November 5, 2010
I can’t sleep
So today is November 5, 2010. My first thought is “remember, remember the 5th of November”, which also makes me think that I should visit London. Truth be told, I want to see the world. I don’t care to discriminate either. My goal in coming to the United Arab Emirates was first and foremost adventure and what ultimately swayed the decision was money. It sounds so unromantic but hear me out…this is the only place in the world (that I know of) that will pay me the amount of money required for me to indulge myself in a few vacations every year and not end up in the poor house. Unfortunately and fortunately for me I love my profession. I love teaching with so much passion that I majored in it despite the constant warnings and knowledge that financial stability was just not going to be a part of my future.
It is now close to 3:00am, which actually means that it’s really not the 5th of November here anymore. I still think I should go to London though…So what exactly has prompted my 3am ramblings? Heartbreak. My newest boyfriend is halas (poof, gone, quit it). Halas has a strong throaty sound at the beginning of it and I tend to say it a lot in the classroom. Someone once jokingly told me that “boys just come and go like seasons” when it comes to me and I guess it’s true. The weather in Abu Dhabi is finally changing. I noticed this change about a week ago. There’s a breeze in the air and the sauna effect has suddenly disappeared. This kind of weather makes me want to go out and enjoy this wonderful city. I recently bought a folding bicycle that I can’t wait to ride down along the Corniche. Maybe later today I will do just that to clear my mind.
It was also about a week ago that I started getting that unhappy itch, literally. About a week ago, I caught lice! I thought I had developed a stress induced itch for a week and then one day it was just too much and I heard from another LT (the name given to the English teachers which is an acronym for Licensed Teacher) at our school that she found lice in her hair. I had my boyfriend check and I had a lice colony in my hair. Gross. I bought some shampoo, a comb, and compulsively washed and combed my hair for two days. I’m going to shampoo again later today because the children still have lice. The day after I found out that I had gotten lice, I gave myself the assignment of checking all the children. About half of second grade had lice. There’s a school nurse, but get this, the school nurse thought it was only necessary to check the children with long hair and their solution to the problem was to cut their hair. You would think that in a school that has that much of a lice problem that the nurse would know that the length of your hair doesn’t determine whether or not you get lice. I’ve been wearing a head covering ever since.
There’s a lot to tell about schooling but I’ll save that for the next post (which I’m going to type right after this post because I feel inspired to do so).
Backtracking…So what prompted the latest breakup? A vacation. Of course, there’s more to the story but there’s always that one thing that is just the final draw. I have to say though that I am getting better and better every day. My bullshit tolerance when it comes to men is at an all-time low. It’s a combination of a shady past that involved dating megalomaniacs, musicians, and poetic douchebags (with the exception being the first that treated me like gold) and just a major love for me. For once in my life it really is all about me and I feel no guilt at all about my selfishness. This opportunity might not come around again. This month I am turning twenty-four. I am happy alone and need to stop finding love in every corner. It’s a difficult thing for me to do because truth be told, I find the beauty in everything. Sure, I have my fml moments but for the most part my life is viewed through rose colored glasses, my cup is half full and I wear a smile on my face. It’s my coping mechanism for a shitty childhood and I couldn’t have asked for a better way to deal with life then laugh and continue along smiling at the world. I find that when you smile, the world smiles back. Here in the UAE, a little sugar goes a long way.
Next week I’ll either be in Jordan or Sri Lanka (if the price is better than Jordan which is unlikely). My plans for Thailand fell through because my friends and I failed to book early, which I’m surprisingly not sad about. I think I need a longer vacation than a week for Thailand. I’m very excited about the prospect of visiting Jordan and since I’ve been assigned travel agent with my friends, I think I will sway it that way. I want to see Amman, Petra, and the Dead Sea. I have a meeting with a travel agent later today.
I also decided that I’m going to Europe alone in December. My travel agent will book me my Eurail pass for 5 bordering countries. I’m meeting up with some teachers in Vienna for Christmas and doing a day tour of Budapest. The other countries I’m not certain of yet. Paris was my original destination point for the start of my journey but now I’m thinking that the city of love might just make me cry. I’m excited by the idea of doing a vacation all by myself. Yes, very very excited indeed.
My glass just filled a little past the half point.
********************************************************************************
Update:
So, life always deals you what you least expect. As determined as I was I decided to give my relationship another try. It lasted another four months and I ended it last week. Now I'm really focusing on myself. I still haven't done the solo vacation which I so wanted but my chance is coming this summer. I'm excited to report that I'll be going to Tanzania. I am beyond excited. I booked the adventure through gap adventures (gapadventures.com ; the tour is called Tanzania Encompassed). My tickets are booked and I'm set to go. As part of my adventure, I'll be climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro. The prospect of reaching summit has me completely giddy with excitement.
So far my vacations while here in Abu Dhabi have been the following:
November Jordan (Amman, Petra, Dead Sea) + "the unmentionable place" with two incredible girls who teach here in AD. I can't wait to return someday to Jordan. I absolutely loved it.
December Czech Republic with my then boyfriend. I saw snow for the first time! The whole country was just magical.
April Turkey (Istanbul + Cappodocia) with my two best friends from home that came to visit me in Abu Dhabi.
July/August (so close I can taste it!) Tanzania - climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro, spotting the Big 5 on safari, Masaai village visit and chillen on the beach in Zanzibar
In July I'll also be returning to my home base, Miami, Florida for close to two weeks. I'm so excited to see my friends and family, eat delicious Cuban food, dance salsa and get publicly intoxicated (haha)
My vacation plans for next year (possibilities/dreams):
November Egypt seems most likely
December Rumor has it that this upcoming December we'll have three weeks vacation time so if that's the case, I'm off to Europe! I'm thinking book into Paris and leave from Rome. That was my original idea for this past December.
April cherry blossoms in Japan would be amazing :)
July/August Peru/Bolivia perhaps?
I can't believe a year has almost passed since I first embarked on this journey. All I can think is...let the good times roll!
I can’t sleep
So today is November 5, 2010. My first thought is “remember, remember the 5th of November”, which also makes me think that I should visit London. Truth be told, I want to see the world. I don’t care to discriminate either. My goal in coming to the United Arab Emirates was first and foremost adventure and what ultimately swayed the decision was money. It sounds so unromantic but hear me out…this is the only place in the world (that I know of) that will pay me the amount of money required for me to indulge myself in a few vacations every year and not end up in the poor house. Unfortunately and fortunately for me I love my profession. I love teaching with so much passion that I majored in it despite the constant warnings and knowledge that financial stability was just not going to be a part of my future.
It is now close to 3:00am, which actually means that it’s really not the 5th of November here anymore. I still think I should go to London though…So what exactly has prompted my 3am ramblings? Heartbreak. My newest boyfriend is halas (poof, gone, quit it). Halas has a strong throaty sound at the beginning of it and I tend to say it a lot in the classroom. Someone once jokingly told me that “boys just come and go like seasons” when it comes to me and I guess it’s true. The weather in Abu Dhabi is finally changing. I noticed this change about a week ago. There’s a breeze in the air and the sauna effect has suddenly disappeared. This kind of weather makes me want to go out and enjoy this wonderful city. I recently bought a folding bicycle that I can’t wait to ride down along the Corniche. Maybe later today I will do just that to clear my mind.
It was also about a week ago that I started getting that unhappy itch, literally. About a week ago, I caught lice! I thought I had developed a stress induced itch for a week and then one day it was just too much and I heard from another LT (the name given to the English teachers which is an acronym for Licensed Teacher) at our school that she found lice in her hair. I had my boyfriend check and I had a lice colony in my hair. Gross. I bought some shampoo, a comb, and compulsively washed and combed my hair for two days. I’m going to shampoo again later today because the children still have lice. The day after I found out that I had gotten lice, I gave myself the assignment of checking all the children. About half of second grade had lice. There’s a school nurse, but get this, the school nurse thought it was only necessary to check the children with long hair and their solution to the problem was to cut their hair. You would think that in a school that has that much of a lice problem that the nurse would know that the length of your hair doesn’t determine whether or not you get lice. I’ve been wearing a head covering ever since.
There’s a lot to tell about schooling but I’ll save that for the next post (which I’m going to type right after this post because I feel inspired to do so).
Backtracking…So what prompted the latest breakup? A vacation. Of course, there’s more to the story but there’s always that one thing that is just the final draw. I have to say though that I am getting better and better every day. My bullshit tolerance when it comes to men is at an all-time low. It’s a combination of a shady past that involved dating megalomaniacs, musicians, and poetic douchebags (with the exception being the first that treated me like gold) and just a major love for me. For once in my life it really is all about me and I feel no guilt at all about my selfishness. This opportunity might not come around again. This month I am turning twenty-four. I am happy alone and need to stop finding love in every corner. It’s a difficult thing for me to do because truth be told, I find the beauty in everything. Sure, I have my fml moments but for the most part my life is viewed through rose colored glasses, my cup is half full and I wear a smile on my face. It’s my coping mechanism for a shitty childhood and I couldn’t have asked for a better way to deal with life then laugh and continue along smiling at the world. I find that when you smile, the world smiles back. Here in the UAE, a little sugar goes a long way.
Next week I’ll either be in Jordan or Sri Lanka (if the price is better than Jordan which is unlikely). My plans for Thailand fell through because my friends and I failed to book early, which I’m surprisingly not sad about. I think I need a longer vacation than a week for Thailand. I’m very excited about the prospect of visiting Jordan and since I’ve been assigned travel agent with my friends, I think I will sway it that way. I want to see Amman, Petra, and the Dead Sea. I have a meeting with a travel agent later today.
I also decided that I’m going to Europe alone in December. My travel agent will book me my Eurail pass for 5 bordering countries. I’m meeting up with some teachers in Vienna for Christmas and doing a day tour of Budapest. The other countries I’m not certain of yet. Paris was my original destination point for the start of my journey but now I’m thinking that the city of love might just make me cry. I’m excited by the idea of doing a vacation all by myself. Yes, very very excited indeed.
My glass just filled a little past the half point.
********************************************************************************
Update:
So, life always deals you what you least expect. As determined as I was I decided to give my relationship another try. It lasted another four months and I ended it last week. Now I'm really focusing on myself. I still haven't done the solo vacation which I so wanted but my chance is coming this summer. I'm excited to report that I'll be going to Tanzania. I am beyond excited. I booked the adventure through gap adventures (gapadventures.com ; the tour is called Tanzania Encompassed). My tickets are booked and I'm set to go. As part of my adventure, I'll be climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro. The prospect of reaching summit has me completely giddy with excitement.
So far my vacations while here in Abu Dhabi have been the following:
November Jordan (Amman, Petra, Dead Sea) + "the unmentionable place" with two incredible girls who teach here in AD. I can't wait to return someday to Jordan. I absolutely loved it.
December Czech Republic with my then boyfriend. I saw snow for the first time! The whole country was just magical.
April Turkey (Istanbul + Cappodocia) with my two best friends from home that came to visit me in Abu Dhabi.
July/August (so close I can taste it!) Tanzania - climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro, spotting the Big 5 on safari, Masaai village visit and chillen on the beach in Zanzibar
In July I'll also be returning to my home base, Miami, Florida for close to two weeks. I'm so excited to see my friends and family, eat delicious Cuban food, dance salsa and get publicly intoxicated (haha)
My vacation plans for next year (possibilities/dreams):
November Egypt seems most likely
December Rumor has it that this upcoming December we'll have three weeks vacation time so if that's the case, I'm off to Europe! I'm thinking book into Paris and leave from Rome. That was my original idea for this past December.
April cherry blossoms in Japan would be amazing :)
July/August Peru/Bolivia perhaps?
I can't believe a year has almost passed since I first embarked on this journey. All I can think is...let the good times roll!
Abu Dhabi won't disappoint people who comes to their place. There are really lots of things happening in there and events to attend to.
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