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In preparation

In preparation for this change I have spent countless hours reading blogs, threads, watched videos, read personal blogs, read wikipedia, and pretty much consumed every piece of information I could about this country I was considering relocating to.
Whats important to note, or so I thought, is the fact that there was no real hesitation or nervousness on my part. After praying about it, I continued on with my life as usual and waited for the indications that would tell me whether this was for me.

The process went rather smoothly. After looking through job posts for someone else I saw an ad that piqued my interest. I decided to apply with no real thought that I would get a response. Not even a week later I got a call and was surprised as well as a bit scared. Did I really want to call this woman back? Is this a legitimate company? What are the pros and cons of leaving and teaching abroad for 2+ years? Would I get homesick? How would I cope? All these questions were in the back of my mind but they didn't really last long. I really figured that it was something of a long shot and that I wouldn't be chosen for a job.
After having a phone interview I was called about a week later with a date for in-person interviews. I began to read more intently about other's experiences and found myself addicted to the one place I fought so hard to stay away from-FACEBOOK-lol. I learned a lot from others and took into account the varying backgrounds from which I gathered information.By the time my interview date approached, I was sure I wanted to embark upon this journey if they would have me.

job interview: fairly easy, laid back, conversational. It lasted about 30 minutes and I wasn't nervous at all. I did get a little flustered before arriving as I wasn't able to find parking and I had to park a few blocks away. Luckily, I'd taken flip flops and I wore them as i power walked down to the building. Then there was the waiting. Actually, I didn't really wait. I busied myself and didn't really think about it. I got a call a couple days later saying they were offering me a contract. I got it some days after that and reviewed it. I sent it back and still have the business of canceling the contract here. I wanted to make sure things were good with this one before cutting all ties here.

waiting: my date for leaving won't be until mid or late August by my calculations although that could change at any moment. Regardless, I am in the process of selling everything. EVERYTHING. And I am surprised by the fact that it is rather freeing to be able to throw things away that I know I won't use but have been holding on to "just in case". I do have a couple of containers I will be packing and sending home. In my 31 years of living, there are some things that are dear to me and I shouldn't have to get rid of EVERYTHING right?

I can't really say I'm going to miss my things save for Bailey. He lies at my feet as I type and follows me from room to room. I almost feel like we should spend all our time together before he finds a new home. Im posting ads and have the word out now. I just want him to be in a place where he can enjoy the inside and be with kids who won't torture him,lol. He will probably be my last pet.

Other than that, my hands are free and I am ready for this new adventure. For as long as I can remember, I have wanted to travel and see the world. I didn't know how or when it would happen but I never counted it out as a possibility. They say good things happen to those who wait and I waited for what seemed like forever. My personal motto is "Destined for Greatness" and I intend to live up to that.

In preparation I hope to continue to learn as much as possible, mentally prepare myself to know nothing and to acclimate myself to a completely different culture to the point where I am not comparing them to or holding them to our standards of how things are done. I also hope to make friends while here and continue to do so while there.

a few things I plan to do:

learn some Arabic

join the photography group and actually participate by going out on photo runs

enjoy ethnic foods

stick to my goals and budget

(BUT) not feel guilty about enjoying myself and having fun

travel

TEACH

and learn

share with others

ride horses and camels

stick to at least 1 hobby

participate in social groups. ok, maybe not with an S on the end,lol. *SOW*

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