“I am not the same having seen the moon shine on the other side of the world.” ― Mary Anne Radmacher

Getting my traveling papers was quite an undertaking.  You may remember the numerous times I had to visit the stinky building and sit for an eternity until my number was called.  Then, I had to wait and wait for my final residency stamp.  Unlike many of the others who came over with me in August, I was unable to begin my travels and found myself here during EID and Thanksgiving while co-workers were off to enjoy the holidays in places like Jordan, Bahrain, Paris, Dubai, Kenya, and Egypt.  They were frolicking in foreign lands,  and I sat in my apartment quietly counting the ways in which my life had already changed.  In those few short months, I understood how it feels to be a foreigner in a strange land with limited to no words in my repertoire of the native language (Shout out to the girls for teaching me and gladly quizzing me on a daily basis).  And although I wasn't traveling to exotic places, I was acutely aware that I was experiencing new cultures every day through my interactions with the teachers in my building who are from Canada, South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, London, Syria, Jordan, Egypt, the Caribbean Islands and India.  Even though, I was already expanding my thinking just by listening to stories of their home countries, I was feeling very antsy and looking forward to a bite from the travel bug!!!!!

On November 16, it finally came!  Although too late to plan a trip for Thanksgiving, I finally got my passport back with my residency stamp and received my civil ID.  It was definitely on and popping from that moment forth.  I was off and flying the friendly skies and have no plans to stop.  I have visited countries I once only read about in books and dreamed of visiting after watching shows on the travel channel.  

Sri Lanka

Malaysia

My first stop, as you know, was Dubai with Camryn for Christmas.  Then I was off to Malaysia to present some of my favorite instructional strategies to a captive audience at a curriculum summit.  PD takes on a whole different meaning when it's in another country and your captive audience is truly an international one.   I was thrilled about visiting here as it is the home of one of my best girlfriends, and she armed me with a list of delicacies I was not to leave without sampling.  She set me up with one of her friends who took me to the local haunt so I could eat like a native,

Thailand

and I successfully sampled every dish but one during that night on the town. Next, I was on to a much needed and absolutely relaxing long weekend in Sri Lanka.  I admired and envied the local people's contentment with the simplicity of life. Sri Lanka is also where I first experienced being mistaken as a Nigerian (LOL).  Then, spring break rolled around, and I found myself landing safely in Thailand where I enjoyed the hustle and bustle of Bangkok and the beauty of Phuket.  Bangkok is something to behold and definitely left a lasting impression.  Phuket brought out my adventurous side.   I snorkeled, canoed,  and explored caves.   Now, I am eagerly anticipating my next destination, a mini tour of Europe with Camryn and my mom (London, Amsterdam, Barcelona and Rome) before I head home for the summer.

We finished the school year during Ramadan now, so daily life has been adjusted.  Our work hours were reduced to 5 (8am - 1pm) which has been great for getting in a nap.  It's around this time that everything closes down and reopens again at sun down (restaurants around 6:30, stores again at 8) staying open until 1 or 2 am.  I tried the late day shopping but am obviously not equipped for such late  night happenings.  Nonetheless, not wanting to miss the opportunity to  soak up more of the culture and expand my knowledge, I attended a Ramadan information session at the Aware Center and enjoyed an Iftar buffet after.   I came away with a deep respect for the strength (physical and spiritual) it takes to fast (no food or water) each day from sun up to sun down, especially in these 115+ temps.

During these nine months, I have found a renewed joie de vivre and gained a new appreciation for living comfortably and happily with the bare minimum. I have refused to buy anything that would not fit into my suitcase, and if it did, it had to have little to no impact on the baggage weight limit for traveling.  I understand what it feels like to feel alone or lost in a swarm of people. I have learned that patience with myself and others must be practiced.  I have stretched my thinking and adjusted my perspective in many facets of my life.   I have altered the lines of my comfort zone, and these days, Inshallah rolls very easily off my tongue.  In the evenings when I sit in quiet reflection, I am often reminded of a meme that best summarizes the entirety of this experience: Travel is the only thing you buy that makes you richer.  I nod to myself emphatically.  I have certainly bought my fair share of travel, broadened my outlook on life, and am, most definitely, richer for it all. 

“I love to see a young girl go out and grab the world by the lapels. Life's a bitch. You've got to go out and kick ass.” - Maya Angelou

This blog is supposed to be about my travels and journeys, but there is no way I could pass up the chance to veer from the path for just a minute to shout out my fave girl.

All of Camryn's life, I made decisions with the thought that what lay ahead would always provide us with better than we had.  Each new job I took meant big changes for her, changes that, to a child, were life shattering.  She moved from school to school (9 in total) from the time she entered until she graduated last June.  She would make friends and then be forced to leave them shortly thereafter. She learned to be alone in a crowded room and be completely OK.  She had grown accustomed to being the new girl, and while many would have worn that badge like a scarlet A, she seemed to place it squarely on her chest more as a badge of honor that screamed, "You should get to know me.  It just might change your life." LOL  She grew more confident in herself with each passing year.  She is funny, smart, personable, sometimes moody and a bit mouthy, but always affectionate and extremely compassionate.

2017 Convocation

Over the years, she was thrown a lot of those proverbial curve balls.  With the death of Papa at the midpoint in her 9th grade year,  I worried about how she might find her footing again, but it was wasted worry.  She kept marching to the beat of her own drum and never took a misstep academically.   She landed each quarter of every year very safely on the honor roll, her resilience and motivation on constant display.    She finished high school as an honor graduate (earning a full scholarship along the way) and focused her sights on college.  Little did she know, the new curve ball coming would be the biggest yet and test the very strength of her being.

With my decision to move to Kuwait, she was forced to grow up in a way she probably never imagined.  She was essentially on her own at 16 and would have to become an adult, ready or not.  All I could do was pray that once again this change wouldn't be catastrophic for her, and as always, she keeps meeting and beating the challenges placed before her.

She tackled her first semester by taking on 18 hours and another 17 second semester.   Because of the credits she earned while in high school, in January she was classified as a sophomore and has earned her rightful place on the Freshman Honor Roll and the Dean's list. Her travels here to visit me during the holidays have opened up new ideas for her, and she is even considering studying abroad so she can continue to travel the world.

As we countdown to her 18th birthday this August, I am faced with accepting that my fave girl is definitely growing up.   I absolutely love watching who she is becoming and am super proud of all that she has accomplished.  She has definitely gone out and grabbed the world by the lapel, kicking ass and taking names along the way.  I can't wait to see what life has in store.   I just hope the world is ready for her because she is coming!!

"Life is either a great adventure or nothing." - Helen Keller

Christmas Dinner at Benihana

Christmas Vacation with my Fave Girl!!!

Excited doesn't even capture what I was feeling about finally reuniting with my fave girl.  We have never been separated for this long, and the 4 months were only eased through constant video chatting and social media posts.  I was eager to share with her my new home away from home and immediately began thinking about what adventures awaited us through travel.  It is absolutely realistic to make travel plans here without worrying about breaking the bank, and I was anxious and excited to begin my travel experiences with Camryn.

The first leg of our adventure originally included a trip to Cairo, Egypt, but recent unrest within the country gave me second thoughts about that journey (We will still go someday.),  so we settled on exploring some of the treasures of Kuwait to begin our adventure.  There are some nice shopping options, and I knew Camryn would love haggling with vendors at the souq.  Luckily, one suitcase she brought was full of items I requested from home (Dang, I forgot the grits!!),  and I think she was trying to fill it with things to take back.  At City Centre, a sonq-like shopping mall, she found some fabulous buys on Uggs and came away with three pairs, a couple pairs of platform sneakers and some super cute mesh loafers.  Later, we went out to the souq in Fahaheel and haggled with the shopkeepers over handbags and watches.  She bartered over a pair of Beats, while I warned her about authenticity to no avail.  She bought them anyway and left the with me. :-)    Nonetheless, we spent the day there and came home exhausted.

After a few days in Kuwait, we moved on to Dubai where the adventures took center stage.  There was no way I could have even imagined the shenanigans we could encounter.

Day 1 - From the moment we arrived at the airport, I should have heeded the signs that this trip was going to be full of twists and turns.  In spite of my strategic planning for an early flight (8:30) so we could be tourists and sightsee, we were grounded by extreme fog in Dubai that gave us a 2 hour-delay in an overcrowded airport.  After long lines in customs, we were finally able to check into our hotel around 4:30, completely exhausted.  Instead of venturing out, we decided to shower order room service, get an early night's sleep and be ready to go the next day.

Big Bus Ridin'

Day 2 - We started this day with the Big Bus hop on, hop off tour.  We had great seats on the upper deck and decided to just ride the entire route to see the city and hop off as we made our way around the second time to take in the local favorites.  Little did we know, our first hop off would be our only. Before we could even get to the sidewalk, we were approached by several men asking if we wanted to see goods ranging from handbags to pashminas to jewelry.  We followed two guys to a shop filled with fabric, and I mentioned that we wanted to see handbags.  He eagerly motioned for us to follow, and we were led down an alley to the back of building and into an apartment building.  Sensing my apprehension, the guy kept assuring me that it was okay and safe, just illegal!!!!!  He led us to an apartment door that opened to reveal a "store" with multiple displays of handbags, sunglasses, watches, etc. There wasn't a designer alive whose items weren't on display.  At first, I didn't see what I wanted, so one of the other guys quickly pulled a lever and the wall gave way to a secret panel in the display shelves that opened to a room  where he retrieved additional handbags...the kind of stuff you see in movies.  All of this made me nervous; I was sweating bullets and giving Camryn side eyes all the while calculating the distance from where I was standing to the door.     We made a couple selections; he offered a price; I declined; he lowered; I declined again and again and decided it was time haul tail. Just as we made it to the door, another man entered and joined in the banter.  He kept sidestepping, blocking our path, followed by one of the men who yelled at us because we weren't buying. I gave Camryn a knowing glance, and we made a mad dash through the door and to the elevator and got the hell out of there!!!  Once back on the main street, we caught our breath purchased some things from a few vendors there and journeyed back to the hotel with a story to tell.  I was hoping that would be the highlight of the day, but the fun just kept on coming.

Later that evening, we decided to hit the marina for dinner and boarded the metro.  Halfway through the ride, we discovered that we had boarded the train going in the opposite direction of our destination.  Going with the flow, we figured we would just ride it to the end and back until we found the restaurants...NOT!  As we approached the last stop on that line, we hear, "All passengers must exit the train!"  SMH  Laughing hysterically, we got off, boarded in the other direction and tried again for the marina.  When we got to the correct stop, and tried to exit the station, our metro passes would not work.  Seems we had crossed zones without proper tickets and  were sufficiently chastised by the policeman as he ushered us to the attendant to purchase new tickets.  Finally, at about 9:00pm, we made it to dinner at a Chinese/Indian bistro where the food was delicious and plentiful.  This was just day 2, and I still had high hopes the remainder would be a little less eventful, but it wasn't.  

Day 3 - We had big plans to visit the Dubai Mall  and Aquarium and the Burj Khalifa. The walk from the train station into the mall and down to the attraction was longer than The Green Mile!!  A stop at the restroom was definitely in order, so I navigated my way there while Camryn waited for me outside.  No sooner than I came out, she came walking over to me pretty quickly. It seems some random guy, pretending to be on the phone, started walking close to her and offered her some little packet of something he had in his hand.     Telling him, "No," she picked up her pace to come find me.  As she was telling me, we looked back to see him waving very happily at her.  He and his friend then followed us around the mall, into a crowed elevator and continued to follow us, waving until we go lost in the vast waiting crowd at the Burj Khalifa, yet another story for the books.  We finished this day with a trip to the aquarium, got henna tattoos and did some more shopping before retiring for the night.

Day 4 - We saved the best of our trip for last full day...the dessert safari.  We had a great driver who showed up in his crisp white dishdasha and a bright yellow hat with big black letters that said, "Tell me what you think?"  We drove quite a distance to the desert riding by rows and rows of power lines that looked like tall women waving and beckoning us to come on join the fun. Rolling dunes and free roaming camel could be seen on either side.  We stopped at a small, crowded road side store where we could use the bathroom and grab some snacks.  Camryn held and posed with a falcon before we jumped back in the car only after getting the tires inflated for dune bashing.     Once in the desert sand, we spun, and thrashed, and screamed our way through the dunes.  At the campsite, we smoked shisha (yes, I let her smoke a little) got more henna tattoos and enjoyed the colorful and festive show of traditional dances.  We ended the evening with a late snack at Denny's and rang in the New Year together in the comfort of our cozy hotel beds.   

Day 5 - By day 5, we were both ready to go and had our fill of Dubai and all the foolishness.  After breakfast and a stop in the mall to pick up more stuff to fill her suitcase for the return flight to the states, we caught the train to the airport, each of our arms loaded down with bags.  Of course as luck would have it, somehow between the first and last stops, Camryn put her Victoria Secret bag down and left it, and I was the one who had to go trudging back along the route to find it not really believing that I would, but I did!  (A testament to the people and their beliefs, someone had given it to a guard on duty, and the bag was returned with all of its contents.)  At last, we boarded our plane and ended this trip just as we had started it...with a delay.  One hour and 20 minutes later, we were on our way.  

Two days later, my fave girl boarded a flight back home, and I have been counting down the days till we are together again!!!  Summer 2017 is sure to be a blast!!!

“Just 'cause there's snow on the roof doesn't mean there's not a fire inside.” ― Bonnie Hunt

I saw a sign once that said, "Age doesn't really matter unless you're a cheese." That thought has popped back into my mind repeatedly over the last week as February 2nd inched closer and closer and I processed growing older but definitely better.

Hopping out of bed on my birthday morning, I admittedly felt a tinge of sadness. I live on the other side of the world, and this birthday would not be spent with my family. There would be no traditional dinner at a local eatery. I was going to begin my birthday 8 hours before my older brother, first at last!   As I got dressed while watching my guilty pleasure since 1989, The Bold and the Beautiful, I noticed my knees seemed to crack a little louder when I stooped to pick something up. I caught a glimpse of the sliver sparkles in my hair and swear they seemed to be a little more intense and plentiful (Camryn once told me my grey hair reminded her of Easter basket grass...smh.), but undaunted I touched up my curls so they wouldn't go awry and carried on. I wasn't sure how it was going to turn out, but I headed to work ready to embrace 45 and make it a great day.  

It was a typical day at ACA. MAP testing was on the schedule to complete before the end of the day, and we had a late afternoon assembly. I was going to be busy as usual, but it was definitely starting on a good note. Some teachers ordered my favorite chai latte for me, and of course, I couldn't pass up the chance to add a scrumptious mushroom, egg and swiss croissant to go along with it, the breakfast fit for a birthday queen. When I strolled down the halls I enjoyed the many happy birthday shouts from the students as they passed. I even got a full rendition of "Happy Birthday" sung first in English then Arabic when I entered one 9th grade class to start their tests. I am sure they saw every one of my teeth when I smiled. And it got better. As I worked my way to the stage during the awards ceremony, I was serenaded again this time by the entire school...what a rush!!!! The girls decorated my office and brought me some of my favorite things, none of which I needed, but all of which I thoroughly enjoyed (cookie cake, cheese stuffed bites, and cupcakes with 18 sitting atop two). Although I had to push past a great annoyance that threatened to steal all my joy midway through the day, I had to remember that I wasn't cheese and I was going to celebrate this day of growing a year older. Yes, I was turning 45, feeling 18 in my head, and had a pep in my step.

I ended the day with good food, blueberry shisha, a whole lot of laughter and welcomed conversation that swerved waaaay too far to the left, and I loved it!!! It was definitely a GREAT day. Life is good. I am smiling. I still have my teeth, and I am ready to set the world ablaze because age doesn't matter when you're having the time of your life.

PS - I put in my earbuds and actually remembered to turn on the music today!!! There is hope for me!