher who is teaching abroad and trying to help out.

I've seen this on Facebook a few times, so I thought I would post it here as well.  My school is one of those schools hiring for next school year.  My principal is looking to hire new staff by the end of December.  If you're truly interested in teaching abroad and would like to know more information about my school, please leave a comment and I'll get back to you as soon as possible.  

This is my second year so my contract ends in July.  I'm looking into applying to other schools for the 2018-2019 school year.  I've applied to two school today on ISS, two schools in Dubai and the other in Oman.  My new principal is awesome and I believe she is what the school needs.  Under her leadership, I would consider staying at the school.  But I'm also keeping my options open, wish me luck!  

Until next time!

Let Year Two Begin!

I arrived back in Abu Dhabi a week ago after spending 8 weeks home, in Jersey.  Although, good-byes are never easy, it does feel good to be back.  I'm up and about and I've adjusted to the time zone difference.  The first two days were the hardest, I slept a lot, my body was worn out.  I'm now getting to bed before 1:00 am so this is really good.  

The flight coming back was horrible.  Actually the flight from Philly to Chicago was fine but from Chicago to Abu Dhabi was rough.  The flight wasn't rough due to weather or the mechanics of the plane, but non-stop screaming children.  I usually stay awake as long as I can before getting on a plane so that I can sleep the majority of the flight.  I only had about 3-4 hours of sleep before boarding the plane, so I was ready to take a looooong nap.  But my plan to sleep for the 12 hour and 35 minute flight to Abu Dhabi, didn't go as planned.  I wanted to scream and cry just like those kids.  My eyes were burning, boy was I tired!  Although it seems as if I'm complaining, I'm very grateful to have made it safely to Abu Dhabi.

Since I've been back I managed to obtain my driver's license!  Finally!  The task wasn't hard at all so if you're new to Abu Dhabi and need to get  your UAE license, listen up!  The first thing you need to do is have your home country's licence translated.  I went to MAK for Translation and Business Services, located in Marina Mall.  Once you enter the main entrance of the mall, you walk straight (pass Joe's Crab Shack) until you see the perfume section then make a right.  You will be looking for Paris Gallery.  Enter Paris Gallery and take the escalator down two flights.  Once you come off the escalator go to the right and the office is there.  Just inform the front desk that you need to have your license translated and you will receive a ticket.  As soon as I received my ticket I was called.  The guy who helped me, Mohamed, was very nice and had pretty good English.  

While Mohamed worked on the translation, I went to get my eye exam at Yateem Optician.  Yateem is located on the first floor across from Typo and next to Shake Shack (you need to walk towards the main entrance).  Yateem didn't open until 10 a.m. and the doctor wasn't due to arrive until 10:30, so keep this in mind when you're planning.  While waiting on the doctor, Mohamed called to let me know that my translations was complete.  The doctor arrived at 10:40 and I was called back by 10:45, the exam was 25 dirhams.  I traveled back to MAK to get my copies of the translation then went to another counter for processing.  At this counter the guy explained how to apply online and then I was on my way.  The fee to have my license translated was 120 dirhams.

Once I arrived home I tried applying on line but kept getting an error.  I tried just about the whole day with no luck.  So today I went to the Licensing Department near Mushriff Mall.  You just go to the area across from Customer Service where there's a set up of iPads and complete your application on there, that's if you're unsuccessful in applying online from home.  So now I'm just waiting on my license to be delivered to my home, it should take about 3-4 days.  The application fee was 213 dirhams.

    
I can't wait to finally be able to drive and really explore Abu Dhabi!  Stay tuned!

Year One Complete

Hello  All!  I know it's been awhile, but you should know me by now 😉.  The school year ended almost three weeks ago on Thursday, June 22nd.  Since then I've returned home to New Jersey and I'm enjoying my time with family and friends.  I'm elated to say that my first year abroad was a success and I'm looking forward to year #2.

I"m truly grateful to my Creator who carried me through this journey.  I was always told that when you pray for things/situations, you need to be specific.  When I decided to accept my position, I prayed for each and every situation that I would encounter.  My God never failed me and he answered and supplied all my needs!  

I can't say enough about my students and their parents.  I truly had THEE BEST KG1 students and families.  When I think of how much they've grown over those 10 months, I'm simply amazed.  The last week of school, we had Memory Day and I was brought to tears when I begin speaking about one student in particular.  This student started the school year with little to no English.  I think of how scary that had to be for him, he had no one he could communicate with.  All of the students spoke English and majority of the students can speak Arabic as well.  This student could not speak either of those languages.  However, he found a way to communicate with others.  I would explain to my students often that it wasn't easy for him and that we all needed to help him.  And helped they did!  I had some of the most caring, and compassionate kids ever!  I gave this student the award of Most Improved, he definitely deserved it.  And by the way, not only did this student learn English but Arabic as well!

I'm truly going to miss my kids and their parents but I will still get the chance to see them daily.  Especially since I'm moving up to KG2!!!!! 🙌  As of now I will have 5 of my former students again for the 2017-2018 school year.  I would love to have my entire class again but it's out of my hands.  But I'm excited to move up to kindergarten next year.    

I'm praying that year 2 will be just as awesome as year 1.  We will have a new principal that I'm excited to get to know and work with.  Starting a brand new school isn't easy but I do believe the staff at my school did an awesome job with everything we encountered over the year.  We're survivors!  Lol!  But the school is off to a great start and I'm excited to see what it will look like a few years from now.  Oh yeah, I'm 98% sure I'll remain in the UAE for the next two years.  Not sure if I'll remain with my school or transfer.  But I'm pretty sure the UAE is where I'll be.

Well until next time!

8 Months, 8 Weeks

I can't believe that I've been living in Abu Dhabi for 8 months.  Not only has it been 8 months since I've arrived, it's just 8 weeks away until the end of term!  The school year is nearly over, time surely does fly!  I made it through so many "firsts" over the past 8 months and I'm looking forward to the many more I will encounter throughout this journey.

Just to give a recap of what happened since my last blog, I did get visitors from home and we had a great time.  My friend and her son visited for about 9 days and we spent our time visiting places in Abu Dhabi and Dubai.  It felt great showing them around and sharing with them what I experience in my daily life.  I wish more of my family and friends are able to experience this with me, who knows how long I'll be on this side of the world.  My contract will end in June of 2018, which is a little over a year away.  I could return home to the U.S., extend my contract, transfer to a new school, or even a new country.  It's funny how just a few months ago, I couldn't imagine making it through the year, now I'm thinking of extending my stay.  We'll see how year two treats me 😉.

Oh yeah, remember from my previous post I had to make a decision over a spring break.  Well when I returned back to work, I let my principal know that I would like to move to third grade next year.  I haven't received a response back, I believe it was because Admin was so stressed about our ADEC inspection (we had inspection this past week).  I'm going to send a follow-up email this week to find out an update.  I have a feeling that they may keep me in KG, I wouldn't be totally opposed to the idea.  I do however, prefer kindergarten over pre-k and would love it even more if I looped up with my current students.  I just want to know where I'll be so I can plan accordingly.  Look at me, the school year isn't even over and I'm already planning for next year 😁.

Until next time...

Much Needed Break

I know, I know, it's been a while!  So many weeks have passed since my last post.  I know every other post I make promises to do better, but I really will try to do better.  But here goes my latest thoughts....

I'm officially on spring break!  Our spring break is two weeks and this break is well needed! Term 2 was very long, 11 weeks without any days off.  I'm not traveling during this time, my very first visitors arrived yesterday!  My sister's best friend and her son will be here for the next 7 days.  We plan to travel within the UAE.  

On March 1st I received a letter stating that I officially passed probation.  All but one teacher passed, unfortunately the other teacher will not finish the school year with us.  All new staff are placed on probation for the first six months.  Six months is a long time to decide if you want to keep someone.  But I guess with all of the money the school invests in you, those six months are adequate.  I can't believe the school year is almost over.  Once we return after spring break, we're down to 11 weeks.  I've been told once Ramadan begins, the days pass over rather quickly.

You may recall during one of previous post how I spoke of changing grades for the next school year.  Well, I had my performance meeting with the acting principal the day before we let out for spring break.  Anyway, she informed me that there's definitely a spot in grade 2 and maybe grade 3.  She wants me to take the time over break to decide where I want to be next year.  A few months ago, I was very adamant that pre-k wasn't for me, but now I'm not so sure anymore.  A part of me misses working with the older kids, and the other part loves working with the babies.  Decisions, decisions.  I have to have an answer by the time I return from spring break 😕.  

Congratulations to those of you who have secured a teaching position, be it locally or abroad!  

Until next time...  

Six Months Later

As of  yesterday, I've lived in the UAE for six months.  There are still days when I just sit back and say, "Wow, I'm really living in Abu Dhabi".  Things are going well and I'm counting down the weeks until spring break (4).  

Since I've last spoken to you I manged to finally get my name onto my utility accounts, had my first sandstorm and rain in the desert!  If you're wondering if it gets cold here, I can assure you that it does.  There were a few times that I've contemplated getting a portable heater because I was so cold.  But the weather here changes often, one day is cold and windy, the next it's warm and humid.  I'm thankful for the break in the weather because the summer is so hot.  However, it doesn't stay cool here for too long.  

I'm so looking forward to spring break!  Tomorrow we're starting week 7, we haven't had any breaks since the term begin.  I'm hoping that we have a rain or fog day soon, the weekends are just not enough.

Well until next time... 

Happy New Year!

2016 was good to me, I have no complaints!  In 2016, I took a leap of faith by doing something that I still can't believe.  I left my job of 10 years and took on another position that required me to leave my comfort zone and travel across the world to a new country in the Middle East.  I'm enjoying meeting new people and discovering more about myself.  I successfully completed the first term at my school, teaching prek and loving my students and their families.  

I traveled back home for Christmas and enjoyed spending time with my family and former colleagues.  It was good to regroup and refocus and I'm now back in Abu Dhabi.  It's funny how I couldn't wait to go back to The States, but once there, I couldn't wait to come back to the UAE.  Lol!  It was just too cold, I've become accustomed to this beautiful weather here.

I'm looking forward to all the things to come in 2017.  Hopefully, I'll take my first trip during Spring Break to South Africa.  I have three more days of vacation, then I'm back to work for two days of PD.  I hope you all have a prosperous new year!

Until next time!

Residence Visa

So I've been in Abu Dhabi now for 111 days, nearly 4 months and today I finally received my residence visa!  Yes, you read that right, I'm just now receiving my visa 😏.  I know you're probably wondering how that could happen, but unfortunately I have no answers to how/why this happens.  This is one of the ways, private schools differ from pubic schools.  If you're planning to come to Abu Dhabi to work for ADEC, you will receive your visa before you board your plane.  If you don't have your visa then you are advised not to board the plane.  By doing this, it would save you so much trouble.  

Just about everything you need done here, requires an Emirates ID.  In order to have an ID, you must first have a resident visa.  From getting a Sim card to opening a bank account, an Emirates ID is needed.  Fortunately I was able to get those mentioned items with a copy of my passport and letter from my employer.   However, there are so many months these businesses will allow you get away without showing proper identification.  I'm so grateful that I finally have my visa and that it came just in time so that I can travel back home for the holiday. 

Until next time...