Brian and I head home every September for a work commitment and to visit family and friends. This September was no different. ... well, that's not entirely true
What wasn't different were the hugs from family and friends, the fantastic and cheap shopping available (including Boston Store's goodwill sale), the incredible weather, and the many nice dinners out.
What was different was how I felt about it all. Last year, I had just gotten my new job so things were changing back here in Abu Dhabi, and I was excited after a long 9 months of job hunting. I was very happy to be home and enjoyed every minute of it, but I was also excited to get back and start a new chapter of my career.
This year, as is the usual case for us working stiffs, I worked a lot of long days to get work caught up enough to leave for 10 days, and had in the back of my mind, the pile of work I would be returning to. In addition, the summer that last year was a bit of a novelty and something to be proud of surviving, was just miserable and exhausting, and not something I was looking forward to coming back to. Especially after the really perfect weather we had during our trip - we even had a nice thunderstorm!
So, I basked in the cool breezes and soaked in all the conversations - all in perfect English that I could completely understand every time. Well, except maybe for our new neice, but she's not even 2 yet. :) I shopped til I dropped and had more dinners out than I can count. And, I got a little homesick.
It's not that I don't like Abu Dhabi, I do. It's an amazing place to live and an amazing opportunity for both of us, both in terms of career and in terms of personal growth (and of course, travel! :). We've met some really fantastic people, had the opportunity to learn about different cultures and understand a bit how Americans are perceived by different nationalities. We've both had work opportunities and experiences that we would never have had the chance to experience back in the US, and have added skills and expertise to our resumes that will serve us well for any future plans.
But, it's also a reminder that "there's no place like home". Thanks to everyone we were able to see and talk to on this trip - it was a wonderful time and the perfect refresher to get us through this last month of abominable heat and humidity.
What wasn't different were the hugs from family and friends, the fantastic and cheap shopping available (including Boston Store's goodwill sale), the incredible weather, and the many nice dinners out.
What was different was how I felt about it all. Last year, I had just gotten my new job so things were changing back here in Abu Dhabi, and I was excited after a long 9 months of job hunting. I was very happy to be home and enjoyed every minute of it, but I was also excited to get back and start a new chapter of my career.
This year, as is the usual case for us working stiffs, I worked a lot of long days to get work caught up enough to leave for 10 days, and had in the back of my mind, the pile of work I would be returning to. In addition, the summer that last year was a bit of a novelty and something to be proud of surviving, was just miserable and exhausting, and not something I was looking forward to coming back to. Especially after the really perfect weather we had during our trip - we even had a nice thunderstorm!
So, I basked in the cool breezes and soaked in all the conversations - all in perfect English that I could completely understand every time. Well, except maybe for our new neice, but she's not even 2 yet. :) I shopped til I dropped and had more dinners out than I can count. And, I got a little homesick.
It's not that I don't like Abu Dhabi, I do. It's an amazing place to live and an amazing opportunity for both of us, both in terms of career and in terms of personal growth (and of course, travel! :). We've met some really fantastic people, had the opportunity to learn about different cultures and understand a bit how Americans are perceived by different nationalities. We've both had work opportunities and experiences that we would never have had the chance to experience back in the US, and have added skills and expertise to our resumes that will serve us well for any future plans.
But, it's also a reminder that "there's no place like home". Thanks to everyone we were able to see and talk to on this trip - it was a wonderful time and the perfect refresher to get us through this last month of abominable heat and humidity.
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