Our summer was dramatic, traumatic,
systematic…hydromatic…and it flew by like greased
lightning! (Someone should write a
song.) On May 25, we began considering a
move to Dubai, and on August 25, we boarded a plane. During the twelve intervening weeks, we took
three week-long trips: one to Dubai to
look at schools, one pre-scheduled trip to Nags Head with my brother’s family,
and one to Kansas so our snub-nosed (can’t fly) dog could move in with Bob’s
wonderful sister. We put our house on
the market, which meant three major house projects and several minor ones (any
of which would have used up an entire normal-summer’s energies). And we did the paperwork, packing, and purging
needed to get us and a house-full of stuff across an ocean and a sea or two. I went down a pants’ size - no kidding. (Kids, do not try this at home; I absolutely
do not recommend literally working your behind off!)
But somehow we got here with most of our belongings, sanity,
health, and marriage intact. Family
members and friends gave us logistical support and moral encouragement all
summer. My yoga class and writing group
even held extra meetings just to keep me going. And our relatives and neighbors are still
helping us tie up loose ends and keep NC connections intact.
We spent the first six weeks living in a small ‘serviced
apartment’ in a high-rise hotel overlooking the Burj Khalifa (tallest building
in the world) on one side and the Arabian Gulf in the distance on the
other. We found a house to rent the
first week, but had to wait for Bob’s residence visa to be processed before we
could do much but shop or go to school and work. Then in the course of 10 days, we rented the
house and bought two cars, a refrigerator, ‘cooker,’ dishwasher, washing
machine, dryer, used bed, two large beanbag chairs for the girls to sleep in,
kitchen table and chairs, dishes, the all-important television set, and various
smaller items to get us through until our shipment arrived from North Carolina. We like to think we don’t need all the stuff
and trappings that clutter our houses, but living without pillows and towels is
not much fun! The hardest thing to find
here was reasonably priced, comfortable sheets.
Coming from the textile state of NC, we realized we are spoiled!
Our daughters started school September 2, and seem to be
doing well. Beth had the biggest
adjustment, moving in 11th grade from a standard American curriculum
to a more rigorous International Baccalaureate program. We’re identifying a few gaps in her science
preparation, but the bookworm is well-prepared for English, Math, and History
classes. Both girls are starting as
beginners in both French and Arabic, but enjoying their lessons, and finding
that a background in Spanish doesn’t hurt their ability to learn another Latin
offshoot. Carlee doesn’t have the same
11th grade pressure as Beth, and seems to be a happy sponge, soaking
in all the new information and personalities.
Both girls represent America well in their international classrooms.
Since we got here, I’ve gradually moved from survival mode
(food, shelter, air conditioning and school supplies) to getting my bearings in
this new city. Bob and I have adopted a
philosophy that there are no wrong turns, only roads we haven’t explored yet,
and new territory to discover. Like Christopher
Columbus, we approach this adventure with faith that things will turn out okay
if not terrific, and we’ll learn more about ourselves and the world. The girls think we are in denial when we are
lost, but they like it when we find ice cream.
