ABU DHABI!

I have officially decided- I will be leaving for Abu Dhabi on Sept 6th to begin my adventure!  The long flight will take place from Chicago (13 hours and 55 minutes!!)!  I could not be more excited yet nervous to begin this adventure.  I am so beyond lucky and blessed to have had the support of my whole family and friends throughout this time.  The stress and the paperwork of it all has hit me at all different times in all different ways.  I try and put on a brave face and act like I am not scared about this adventure but I really am.  As I have told my parents and many of my friends...its crazy to think I am basically packing up my life into a few suitcases and moving halfway around the world.  I have to always keep reminding myself that this is a once in a lifetime opportunity and that I am going to be able to see so much of the world.  Leaving a fabulous school & my precious Vikings is going to be very hard this year but I know its all part of the experience but I will miss it all so much. Life is full of experiences and taking chances and I know I am embarking on a great and wonderful journey.

So, the questions that people keep asking me- Is it safe?, Why did you decide to do this?, How long will you be gone?, Will you come home at all during your time over there?, What will you be teaching?, Do people speak english?, What is the weather like? Where will you be living?, Do you share an apartment?- these are just a few of the questions i get when I begin to tell people about this journey.  So I figured I would answer them on here..

1. Is it safe?  From the research I have done and talking to people who have visited to UAE (United Arab Emirates) it is a very safe location. There is very little crime.  Obviously, it is not recommended for me to travel around by myself in the beginning when I will have no idea where I am but crime is very low.

2. Why did you decide to do this? Well, when I was in college I always wanted to study abroad.  However, with the way Appalachian has there teaching program set up it would of put me behind with graduation if I would of studied abroad.  After my first year of teaching I went to Costa Rica for 10 days and worked in various school communities and lived with a family.  Throughout this experience I was able to talk to other teachers who have taught abroad.  They all raved about the experiences they had.  I knew that this was the time in my life I could be a little more selfish and just go.  So I finally decided- why not- you are only young once and this is my chance to see the world!

3. What will you be teaching?  I am so lucky that I will still be teaching 5th grade in Abu Dhabi.  Crazy enough- halfway around the world they are using the same curriculum we are using over here!  So I REALLY lucked out with that.

4 Do people speak english?  English is a very common in the UAE.  There are many expats over there many people do speak english.  

5..What is the weather like?  The UAE is technically in the desert.  I can not to see what people are talking about with how amazing it is on the flight over- you are flying over deserts and then all of a sudden you are in a huge city.  I think this will be incredible to see.  But thinking it is a desert the weather tends to be very hot.  Daily I look at my weather channel app on my phone and I do not think I have seen a day that the temperature is under 93 degrees.  But I guess I may get use of the beach!

6. Where will you be living?/ Do you share an apartment?  I will be living on Al Reem Island- this appears to be right over the bridge from the city.  I will have my own one bedroom apartment that they fully furnish for us.  So luckily I have more room to pack clothes and other things that I do not have to worry about apartment things!  But do not worry- they have an IKEA in Abu Dhabi so I will be making a trip there to make it feel a little more like home!

it is crazy to think how quickly the time is approaching to leave.  I am in my last round (fingers crossed) of paperwork and then I believe I should be receiving my visa.   Receiving the email that my flight was officially booked made this so real.  I have been so lucky this summer to be able to take a trip with two of my best friends to the Bahamas and then able to spend a week with my whole family at the beach in Rhode Island.  Saying bye to people has not been an easy process during this but I have to keep reminding myself that this is not a good-bye its a see ya later.  I want to take full advantage of this opportunity and really hope to grow from this all not just as a teacher but as a person.  I know I will be able to bring back things and make connections I would of never have been able to make before so staying positive is going to be ideal in these coming up weeks no matter how stressed out and overwhelmed I may get.  

Well i am landing back in Charlotte from my great week at the beach so this is all for now...hopefully by the end of the week I will have my paperwork back from the embassy and I will be all out of my apartment and continuing to prepare!  More to come when I get more information! :)