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...

Happy Thanksgiving!

I started this blog yesterday (Thanksgiving Day) but forgot to finish it.

So today is Thanksgiving but it's just an ordinary day here in the UAE.  As I prepared to go to work this morning, I logged onto Facebook to see so many friends and family prepping for Thanksgiving Dinner.  This is my first Thanksgiving away from home and I'm missing everything about this day.  Being here has made me appreciate so many things that I've take for granted back home.  Although I'm feeling a little lonely, I'm reminded that I'm not alone here.  In just a few minutes I will celebrate Thanksgiving here with my colleagues.  I'm grateful that most of us live in the same building, so dinner will be held in another teacher's apartment.  Everyone is contributing to the dinner, my contribution is baked ziti, drinks, and a roasted chicken.  I have so much to be thankful for and even though I'm not among family today, I'm grateful that I don't have to spend this day alone.  Besides this is my Abu Dhabi Family and I'm so thankful for each of them.


   

85 Days Later

Hello All!  I know it's been a minute since I last communicated but you all know me by now :-)  No since in making promises that I probably won't keep, lol.  I can't believe it's been 85 days since I landed in the UAE.  As you know things haven't always been great but they aren't all bad either.  It's like I'm on a roller coaster.  Some days I'm fine and comfortable in my new place and other days I'm longing to be home.  But all in all, I'm loving the ups and downs and glad I've had the opportunity to live abroad.

Since my last blog post I've attended my first music festival and I absolutely loved it.  It was a 90's music festival with local talent and other well known artist/groups.  I mostly attended the festival to see the group Arrested Development.  They did not disappoint!  I'm so glad we attended this event and I'm looking forward to attending more events like this during my time here.  I've also joined an Urban Line Dance class on Wednesdays.  It's a great way to meet other people as well as dance the stress away.  

At the work place

This week we had our first Parent Teacher Conferences and they went extremely well!  Both my parents and I are pleased with the progress students have made.  I'm thankful for my wonderful coworkers who have made this such a great transition.  We also celebrated Flag Day last week and it was very festive, I'm looking forward to the National Day Celebration that will take place in two weeks.  Just four weeks until the end of Term 1 and our holiday break!  I'm debating on whether or not to travel back home for the Holidays. I'll keep you all posted!

Until next time!        

Transportation Woes

So we had quite the experience the other evening.  I helped another friend in my building with setting up her Fire Stick.  The ordeal took longer than we expected so in appreciation, she offered to take me out to dinner.  I thought it would be a quick trip to Marina Mall, but we didn't get home until three hours later.  This was our first time to going to the mall on a Friday evening so we had no idea catching a cab home would be so difficult.  Any other day, the cabs would be plentiful but on this particular day, not a cab in sight!  Did I mention that the taxi line was ridiculously long? 

We thought of taking the bus, but since we're not familiar with the bus route, we decided not to use it. Because of the long line and no taxi cabs in sight, we decided to walk a little further up and hopes of getting a cab, but no such luck.  To make a long story short, we ended up walking about 3 miles until we successfully hailed a cab.  I've never been so happy to see a yellow light on top of a taxi.  We didn't arrive home until after 12 am, we left the mall after 10:00 p.m.  So we learned a valuable lesson, avoid going to the mall on a Friday evening, unless you have a car.  It's so funny that earlier that evening I said I could make it without renting a car but after this ordeal, I quickly changed my mind.  

You see the taxis lined up, this was on a Thursday evening.

Until next time!

Change of Attitude

Hey Everyone!  I've been meaning to update this blog but I kept putting it off, I believe I shared with you all before, I'm a huge procrastinator.  I'm really going to try and do better with updating you all. A few days after posting my last entry, I found the words above on Facebook which turned my whole attitude around.  I've decided that I'm going to take advantage of this opportunity and enjoy it.  I'm sure that there are many other people who would like to be in my position right now.  

I keep up with the Facebook groups in hopes of meeting up with new people.  On this particular day a woman posted that she'd just arrived in Abu Dhabi the day before, and was looking to connect with other people.  I commented on her post and so did a few others, we arranged to meet that same day before dinner.  I'm so glad I reached out to her and got out of my apartment.  Everyone exchanged numbers with promises to stay connected.  Cheers to making new friends!    

P.S.  If you read my blog titled Day 17, I fixed the videos that were on there.

Until next time!

Making the Best of It

Well I survived the first 7 days of school!  Although it's only been 7 days, it feels so much more longer.  I'm officially off for 9 days due to the celebration of Eid Mubarak.  I'm going to take this time to regroup and hopefully visit other emirates of the UAE.  Yesterday, I attended church with another teacher who lives in my building.  We work for the same company but different schools.  Anyway, I enjoyed the services, it was well needed.  I have good and bad days here.  It's a mixture of missing home, teaching a new grade, and just getting use to how things are run here.  

If I'm being all the way honest, I was contemplating coming home during the winter break and never returning.  I've heard that several families have already returned home for a number of reasons and I can totally understand.  Yet, I was reminded that I prayed for this opportunity and He granted my request.  Things won't always run smoothly but it doesn't mean I need to throw in the towel.  I'm extremely grateful for this opportunity and I promise to make the best of it.

Until Next Time