Three Years Ago Today

As I wrote the date on my white board today, I realized that I recognized it (mostly, due to my weird/random memory). Three years ago today, August 18th, I was moving into my apartment in another desert city...Las Vegas. At first it didn't seem like a big deal, but then I started remembering what it was like to first move there, work there, live there. As crazy as it may seem, there are a lot of similarities between my move to Vegas and my move to Doha, and my life in Vegas prepared me for the move to Doha more than I realized.

First of all, the weather. It's ridiculously hot here :) I knew I was in for the heat and after living in Vegas, I knew I wouldn't be too shocked by it. What I didn't account for, however, was the humidity. I should have, considering Qatar is a small penninsula in the gulf...but I didn't. It's CRAZY-humid. Many days, I can literally leave the building and within 15 seconds have a thin coat of moisture on my skin. To my mid-western peeps, this is worse than any humid day in Iowa. On the plus side, the dry days are beautiful here and today I felt a fabulous little dip in the thermometer. Here's hoping it is just a lovely vision of things to come. 

In Vegas, I was also moving to a place that in many ways, may as well have been a forgein country to me. I had never really been anywhere (just like before moving to Doha), I'd never even visited Vegas (hadn't been to Doha either), and was starting a new job in a school where I knew no one. Thankfully, that last one wasn't the case in Doha. I'd never physically met Lauren & Jen, but I felt like I knew them. In Vegas, I was blessed enough to have my cousin Melissa to live with and to be my everything. She was a true angel, just as Lauren and Jen and my other friends are here. 

In Vegas, I dealt with a huge district, the quirkiness of an outdoor school, a massive new-teacher orientation program held in the convention center, making new friends, crazy drivers, noise, insane people, and many more things that have also been an adjustment here. My new school is on a new level, yes, but at the end of the day, kids are kids and teaching is still teaching. My friends and co-workers in Vegas taught me how to be a great teacher, but still have a life. That it's easier to ask for forgiveness, rather than permission. How to not sweat the small stuff and enjoy the little victories in the classroom, even if it's only the fact that Johnny remembered to FINALLY write in his planner without being reminded. It's because of my teaching experiences, life experiences, DRIVING experiences (seriously, I can't believe I haven't been in an accident here yet) and co-workers/friends/angels in Vegas that I was prepared to make this move to Doha. It was in Vegas that I learned I can make a life and a home in a completely new place and not just survive it, but actually enjoy it.

Most importantly, making the move to Vegas taught me two extremely important lessons: 1) relocating will always come with a crappy adjustment period where you have to ask directions to go everywhere, get used to a new bed and bedroom, you'll get lost many times, and where you seem insanely out-of-place no matter where you are and 2) the crappy adjustment period always comes to an end. That second one is a really big deal because knowing that I'll eventually feel at home where I am makes the whole move actually seem possible. Knowing I'll live through it and won't end up on the floor crying is a nice comfort as well.

I thank and praise the Lord for reminding me of all these things. I also want to thank all of my angels, past and present, you know who you are. It wouldn't be the same without you.