Q is for...Quite An Experience

Despite the challenges I've faced while here in Abu Dhabi, I must admit: I'm totally enjoying myself. I've been doing things I haven't been able to do back home. I'm living out of my comfort zone and I'm loving it. For me, the good outweighs the bad. I would've have never dreamed I'd be here, thousands of miles away from my family, enjoying myself, living life to the fullest.


So far I've...

• Met some awesome people
• Attended a Janet Jackson concert...stood right by the stage!
• Attended a SADE concert...all who knows me know I love me some Sade
• Gone on a desert safari
• Ridden on a camel
• Camped out in the desert
• Visited Morocco, one of the top countries on my "Most Visit" list
• Moved into a high-rise apartment
• Stayed several 5-star hotels
• Visited the tallest building in the world
• Held a snake without passing out
• Ate at restaurants located in 5 (or more) star hotels
• Swam in the beautiful waters of the Persian Gulf 
• Learned more about myself
• Learned more about God

And this is all in eight months. I so can't wait to see what God's got in store for me in the next 15 months. I don't know just yet if I'm going to renew my contract after my two years is over July 2013. Whether I do or not, when I go back home to the States, I'd be able to honestly say I've had quite an experience in Abu Dhabi!


And now for some Arabic vocabulary...


Qur'an - religious text of Islam

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Goin On A Desert Safari

My friends have convinced me to go camping with them tomorrow evening. In the desert. We're supposed to be doing it Bedouin (i.e. nomad)style...like the Emiratis did before they came into all this money. I must admit. I'm not big on camping. I mean, I like having the luxuries a home would provide: bathrooms, a bed, tv...you know stuff like that. Yeah, I'm prissy...ain't no shame in my game, ya feel me? I'm not too keen on sleeping on the ground. In tents. I went camping in the woods several times when I was in the girl scouts. Had fun cos I was with friends, but could care less about the camping part. Besides, being surrounded by too much greenery set off my allergies (so I'm a prissy nerd). For whatever reason, I didn't think sand would affect my allergies as bad as greenage does, but boy was I wrong! So yeah, I'm definitely gonna have to bring allergy meds. Just in case.

And now, my brother has me paranoid about the camel spiders. THIS is the pic seen all over the world...

Of course, when you research "camel spiders" it tells you pics like this are an exaggeration. They don't get that big. BUT, it does say they can get to 12 inches long. TWELVE INCHES. I don't know about you, but seeing a foot long spider is just as bad in my book. I'm praying HARD that we don't come across any creepy crawlers...or snakes...or rodents...or scorpions...or any of the like.

My Abu Dhabi experience is all about me trying new things...stepping out of the comfort zone that I've been in for more than 30 years. This desert safari will definitely get me out of that zone. So this time tomorrow night, I'll be camping. In the desert. Me in all my prissy-ness.

I'm not gonna back out cos I said I'd go, but I can't help but to think: WHAT HAVE I GOTTEN MYSELF INTO???

More on this later...

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