Holy crap it's really happening. I have a healthy mix of relief and disbelief - relief because, well, holy crap it's really happening...and disbelief because I'll believe it when I step foot in my new apartment in Kuwait. I'm sitting in the airport now and there are still any number of things that could go wrong so I'm leaving space in my psyche to deal with that if necessary. I'm still going to let myself get a little excited, though, because it's H.A.P.P.E.N.I.N.G.
My seven-country tour ended at the beginning of May. It was a whirlwind, and I now have status with multiple airlines and a few hotel chains. I stayed in Oman for a total of 4 weeks, which was enough time to make it feel homey and for me to collect some great new friends. {Oman is an amazing place and everyone needs to go there - it will change your life. It's hands down one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen, and I haven't even seen all of it yet.} After Oman I spent a week in Abu Dhabi helping my colleagues prep for the Secretary of Commerce Pritzker's visit. I talked to her for all of 8 seconds but she said she'd heard of me so it was totally worth it.
My flight from UAE to Casablanca, where I spent 2 1/2 days, is worth noting because the entire experience was so horrendous: (1) I got to the airport at 6am only to find that my flight had been reserved but not ticketed. (2) My bag was overweight (shocking) and Emirates has an exorbitant rate per extra kilo. (3) Emirates is also very particular about carryon baggage weight, and mine was more than double the max (is anyone surprised?) so they made me check that, too. {I'm not going to divulge how much I ended up spending in extra/overweight baggage fees, it's too embarrassing.} (4) After sprinting to the gate to barely make it onto the plane, I sat down to find the earphone jack completely missing from my personal entertainment system. Someone had apparently ripped it out of the seat. It's an 8 hour flight and I was really looking forward to watching at least two movies. #firstworldproblems. (5) They forgot my vegetarian meal. But I'll stop complaining because after Casablanca I got to go to Cairo...
I spent two weeks in Cairo and it was amazing as usual. Except for the part when I was working from the desk in the embassy that was supposed to be mine. I MAY have been fighting back tears for a few minutes when I sat down, but after that I was too busy to think about it. (Besides, I try to make it a general rule to not be the girl who cries at work. I mean honestly.) Work went really well, I collected a whole new crop of friends, and spent more quality time with family which is always a huge plus. I will say this about my relocation: I am grateful the lack of a "situation" in Kuwait allows me to travel in non-armored vehicles.
After Cairo I backtracked to Kuwait for a week, then headed to the tiny island country of Bahrain for two weeks where I collected more great people. And I also worked really hard. {Some folks tease me when they see my pictures and say "yeah, looks like you're working really hard." Would you rather see pictures of me in meetings and of my desk and of me in more meetings? Didn't think so.} After Bahrain it was back to Abu Dhabi for a week, and then Amman for 10 days. It was really nice to see TREES after spending so much time in all those sandy places. I didn't go to Petra or the Dead Sea because those deserve more time than I had, but I did get to catch up with an old friend, and I will absolutely be back.
I rounded out the adventure with a weekend in Muscat (see note above about Oman = amazing) and a few days in Dubai. The trip was fantastic and exhausting, and it turns out I got back and realized I missed DC. A lot. Which brings me to right now...
It took over two months once I got back to DC to get everything sorted out (various clearances, visa, pack out, etc.) but it's finally happening. I'm going to miss DC and everyone in it AND I am super excited to move into this next phase of my life. The limbo, the waiting, the uncertainty - it's all over. The limbo was my normal for so long that it's sort of strange to not have it anymore. Strange and awesome. Limbo sucks.
It's been almost four years since I decided this job was mine. FOUR YEARS. Talk about persistence/the epitome of being stubborn. Deep breaths, one thing at a time, everything is as it should be.
Kuwait, here I come!
{for visuals, please refer to the last 5 months of my Facebook feed - I'm about to board a plane...}
Wednesday, July 23, 2014
Monday, February 10, 2014
it's officially official...I think
I got good news today: the paperwork that needed to be signed got signed by the people who needed to sign it. I'm officially moving to Kuwait! But here's the thing: everything that has transpired over the last year has taught me to not get excited or disappointed about anything until it actually happens, and I've conditioned myself so well that when I did get the news today I didn't feel much of anything at all. A friend of mine said it's because deep down I knew Kuwait is where I was going to end up the whole time. Either that or I'm still protecting myself, making sure to keep on an even keel until I'm physically unpacking boxes in my new apartment in Kuwait. Pretty sure it's the latter. But let's not focus on my emotional numbness - the paperwork has been signed! We're one step closer!
The first week of this four-month, seven-country tour was in Kuwait, getting to know my new city, my new office, my new people. The second week was in my beloved Dubai, same hotel, same room as my last stay. I got the most amazing welcome home (and it really did feel like home) from the staff - lots of hugging going on. Dubai is my playground and I played a lot that week. I also worked a lot. But I played a lot, too. And now I'm in my second hotel in two weeks in Muscat, Oman...not because I'm physically incapable of staying in one place for more than a week (although that might be part of it), but because it has nicer bathrooms than the last one. Since this is the longest stop I have on this tour - four whole weeks! - I want to be comfortable, and nice bathrooms are my benchmark for comfort. It's the little things. The embassy community here is amazing, and the country is absolutely gorgeous. Mountains, oceans, and deserts all in one little country.
Now I'm going to talk about something I've been avoiding for a while because I'm still very much in denial that it happened: my dear friend Mary Martin died a few days before I left DC last month. Mary will always be one of the most inspiring people I've ever met - she suffered no fools, and showed boundless love to those she cared about. On the occasion of my 30th birthday, soon after ArtStream's first annual gala (where choice words were used by some to describe yours truly), she sent me this:
"As I am almost twice as old as you are I have some advice on the Bitch dilemma faced by fabulous women everywhere. Bitch is the term used by feckless momes to describe women who are smarter, better looking, more competent and fearless about actually getting the work done. Embrace it as a complement...When they let you know they think you're a bitch, feel proud because even they know you have just saved them from themselves. Rock on!!!!"
She said a lot more in that note but I need to keep some things for myself. ArtStream will always be in my heart for so many reasons, but especially for giving me Mary. I know she is no longer here on this earth but she will always, always be with us. Deep breaths, one thing at a time, everything is as it should be.
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| The Gulf as seen from the shores of Kuwait. |
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| This is a giant Omani frankincense burner. Seriously. |
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| Gamels. |
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| The fabulous Mary Martin. |
Monday, January 6, 2014
worst. blogger. ever. (and Dubai is amazing)
The whole point of this blog was to keep everyone (including my future self) updated on my goings on in the motherland. And guess what I didn't do - not once - while I was in the motherland: write a single blog entry. So here's the nutshell version of my 5 weeks in the desert.
To recap since it's been a while: management sent me on a TDY to the US consulate in Dubai last November/December to keep me busy while they continue trying to find me a new home (more on that later). Actually getting to do my job for real was a remarkable experience and showed me quite plainly that all this waiting has been worth it. I worked a LOT making up for lost time and it was fantastic.
My father timed a business trip so he could be in Dubai for my entire first week there. He showed me around town and did all sorts of touristy things with me - the fancy mall with the indoor ski slope, the dancing fountains in front of the tallest building in the world, the palm-shaped island in the middle of the Gulf, that building shaped like the sail of a boat, the third-largest mosque in the world in Abu Dhabi, one of those desert "safaris" - I can't remember when my father and I had so much fun together.
I spent my second week in Casablanca leading a training program that had been planned long before my TDY. Unfortunately it was cold and rainy and I didn't really get to see much of the city, but at least I got to go to Morocco! The night before I flew to Casablanca I got to go to a reception for the Dubai Air Show aboard the U.S.S. Harry S. Truman...quite possibly one of the coolest things I've ever had the chance to do. Everyone should take a tour of the flight deck of an aircraft carrier at least once in their lives, just saying.
Thanksgiving weekend was extra long for us since the following Sunday/Monday was UAE National Day (the country celebrated its 42nd birthday - also unclear as to why it was a two-day celebration but hey, why not). Since I was already on that side of the world, I took the opportunity to go to Cairo and see the family. The city feels different than it did the last time I was there, pre-revolution(s), but it was good to be back nonetheless. I especially enjoyed meeting the 4 new family members that have come onto the scene since my last visit. They're the cutest, seriously. I also got to party with my cousin Sahra - she showed me parts of Cairo I've never seen and shared her super cool friends with me. Very good times.
Back in Dubai for 3 weeks, I hung out with my GW friend Priyanka who lives there now, made some great new friends, loved a little, worked a lot, and made Dubai my own. That city has ruined me for every other place. At least it's only an hour flight from Kuwait, my new home. Like how I just casually threw that in there? My limbo is (allegedly) over!
I came back to my home base in DC (thank you, thank you, thank you Chris) for a week and then headed to Florida for Christmas and New Year's. I loved every minute of it except for the part where I got the flu that turned into the bronchitis I now have. Seriously though, I got to catch up with dear friends and spend lazy days with my ladies...and little man Murray. Heaven. AND Lindsey and Dave came to visit! Mom and I also managed to rescue a smaller blonde version of Murray we saw wandering the streets. We let him spend one night with us but let's be honest, it's Murray's house. Period. Blondie is in a good foster home, don't worry.
Up next: I'm heading out in a couple of weeks on another series of TDYs - over the course of the next 3 1/2 months I'll be in Kuwait, Dubai, Oman, Casablanca, Cairo, Bahrain and Jordan. Then I'll come back to DC, pack up my life and move to Kuwait. At least that's the plan...we all know how that goes. I'm thinking of having a one-year anniversary party of my original going away party last April. This time for real. Maybe. Deep breaths, one thing at a time, everything is as it should be.
To recap since it's been a while: management sent me on a TDY to the US consulate in Dubai last November/December to keep me busy while they continue trying to find me a new home (more on that later). Actually getting to do my job for real was a remarkable experience and showed me quite plainly that all this waiting has been worth it. I worked a LOT making up for lost time and it was fantastic.
My father timed a business trip so he could be in Dubai for my entire first week there. He showed me around town and did all sorts of touristy things with me - the fancy mall with the indoor ski slope, the dancing fountains in front of the tallest building in the world, the palm-shaped island in the middle of the Gulf, that building shaped like the sail of a boat, the third-largest mosque in the world in Abu Dhabi, one of those desert "safaris" - I can't remember when my father and I had so much fun together.
I spent my second week in Casablanca leading a training program that had been planned long before my TDY. Unfortunately it was cold and rainy and I didn't really get to see much of the city, but at least I got to go to Morocco! The night before I flew to Casablanca I got to go to a reception for the Dubai Air Show aboard the U.S.S. Harry S. Truman...quite possibly one of the coolest things I've ever had the chance to do. Everyone should take a tour of the flight deck of an aircraft carrier at least once in their lives, just saying.
Thanksgiving weekend was extra long for us since the following Sunday/Monday was UAE National Day (the country celebrated its 42nd birthday - also unclear as to why it was a two-day celebration but hey, why not). Since I was already on that side of the world, I took the opportunity to go to Cairo and see the family. The city feels different than it did the last time I was there, pre-revolution(s), but it was good to be back nonetheless. I especially enjoyed meeting the 4 new family members that have come onto the scene since my last visit. They're the cutest, seriously. I also got to party with my cousin Sahra - she showed me parts of Cairo I've never seen and shared her super cool friends with me. Very good times.
Back in Dubai for 3 weeks, I hung out with my GW friend Priyanka who lives there now, made some great new friends, loved a little, worked a lot, and made Dubai my own. That city has ruined me for every other place. At least it's only an hour flight from Kuwait, my new home. Like how I just casually threw that in there? My limbo is (allegedly) over!
I came back to my home base in DC (thank you, thank you, thank you Chris) for a week and then headed to Florida for Christmas and New Year's. I loved every minute of it except for the part where I got the flu that turned into the bronchitis I now have. Seriously though, I got to catch up with dear friends and spend lazy days with my ladies...and little man Murray. Heaven. AND Lindsey and Dave came to visit! Mom and I also managed to rescue a smaller blonde version of Murray we saw wandering the streets. We let him spend one night with us but let's be honest, it's Murray's house. Period. Blondie is in a good foster home, don't worry.
Up next: I'm heading out in a couple of weeks on another series of TDYs - over the course of the next 3 1/2 months I'll be in Kuwait, Dubai, Oman, Casablanca, Cairo, Bahrain and Jordan. Then I'll come back to DC, pack up my life and move to Kuwait. At least that's the plan...we all know how that goes. I'm thinking of having a one-year anniversary party of my original going away party last April. This time for real. Maybe. Deep breaths, one thing at a time, everything is as it should be.
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| the dancing fountains in front of the Burj Khalifa (tallest building in the world - I did not go to the top - maybe someday) |
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| obligatory shot of the Burj al Arab |
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| sunset in Dubai - I mean c'mon |
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| with my dad and his friends on a safari |
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| Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi |
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| good morning Casa! |
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| of all the gin joints in all the world... |
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| aboard the USS Harry S Truman |
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| this flight deck reminded me of Cher |
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| cousins Mariam, Jenna & Ahmed - too much cuteness |
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| baby Yassin - happiest baby EVER |
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| Lindsey's pregnant! and Dave is a man! |
Friday, November 8, 2013
bags are packed, ready to go...
...and this time I'm definitely getting on a plane! It's been a crazy week but I'm ready. It's finally happening.
You might be wondering, "wait - wasn't she supposed to leave on the 4th?" Yes, yes I was. But let's be honest, we all knew that was going to change. I've waited this long, what's an extra 4 days?
You may know this about me, but I have serious packing anxiety. I hate packing. Hate. It. Plus, I've never traveled for business before and I'm pretty sure I've never had to live out of one suitcase for 5 weeks. Those added variables plus the dread I feel at the thought of possibly not packing something I'll really, really need and/or want at my destination made this particular packing experience super fun. Enter Lillian, the woman who can go to Egypt for 10 days with only a carry-on. Seriously, I watched her do it. Answering my last-minute plea for help she came over last night and whipped me into shape. My carry-on may or may not fit into the overhead bin, but my checked bag is under 50 lbs, which is nothing short of a miracle for me. Don't judge. Also, as multiple people have reminded me, it's not as though I'm going to a place that doesn't have stores.
I managed to de-Aisha-fy Chris's spare bedroom before I left, too. I wanted him to be able to host Thanksgiving without his overnight guests wondering about his decorating choices. It's as though I were never there, as long as you don't look in the dresser drawers...or the closet...or under the bed. I don't think I'll ever be able to thank him enough for his generosity.
I'm number 1 on the wait list for business class, again thanks to Chris's generosity (and his mega-super-plus elite status on United). It would be really nice to sleep horizontally for this 13-hour flight, so fingers crossed someone who bought a business class ticket decides they don't feel like flying to Dubai today. Deep breaths, one thing at a time, everything is as it should be.
You might be wondering, "wait - wasn't she supposed to leave on the 4th?" Yes, yes I was. But let's be honest, we all knew that was going to change. I've waited this long, what's an extra 4 days?
You may know this about me, but I have serious packing anxiety. I hate packing. Hate. It. Plus, I've never traveled for business before and I'm pretty sure I've never had to live out of one suitcase for 5 weeks. Those added variables plus the dread I feel at the thought of possibly not packing something I'll really, really need and/or want at my destination made this particular packing experience super fun. Enter Lillian, the woman who can go to Egypt for 10 days with only a carry-on. Seriously, I watched her do it. Answering my last-minute plea for help she came over last night and whipped me into shape. My carry-on may or may not fit into the overhead bin, but my checked bag is under 50 lbs, which is nothing short of a miracle for me. Don't judge. Also, as multiple people have reminded me, it's not as though I'm going to a place that doesn't have stores.
I managed to de-Aisha-fy Chris's spare bedroom before I left, too. I wanted him to be able to host Thanksgiving without his overnight guests wondering about his decorating choices. It's as though I were never there, as long as you don't look in the dresser drawers...or the closet...or under the bed. I don't think I'll ever be able to thank him enough for his generosity.
I'm number 1 on the wait list for business class, again thanks to Chris's generosity (and his mega-super-plus elite status on United). It would be really nice to sleep horizontally for this 13-hour flight, so fingers crossed someone who bought a business class ticket decides they don't feel like flying to Dubai today. Deep breaths, one thing at a time, everything is as it should be.
Sunday, October 27, 2013
It's HAPPENING!
Dubai is back on the travel calendar - this is HAPPENING! Cutting through the red tape has ceased and I am scheduled to depart in a week. I have guarded optimism, mind you, simply because I have learned (over and over and over again) that nothing is guaranteed. But I have a plane ticket, and that's the closest I've gotten so far so it's looking good. YAY!
It's been an otherwise busy few weeks. I got to celebrate the marriage of my friends Jason and Ben at their home in New Jersey, and the car ride with Alex, Mostafa and Brandon was nearly as entertaining as the wedding festivities. And thanks to the magic of Facebook, Mom figured out that we were near the town of Ewing, NJ where generations of our family are buried, all the way back to the Revolutionary War. Our hotel happened to be less than a mile from the cemetery and the boys were gracious enough to let me explore it for a little while before we headed back to DC. I had to call my great uncle John to have him guide me to the three spots where our people are, otherwise it would probably have taken a few hours for me to find them. I didn't expect to be as overwhelmed with emotion as I was, especially as I stood over the graves of my great-grandparents. I've heard so many stories over the years and I'm so very grateful I finally got to spend a few moments with them. I will never forget it.
Oh hey guess what - the government re-opened! After almost 3 weeks I got to go back to work and spend 5 hours going through emails! I will admit, the time off was pretty nice (especially since we got paid for it) but I was going mildly insane towards the end of it. Let's just hope it doesn't happen all over again in January.
I went to a few concerts, one of which was 2 Cellos (that's the name of the group - super creative, I know) and it was amazing. There was a meet-and-greet after the show and I was reduced to a babbling teenaged girl in the presence of what I consider freaking rock stars. Words escape me to describe the experience, but I will say that I cried at one point during the show - actual tears running down my face. They were that amazing (or I'm that obsessed with them, either way).
Obviously the biggest news is Dubai. DUBAI DUBAI DUBAI! This. Is. Happening. And I'm pretty sure I get to go to Casablanca to give trainings for a week in the middle of it, no big deal. I'll miss Thanksgiving with my family in Florida but I'll be home for Christmas (I dare you to get that song out of your head now). I might even try to pop over to Cairo for a weekend to see all my other family. Anything is possible! Deep breaths, one thing at a time, everything is as it should be.
It's been an otherwise busy few weeks. I got to celebrate the marriage of my friends Jason and Ben at their home in New Jersey, and the car ride with Alex, Mostafa and Brandon was nearly as entertaining as the wedding festivities. And thanks to the magic of Facebook, Mom figured out that we were near the town of Ewing, NJ where generations of our family are buried, all the way back to the Revolutionary War. Our hotel happened to be less than a mile from the cemetery and the boys were gracious enough to let me explore it for a little while before we headed back to DC. I had to call my great uncle John to have him guide me to the three spots where our people are, otherwise it would probably have taken a few hours for me to find them. I didn't expect to be as overwhelmed with emotion as I was, especially as I stood over the graves of my great-grandparents. I've heard so many stories over the years and I'm so very grateful I finally got to spend a few moments with them. I will never forget it.
Oh hey guess what - the government re-opened! After almost 3 weeks I got to go back to work and spend 5 hours going through emails! I will admit, the time off was pretty nice (especially since we got paid for it) but I was going mildly insane towards the end of it. Let's just hope it doesn't happen all over again in January.
I went to a few concerts, one of which was 2 Cellos (that's the name of the group - super creative, I know) and it was amazing. There was a meet-and-greet after the show and I was reduced to a babbling teenaged girl in the presence of what I consider freaking rock stars. Words escape me to describe the experience, but I will say that I cried at one point during the show - actual tears running down my face. They were that amazing (or I'm that obsessed with them, either way).
Obviously the biggest news is Dubai. DUBAI DUBAI DUBAI! This. Is. Happening. And I'm pretty sure I get to go to Casablanca to give trainings for a week in the middle of it, no big deal. I'll miss Thanksgiving with my family in Florida but I'll be home for Christmas (I dare you to get that song out of your head now). I might even try to pop over to Cairo for a weekend to see all my other family. Anything is possible! Deep breaths, one thing at a time, everything is as it should be.
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| According to this I'm a DAR. |
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| My great-grandparents, Dearie & Bampi, and my great uncle David who died when he was a little boy. |
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| Alex, Jason, Jason's dad and Mostafa. |
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| Brandon and I wear the same size shoe so sometimes we like to switch. |
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| Clockwise: Brandon and me...unclear what's happening; the groom and his new father-in-law; ex-roommies!; the blushing bride and yours truly. |
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| I'm a groupie and I make no apologies for it. |
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| Woo hoo! |
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| We (LilWayne, Lara and I) defaced some pumpkins by giving them faces. Happy Halloween! |
Thursday, October 10, 2013
and then there was a shutdown...
Some key things that happened in the last few weeks (in chronological order): I turned 33, the federal government shut down, ArtStream had its most successful gala yet, and I deleted Dubai from my travel calendar.
Yay I got to celebrate another birthday in DC with my friends! LilWayne, Charla, Cal, and Lee all took me out to dinner to a Thai place I've had on my DC bucket list for years. It was a truly amazing meal, complete with the house cat wandering around the dining room. It's cool, cats are clean. There was definitely partying afterwards and I have to say thank you to all my buddies who came out to celebrate with me - I had a pretty good showing considering the the torrential rain.
And then there was a shutdown...
October 1, 2013 - the folks on the Hill couldn't get their act together so the federal government went into partial shutdown mode. The USPTO is allowed to continue operating at full capacity on reserve funds for the next few weeks, but guess who's not technically a PTO employee anymore! I was the only one at the office packing everything up, trying to make my out-of-office auto response sound as neutral as possible. It took me a few tries.
DC has been pretty generous with the furloughed souls, though - I even got a pair of free tickets for Miss Saigon. I've talked about it with a lot of folks and we all have the same dilemma: we have endless amounts of free time but we don't want to spend any money because we don't know when we're getting paid again. Don't get me wrong - I'm keeping myself plenty busy (for example, it's been raining a lot so there's been a lot of Breaking Bad binge watching), but I have a feeling my friends are going to stop buying me pity drinks if this drags on much longer.
The upshot of the shutdown was that I had almost an entire week to help the ArtStream staff get ready for our 4th annual gala. My role this year was significantly reduced from galas past since we didn't know whether I would be in the country for it at all, so I'm glad I could make myself useful. It was an insanely successful event, and it's always a good night when I don't embarrass myself with a goodbye speech full of ugly crying (see ArtStream Gala 2012).
Since my last update on the Dubai situation, things were looking really good for a departure date of October 17th (a week from today). And then there was a shutdown...
For so long I refused to take it off my calendar because I have to hold out hope for something. But at some point we have to be realistic and accept that everyone responsible for handling the logistics of my trip (and almost everyone I would be working with in the consulate in Dubai) is also furloughed. So a few minutes ago I deleted Dubai from my travel calendar. For now. Say it with me: This is only a delay. This is only a delay. This is only a delay.
I got this job just over a year ago. The comedy of errors that has ensued since then makes for really good conversation if nothing else. I've said it before and I'll say it again - I laugh so I don't cry. It's all I can do to stay sane in this seemingly never-ending limbo. Even though I'm furloughed I'm thankful I have a job, and even though I'm essentially homeless I'm thankful to Chris for letting me stay in his gorgeous home. Thank you. Deep breaths, one thing at a time, everything is as it should be.
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Yay I got to celebrate another birthday in DC with my friends! LilWayne, Charla, Cal, and Lee all took me out to dinner to a Thai place I've had on my DC bucket list for years. It was a truly amazing meal, complete with the house cat wandering around the dining room. It's cool, cats are clean. There was definitely partying afterwards and I have to say thank you to all my buddies who came out to celebrate with me - I had a pretty good showing considering the the torrential rain.
And then there was a shutdown...
October 1, 2013 - the folks on the Hill couldn't get their act together so the federal government went into partial shutdown mode. The USPTO is allowed to continue operating at full capacity on reserve funds for the next few weeks, but guess who's not technically a PTO employee anymore! I was the only one at the office packing everything up, trying to make my out-of-office auto response sound as neutral as possible. It took me a few tries.
DC has been pretty generous with the furloughed souls, though - I even got a pair of free tickets for Miss Saigon. I've talked about it with a lot of folks and we all have the same dilemma: we have endless amounts of free time but we don't want to spend any money because we don't know when we're getting paid again. Don't get me wrong - I'm keeping myself plenty busy (for example, it's been raining a lot so there's been a lot of Breaking Bad binge watching), but I have a feeling my friends are going to stop buying me pity drinks if this drags on much longer.
The upshot of the shutdown was that I had almost an entire week to help the ArtStream staff get ready for our 4th annual gala. My role this year was significantly reduced from galas past since we didn't know whether I would be in the country for it at all, so I'm glad I could make myself useful. It was an insanely successful event, and it's always a good night when I don't embarrass myself with a goodbye speech full of ugly crying (see ArtStream Gala 2012).
Since my last update on the Dubai situation, things were looking really good for a departure date of October 17th (a week from today). And then there was a shutdown...
For so long I refused to take it off my calendar because I have to hold out hope for something. But at some point we have to be realistic and accept that everyone responsible for handling the logistics of my trip (and almost everyone I would be working with in the consulate in Dubai) is also furloughed. So a few minutes ago I deleted Dubai from my travel calendar. For now. Say it with me: This is only a delay. This is only a delay. This is only a delay.
I got this job just over a year ago. The comedy of errors that has ensued since then makes for really good conversation if nothing else. I've said it before and I'll say it again - I laugh so I don't cry. It's all I can do to stay sane in this seemingly never-ending limbo. Even though I'm furloughed I'm thankful I have a job, and even though I'm essentially homeless I'm thankful to Chris for letting me stay in his gorgeous home. Thank you. Deep breaths, one thing at a time, everything is as it should be.
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| delicious birthday dessert with delicious friends |
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| someone got me a really funny birthday card |
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| ArtStream Gala 2013! Cal, me, Brent, Lillian, Libby, Wayne & Christine |
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| shut DOWN |
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| #furloughperks with Jennie |
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| surely these people can find me a permanent home |
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| back to my karaoke roots with Ben |
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| oh, and I went to a party at the Egyptian embassy - I like looking at ceilings, is that weird? |
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Sunday, September 8, 2013
this will probably be outdated within 24 hours
My administrative staff consists of 3 ladies who have my back 100%. They want Dubai to happen as much as I do. I can't really blame anyone for the mass confusion, but I will say my ladies seem to know exactly what's going on and they spend most of their time trying to explain it to everyone else. More power to them. This is an unprecedented situation for the IP Attaché program, not made any less complicated by the ever-changing political climate in the region (the US embassy in Beirut was evacuated a few days ago ahead of our possible military action in Syria). The fact that no one can agree on who needs to approve/pay for/make all necessary arrangements for this TDY does not surprise or phase me in the least. I am eerily devoid of emotion on the subject. I have learned to not pack or move anything until I have a physical plane ticket in my hand. But even then I probably won't be convinced of anything until I'm on the ground in Dubai, and even then nothing is for sure. It is the ultimate lesson in flexibility.
Because an early September departure to Dubai was looking less and less likely, I decided to fly home to Florida for Labor Day Weekend to surprise Granny on her 92nd birthday. I paused only slightly when considering the potential physical consequences of surprising a 92-year-old. I told a handful of friends I was coming home, even keeping Mom out of the loop (although on some level I knew she knew). My boo Eddie picked me up from the airport, we had dinner with friends, and I had the whole surprise planned out in my head, timed perfectly for when Mom, Granny and great aunt Sal pulled into the driveway from dinner. (Seriously - you would think the last year of my life would have taught me to not make plans and to not get attached to outcomes.) Needless to say the surprise did not go how I had envisioned it, but it was a successful surprise nonetheless. I'm so grateful I was able to spend another birthday with Granny in person.
It was a fairly uneventful weekend, which was perfect. Murray was utterly beside himself when I walked in the door and he did not leave my side for four days. Heaven. I spent time with my dear (pregnant!) friend Joslyn and her husband Dave in their brand new gorgeous amazing house - mazel/mabrook! - and with my dear friend Laura and her husband Brice. L&B's last name is Duba so I hope to bring them semi-personalized souvenir T-shirts from Dubai. Mom, Granny, Sal, Murray and I spent Labor Day out at the lake with the Dunegans, my bonus family, and Mom went out on the Jet Ski while the rest of us ate birthday cake. It was delightful.
Back here on the ranch in DC the weather is unseasonably amazing so the whole city is taking advantage of it, and I'm writing this from the front porch, naturally. We spent most of the weekend outside: at an outdoor concert on the river, on Lil & Wayne's front stoop, and on one of those Potomac River dinner cruises to celebrate our friend Libby's birthday - it was never on my bucket list and you wouldn't know it from the picture, but I had a really great time!
Tomorrow is Monday...fasten your seat belts and stay tuned. Deep breaths, one thing at a time, everything is as it should be :)
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| it was the only candle we could find... |
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| my love |
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| one of the trees I planted at WPHS 9th Grade Center over 18 years ago |
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| with Eddie at the Orlando City soccer semi-finals - we won! - silliest name for a sports team ever |
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| Lillian on our way home from Yards Park - oh hey there Capitol Building |
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| I wasn't ready! Tom, John, Wayne, Libby, Lillian, yours truly, Dave, and some nice girls we met for the first time that night |
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