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Two-thousand twelve has been quite the year. I've grown, quit a job, sold a house, sold most of my possessions, moved to the Middle East, got engaged, and traveled to foreign lands....and it's been quite a whirlwind as my blog buddy Amber said.
Typically these types of posts arise towards the end of December but I'm in a reflective mood, so here it is.
January - January is my birthday month and celebrating my birthday is a national holiday in my eyes. I didn't do it big in 2012 but I did take a trip to see my friend in Miami. We had a ball as usual. I hate that he moved from the area because I loved going there on a moments notice since the tickets were so inexpensive from Atlanta.
My 2009-2011 was a complete mess personally, therefore for 2012, I armed myself with specific goals and resolutions. My main goal was to find a new job. I wanted a job that I enjoyed and one that spoke to and utilized my talents. I wanted to work outside of K-12 Education and explore opportunities in media, corporate curriculum, and individualized business english classes. During January, I applied to at least 3 jobs a day until I landed a new job.
February - By February, I was exhausted from job hunting but I wanted a change, so I pressed on. Finally during the last days of February, a colleague told me about a recruitment company for international teaching and administration. I listen, applied, and landed a telephone interview.
March - I believe I had a phone interview on March 4th or so maybe later because it only gave me a week to prepare for the in-person interview in Houston on March 12. The interview was like no other. It was challenging, unconventional, and slightly odd. After the interview, they stated it would be four weeks or so before I knew if I had the position.
April - The beginning of April signals spring break for most educational institutions. My mom visited as usual. As we prepared for our annual landscape extravaganza in my yard, I received a call from the recruiter stating that I was selected for a position in Abu Dhabi.
May - Quit my job of six years. (Scary stuff). Began preparing for my move abroad. I also put my house on the market. (more scary stuff)
June - Leased/Sold my house. My aunt and cousin came to visit.... and packing my house for the move abroad. (Random) I also had surgery on my toes. Ooo la la
July - Count down. Nervous, scared, anxious and my mom and step-dad came back to Atlanta to help me pack my final things. My sister also came at the end of the month to help with the final move.
August - Moved to DC with my sister for two weeks then left for Abu Dhabi on August 7. I arrived on August 8 to the unexpected. Most of August, I felt some kind of way. I didn't like Abu Dhabi at first. I hated the hotel, the people, and everything. I thought I had made the biggest mistake of my life.
September - After five weeks in Abu Dhabi, moved out the hotel, moved to the island, I finally started work, moved into my new apartment, and began to "settle in" to my new environment. I still didn't like it much. I thought it was the ugliest place on Earth. There just had to be a lesson or a gem somewhere..... AND
October - "We" went out on our first "date". We actually met in September but being in such a conservative area, the exchange took some time. In the midst of all of this, my new colleagues became friends, and we now have a bond and imprint in each other's lives.
November - My first Thanksgiving without my sister since we started our tradition of celebrating together. She tried to make my dressing but um, YEAH... I can only make that dress.... and I got engaged. Kinda fast but well ...life.
December - End of the trimester, going to Rome, the US, Paris, and London. 2012 was such an eventful year and I can't wait to see what 2013 has to offer.
Tags: "life" "travel" "Abu Dhabi" "teaching in Abu Dhabi" "life abroad" "life in Abu Dhabi" "Paris" "London" "Rome" "Reginia"