PROLOGUE -- Part 2

If I remember correctly, I left off telling about my interviews and getting hired to teach in Abu Dhabi. That was at the beginning of April, 2009. Following that high point, you can imagine how difficult it was for me to stay focused on my current teaching job in Columbia! Nonetheless, I had an amazing group of kids, and they deserved my best efforts for the last two months of school. To keep my excitement for my Abu Dhabi assignment under control, I decided to make learning about my soon-to-be home a collaborative effort. We learned about the cultural differences, the new language (Arabic), the geography of the region, etc. together and it was a lot of fun.

As chaotic and stressful as the end of the school was in terms of preparing to leave for Abu Dhabi, this summer was equally dull. I would go 2 or 3 weeks at a time without hearing any sort of updates on my specific placement, what sort of travel arrangements would be made for my departure, and so on. And the only real job I had to do in regards to preparing for all of this was to get some documents certified and authenticated by the local, state, and national government (a process that is a complete pain in the butt, might I add). At this very moment, I am still waiting to receive my documents from the U.S Department of State--when I should have received them well over a week ago. (I'm sure this situation will add some last-minute nail-biting excitement, which of course I love.)

And that pretty much brings me up to the present. Lately my life has been dedicated to doing 2 things I really don't like to do: (1) Saying goodbyes, and (2) Packing.

I have never been good at saying goodbyes. I get really sentimental about stuff like that under normal circumstances, so having to think, "Man, this will probably be the last time I see this person for at least 2 years" every time I go somewhere has been really hard on me. Always one to see my glass as being half full, however, I've learned that leaving a person for an extended period of time makes you truly appreciate how important they are to you; therefore I've come to realize over the last week or so just how many people there are that I feel blessed to have in my life. (Plus I'm cheating and have snuck in several 2nd "last goodbyes" to make myself feel better.)

As far as packing goes . . . well, don't get me started on packing. I hate having to attach value to everything I own and deciding if it's absolutely necessary for me to bring overseas with me. As far as I'm concerned, everything I have--from clothes to photos to drawings/cards my students/swimmers have given to me over the years to novelty items such as my coconut bra--is meaningful to me in some way. Unfortunately, clothes win, seeing that most people would probably prefer me to wear them in Abu Dhabi and, therefore, a lot of the other things are going to be left behind.

In summary, there is a lot to look forward to in the upcoming years of my life. I will make friends and memories that will last me a lifetime, that is to be sure. But in the midst of all the glamor and excitement I have felt recently, I have also been reminded that I have a lot of great things going for me right here at home.

Good night.

Matt