Reflection:

As I sit here watching the sun go down behind the apartments, and listening to the T.V.  I realize that today marks 3 weeks since I left Colorado Springs for my adventure in Dubai.  Is it really only 3 weeks; it seems like a life time ago!

So much has happened in those 3 weeks.  I left behind a house, 2 cats, family, friends, and everything familiar for a new life.

The flight over was great.  I paid less for my extra baggage than I was expecting; I got upgraded to an exit row seat, and had as much free wine as I wanted.  The flight was easy.

I arrived in Dubai close to midnight on Monday night and the learning curve began. 

My first day in Dubai I had to walk to the grocery store and do some shopping; walk back in the hot heat half asleep and tried to function.  I had to figure out the cab system on my first day.  I hit the pavement running.  (The cabs here are wonderful and not too expensive.)  I had to work on setting up an entire new apartment, and deal with being dumped in a new country without any contacts.  (This was the worest part, and I'm still upset about being left alone for 2 days - not good.)

Then the group of new hires started to gel together.  And we quickly grow into a co-hesive group realizing that we were all in the same boat.  Over the past 3 weeks groups and friendships have formed which is natural and to be expected.

The school is totally over the top.  We have a planterium, an Olympic size pool, track, tennis courts, skate boarding ramps, a 3-D design shop, and so much more.  This isn't just a school it is facility like none other that I've seen! 

There are so many experiences that I want to talk about separately in other posts.  I am just including highlights here.  I have had to lean a new monitary system; how to use the washing machine, which floods when the the hoses are not hooked up; how to expect the light switches to be on the outside of the rooms, to turn on the outlets before I use an applice; how to get T.V. and internet hooked up; get help setting up my router; wrestling with a mattress pad; making numerous trips to get items up to my apartment; finding where to get rid of my garbage (which took me half a day to figure out); how to get/hire a car and to start driving in a new place.  And asking lots of questions.

I have met great people that are fun to hang out with and to do things with.  I'm still trying to form new friendships and that will take time.  It is weird to have to try to feel comfortable in my skin in a new place.

After 3 weeks I can tell you this is definitely the adventure I was looking for, but not if I was ready for.  But it has only been 3 weeks and I've been told to expect a roller coaster ride for the next 3 or 4 months.  I am very proud of the progress that I have made; and I am slowly learning how to be patient with myself.

Stay tuned for more posts about specific items.  I promise they will be entertaining and insightful.  Tomorrow the students come back, and I'm looking forward to comparing my new students to my former students.

One thing for sure - every day holds a new experience and that is an adventure!