Major Update!

OMG so much has happened in the last month and half!

First of all Kevin Hart's What Now show was HILARIOUS!! I'd see it again if I could! Other things I did while home:

• Food of course! I LOVE BBQs. The beef ribs are to die for!
• I walked the Brooklyn Bridge, which I've done quite a few times in my life, but never at night...it was amazing! 
• Visited the Brooklyn Promenade just to stare across the East River into the city, just to think, reflect and chat, always a grounding moment for me.
  

I helped Mom drive back to Montgomery, as she's retired from her job of over 29+ years! We had a Bon Voyage/Retirement barbeque for my mom, my cousin who received a new job with Toyota in Huntsville, AL, and me moving to the UAE.

I was tired of the looks of bewilderment mixed with chastisement, worry, and pity when I reply IDK  when asked when I was leaving. SO I made up my own date! I am a scientist, we think logically and analytically: I knew orientation started on the 16th, I knew the UAE was 9 hours ahead of me. I deduced I'd be leaving on the 14th, leaving me to arrive on the 15th with time to adjust  bit for orientation on the 16th. So when asked when I was leaving, I'd confidently say Aug 14th and not bat a lash!

While in New York, I had my first UAE dream: I made it to through the airport, I'm in this room for my last processing before being release to see the city. I fall asleep, and get a phone call from my friend who tells me she's outside waiting for me. I rush out and forget my "personal item" bag, which has all my documents and passport in it! There is no re-entry to the room, and I have nothing to prove I'm me. Before I panic I go back to window and explain. The lady was real snotty and wouldn't let me in. The lady I spoke with originally when I enter returned, and said she'd get it for me, but doesn't do heavy lifting. I'm starting to panic, but the lady says "I'm sorry miss I can't help you," but she winks, and waves me on in! Of course when I wake up I check my email (no ticket, no visa) and say I must make sure all bags are accounted for!

A week or so goes by and my friend who is already here, tells me she had a dream about us hanging out here...I look for e-mail notifications...nothing. I tell her these dreams are a sign and I need to start packing. After packing my first bag and weighing it (59lbs!) I get discouraged and stop. I began purging and re-packing and purging again like a mad man time and time again, never satisfied with the weight or all of what had to leave behind.

A good friend of mine kept teasing me about needing glasses, as I began to squint to see (my eyes are already small!). I'd keep telling her I don't need glasses, but I finally make an appointment to prove her wrong. I do well on the Snellen chart (you know the one with all the letters they make you read). I find out I have slight astigmatisms in both eyes (which explains why my eyes hurt so bad in bright light), and slightly hyperopic in my left eye. I hated picking out glasses, and I was alone. I had no one's opinion on them except Caesar (the store manager). I settle on two frames for 189.99, and requested one pair be transition lenses.  Now I look like a real nerd! Glasses are not cheap ladies and gentleman! 

My dad made a random visit down to spend some time with me before I left....like real random, called on Sunday to say he needed me to meet him in Atlanta on Monday. Mom went to pick him up since I had to work on Monday. Turns out what I thought was work, turned out to be a surprise going away thing from my administration. They had red velvet cake, a gift bag, cards and a Starbucks gift card for me (the Starbucks in the UAE doesn't participate in the reward program, and I just made it to gold status!)! They really made me feel special!

Then it happened! Wed Aug 5, 4:13am, I wake up from yet another dream about flying to Abu Dhabi (I've not been able to sleep through the night for months now, I guess some sort of anxiety..even with being here, I still haven't a had a full 6-8 hours of sleep). I wake up, grab my phone as I do--even before this new reason to incessantly check my e-mail--and there it is! I have my visa in my e-mail with notice to confirm receipt and to choose a date to leave between Aug 9 and 13. I reply and state I will inform of my date by their next business day. The next e-mail is a flight itinerary for Aug 9! I receive a prompt reply that urges I reply NOW with my date...I am taken aback and say Sunday is too soon! So I choose Thurs Aug 13!

I promise the week and a day flew by...there was so much to do, in so little time! I manage to get my life in three 50 lb bags, one 15 (ok 18 lb) carry on and a personal item bag (my cute Lo & Sons OG bag!). I told my principal of my departure date, and promised I'd still be a woman of my word and assist on the first day of school which happened to be the day I was leaving (my flight wasn't until noon). I dropped my friend's son off for his first day of high school, hugged some of my kids, I took pictures, I kept parents from driving up the driveway, assisted in Guidance for schedule changes, all be for 9am! 

I went home, changed into my travel attire (loose white top, denim joggers, and white Converse), and headed out for breakfast with Mommy before my flight. We ate good and cried hard over breakfast... I must admit I started the waterworks first. 

My bags were overweight, and since I started out with Delta, I had to pay for two bags instead of one as they do not honor Etihad's baggage policy...what a blow to the pockets ($275)! Even worse, when I boarded my Etihad flight in Dulles, I had to check my carryon ($175) because they pulled out a scale and weighed it. It was my fault, I changed shoes in the airport, Converse are heavy...I forgot they were in there....AND I checked my documents in that bag, which posed an issue when I made it to the UAE.

The flight wasn't bad at all...the food was good (two meals), comfy seats, and an awesome movie selection. I planned to have my complimentary drinks, but after taking my Advil PM, I went to sleep, and only woke to eat. Etihad also provides headphones (they do collect them at the end of the flight), a cute survival kit with a blanket, pillow, eye mask, toothbrush, and ear plugs! I felt over prepared, as I brought all of those things with me!

Now the issue in the Abu Dhabi airport...as I began my long trek to customs, actually once I made it to the line and was next, I remembered my visa was in my carryon. Luckily they have a transport desk where I was able to print the document again...in color! Issue: I passed it when I came off the plane, so I had to go back UP the stairs DOWN the long corridor, and DOWN stairs again. The representatives were very nice and accommodating. Then to make the trip BACK to customs again! I am proud of my process toward progress, because even with removing things from my bags, dropping the $275 (well Mommy did..thanks Ma!), having to pay $175 for my carryon, and now this, I didn't get upset, or flustered once! It worked out in my favor, by the time I finished all of this, and made it through, my bags had just come out, and all three were together! I stopped by Duty Free picked up a few (ok 5) bottles of wine, and headed to find my driver.

That was easy, he asked me about my name. I told him I knew its meaning and as he pointed to each I gave him the definition (beatiful one who attains gift). He began to talk about religion, and in the end he said he thinks I'm his cousin (he's from Bangladesh and has been here in the UAE for 13 years), but said we are all brothers and sister in the eyes of Allah.  

I'm staying at Al Raha Beach Hotel until Friday, then it is off to the Western Region!! Everything is quick here! I've had two medical exams. One for my Emirate ID which consisted of blood work and a chest x-ray..no HIV here baby! The second was for my school, which was much more extensive: blood work, spirometry, audiovisual testing, CT, urine analysis, ECG, dental exam, and a regular physical....I'm all healthy! I had to see the cardiologist because I informed them of my heart murmur as a kid. I'm glad to say it is gone! The Etihad Towers are like right across from the medical center and I was able to take a cool picture of them.

Of course, I've done some shopping while here. I've already received my health insurance card and my debit card all in less than a week! Today we had a seminar at the male campus here in Abu Dhabi led by Ali Alsaloom, a local television personality and columnist better known as Ask Ali. He was awesome in telling about the culture, do's and dont's in story form. We are actually all receiving copies of his books as well. I've met quite a few people here, but only a few will be at the same campus as me. 

I want to buy things for  my new place, but I get inspiration for decoration by looking at the space. So I've only purchased a few essential items, and of course I'm waiting to get paid as well! 

I'm sure I left a bunch out like my visit to Orange Beach with my mom and great aunt...

Well it's time for dinner....until next time! 

This was taken at the hotel beach by the way!