Long time, lots of moving, and no consistent wifi…now for the update on my return to the USA!
Given my change in vacation plans, I moved my flight up a few days to go ahead and get back to the States. My awesome Dubai “framily” consoled me and laughed with me following my failed attempt at an African adventure. Life has interesting twists and turns but as long as you have framily (that’s the combination of family and the friends that become your family in case you didn’t know, shout out to my Durham framily!) to catch you wherever you land, you’ll be more than alright.
My lovely and patient Russian friend volunteered to take me to the airport which also meant helping me pack and repack my obscene amount of stuff to avoid overweight baggage fees. How did I acquire so much extra stuff???! I made my way through the now familiar Terminal 1 at DXB to my Delta gate. Flights to the USA require an additional security check at the gate. That whole turning on electronics rumor is true…I had to prove that two laptops, my iPad, phone, and camera were not bombs. Imagine how heavy my carry-on bag was with all of those and their respective power cords…ugh. Once I collected all of my harmless stuff from security, I sat down at the gate and already felt a little at home. The waiting area was full of Americans…mostly contractor types and business people. The assortment of branded shirts displaying love for college and pro sports other than soccer, Nascar, Harleys, and wrestling was oddly comforting and funny at the same time. (It’s only a stereotype for traveling Americans because it’s so often true. Don’t even try to deny it.) The tall, American Delta pilot came out and actually spoke to us all over the intercom describing the lovely Boeing plane we would be flying for our nearly 17-hour flight from Dubai to Atlanta (and then on to Raleigh for me). A few conflicts you may have heard of on the news require the route to be longer than normal…punks! Can everyone please stop fighting?! Joking aside, I was happy we were avoiding all those areas for our flight path.
Once on the plane I was so excited to know I would be home sweet home (in 17 short hours…omg). I somehow passed that amount of time…well I should be a pro since I spent 25 hours traveling just two days before. No big deal. I’m a champ…and completely used to swollen feet at this point. Not cool.
When the wheels hit the tarmac in ATL I was smiling from ear-to-ear and almost cried. There is something about coming back and knowing you made it safely that I don’t think ever goes away. The warm “welcome home” greetings in ATL were the best and I marched my exhausted self and all of my stuff to my next flight where I promptly passed out on the plane before the doors even closed…finally some sleep.
The nap turned out to be longer than expected because of delays caused by ice in Raleigh…WHAT??!!! Ice in Raleigh??!! OMG I am not in sunny, warm Dubai anymore. Oh well…once in Raleigh I promptly had a yummy and much missed biscuit sandwich (pimento cheese and fried egg) from Rise in Durham to make myself feel better 🙂 Yep, just like I remembered.
And so began my reintroduction to home…biscuits, family, friends, football, craft beer, Italian at Tarantini in Chapel Hill, a little snow here and there during my five-state drive, and picking up my car!! Woohoo! I was able to spend wonderful time with people I care about and have missed so much. I also picked up my beloved baby dog from the farm in VA where he was staying. If you need long-term dog boarding recommendations, let me know! I then made it home to visit my family. Life is good.
The things I miss most so far about Dubai are my framily there and the daily beautiful sunshine…and being warm. Living there was an experience I would not trade for anything and I learned so much. Here are a few of the lessons and reminders I wanted to share while I have some time to reflect…
- You can make your home anywhere if you are open to change and new adventures. I have moved so many times, 7 times in the last 9 years, and I can always find old and new things that I am interested in to do in a new city.
- Always be yourself; don’t reinvent yourself for a new place. I have watched so many people try to do this when they go to college, a new city, or a new job. Just be you and make sure you learn who YOU are.
- Have goals and regularly check in with them (i.e., professional, personal, travel, etc). Find friends who are like-minded and make an accountability small group.
- Make the effort to keep in touch with people you care about and also learn what people in your life are willing to make the effort and support you. Don’t hang onto dead weight that makes you unhappy, either people or possessions. Moving forces purging and renewal.
- Savor each opportunity, this life is short and you don’t know how long you have.
- Say yes more than you say no…especially to professional opportunities. Be open to suggestions from senior management and listen.
- Share your learnings with others along the way. By doing this, you spread knowledge, understanding, and tolerance. The world needs more peace and compassion.
- Above all else, enjoy the ride and have no regrets!
The final American count is 18 (not including all the ones on my flight home) and Ginger count only made it to 16.
Thanks for reading and stay tuned for a Memphis update soon!
agingerinthesand 