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Stardust Memories: The Lights of Broadway
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Caesers Atlantic City Girlfriend Getaway
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Moving to Abu Dhabi - Seriously, We Are!

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contractMany people have asked me, "what in the world are you thinking, moving to the Middle East?" Well, follow our journey, and I'm sure you'll quickly see that we are a family who loves to travel and embraces change. Are you ready? The story begins.

I was looking for part-time work from home after being laid off by a reputable online University. I started Chickadee Prints, but it was in its infancy, and I needed to help us stay afloat while starting out. So, I started checking out Craigslist. On January 31st, I jokingly texted my husband after reading an ad, asking "want to live in Abu Dhabi for two years?" His reply SHOCKED me, "when and why and yes!" What? Seriously? But, where is it? LOL! I had no clue where Abu Dhabi was, let alone where Dubai was. Sure, I'd heard of them, but if you gave me a map, I wouldn't have known where to point. The position is to teach curriculum in English to Emirate children. A TOUGH task, but worth the adventure for sure...right? That day, because he was so excited, I started filling out the application, sent all the documents to the appropriate people, and prepared for something I knew nothing about...and looked at a map! I now know a LOT of the geography of the area after doing so much research! I thought to myself, can I handle this? Can my kids? It then dawned on me...I have to fly my three itty bitties, for 25+ hours, on a plane, just to get there. Oh dear...help me!

The first step in the process was a phone interview. Passing the phone interview, I was then asked to do an in person interview in California. So, On March 10th, we left Utah, making a family trip out of the interview, and headed to Southern California. We spent two days at Disneyland...knowing in the back of our minds, that this would be the last time for two years for my kids. On March 12th, we drove to the interview in Santa Monica...my heart was beating the entire way there...and traffic made that trip even longer. The interview went very well, very direct. I had to prove to them why my family and I would be good candidates for traveling around the World, and that we could live in such a different culture. Thank goodness we travel a lot...it helped me show that my kids are accustomed to it, that there wouldn't be too many issues. The interview lasted one hour, and I was sent on my way. Did I get it? We had to wait, and it could be anywhere from a couple days to a couple weeks to hear anything.

While I had the chance, I stopped and reflected on what I was doing. What was I really hoping to get out of this experience. Ever since my husband and I got married, we have dreamed of living out of the country with our children, as we feel travel often times gives more education and rounding of a person, than school itself. We hoped to live in France for a few years, since my husband speaks French. Never did we think about the Middle East...EVER! But why couldn't we live there? Humans are humans...my children will learn about and see things they never dreamed could be real. Camels walking around the desert, gold inlay and solid gold on many buildings, the dress, the cultural norms...their cup will runneth over. And I will have a chance to impact children...a chance to teach them English for the first time in their lives. Majority don't speak, read, or write a lick of English. 3rd grade level of English skills would be equated to Pre-K/K. I will be teaching K...brand spanking new. I am excited for this challenge...I welcome it.

On Monday, March 15th, at 2:00pm, I got the call...and...WE'RE MOVING TO ABU DHABI! Let the preparations begin for moving a family of 5 across the world. Come and join me on our adventure! We will share what it takes to pack up a family and prepare for the journey, we'll share video clips and photos galore, and even my husband will share his daily life there...homeschooling our children!
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Author Profile: Middle East TravelingMom  - Website

Heather is a freelance travel writer, encouraging her family and others to become internationally minded. You can find her on Twitter, @chickadeeprints.

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Comments   

 
#7 Middle East TravelingMom 2012-08-01 02:22
@Nancy, have you taken the plunge to come over this way yet??? :)

@Diana, thank you!
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#6 Diana Rowe 2010-07-28 10:58
Wow, impressive! My kids are grown now, but I've always wanted to live outside the U.S. I visited Dubai in March and really loved it. Look forward to your blogs!
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#5 Nancy 2010-07-26 20:15
My husband and I have been joking around about moving to the City of Education - in Qatar - just to shake things up. But joking around (and a little internet perusing) is about as far as we've gotten.
What a fantastic gift to your children: exposure to a different culture, a chance to explain how our (US) way is not necessarily the "right" way. A chance to discuss women's rights, religion, so much more.
And - A really good job!!!
I'm SO impressed that you are doing this. And I can't wait to read all about it.
Maybe we'll get up our nerve one day too.
Looking forward to reading all about it.
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#4 Middle East TravelingMom 2010-07-18 16:00
Thank you! I'm very excited about the opportunity. It truly would have been harder had my children already been in school. Since they are not, we are more open to going. We'll see where we end up after the two years!
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#3 Crystal aka Northwest Travelin 2010-07-16 15:01
wow, what a great adventure your about to take on!! I sort of wish I had done something "out of my ordinary" before I had kids. Now that I do, unfortunately I'm one of those parents who wants to stay put during the school years before making any big moves. But it gives me the empty nest to look forward to our next big adventure. For now we enjoy packing up for our week long or weekend trips to keep us busy.
Your adventure sounds so fun and I wish I had the guts to do something like that. I hope it turns out to be all you imagine and more!!!
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#2 Middle East TravelingMom 2010-07-15 15:53
Yes, we are lucky as we have many friends living in Dubai...locals and expats. We have been well educated, know about displays of affection, laws, dress, etc. I plan on taking on traditional dress in the school as well. The heat...yes, I've heard it's crazy, but we've also heard everything is air conditioned, which will be welcomed.

Thank you for the comment!

Motherto3
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#1 Christine 2010-07-15 15:49
This will definitely be an adventure of a lifetime and probably a life changing experience. My friend moved to Kuwait for 6 months with her children while her husband was working in Iraq. My only advice which I'm sure you've heard, is to please get well versed on the laws. Although they cater to the rich Westerners, they are still a very very conservative Islamic nation. Even though you are married, they may not respect it since you are not Muslim. That means you and your husband would have to be very careful when traveling in public. The heat will also be like nothing you've experienced either. The good news is you can have a nanny and housekeeper for practically nothing. My friend had a great lady from India that became very close to her family. Good luck and God Bless. Look forward to the blogs about it!
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