Signed Contract!

As promised, I won't write unless I have something to say and I'm thrilled to report that I signed the contract to work in the UAE yesterday!  It is for two years, through 2014.  I'm expecting to hear about travel arrangements soon.  Yoohoo!!!

I began this month retired.  Can you believe that?  I have to say I would have done this a lot sooner if I knew how much fun it would be.

Of course, it wasn't all fun and games.  I packed up my home and moved out.  What a chore that was!  Before moving to Sacramento, we moved every three years, so I was in the rhythm of moving.  We have lived in Sacramento for 22 years!  In fact, I've lived here longer than my home town of China, Texas.  Crazy, right?  Anyway, the things you, OK I, can accumulate in that time is staggering.  Hopefully this experience of having to deal with all of this stuff will cause me to live lighter.

With 98% of the move completed, I headed to New York City to visit with my son Frankie and his family.  Zadie Faye is 11 months now and is a doll!  She and I had a great time exploring the city by subway.  We visited Grand Central Station, Coney Island (accompanied by Alisha, my niece who also lives in the city), and the Central Park Zoo.  We had a blast!  Z is a beautiful baby, very friendly and engaging.  With her waving at the strangers on the subway, even the hardened native New Yorkers melted in her presence. 

HUGE kudos to Cara, Frankie's wife, for her warmth, kindness and graciousness as I visited only days after they moved into a beautiful Brownstone.  I was originally planning to stay less than two days, but after arriving and seeing "my girl" I opted to stay longer.  Changing the ticket proved a nightmare and resulted in my extending even longer.  While there, I cooked.  Yes, me, who hasn't seriously cooked in years.  In fact, I cooked more during my visit, than I have in about ten years.  Thankfully, no one got sick. 

My last Sunday there, Frankie and I went to a Broadway show, The Mountaintop, starring Samuel L. Jackson and Angela Bassett.  Yes, SAMUEL L. JACKSON!  You know how much I love that man.  (Frankie made up for the fact that I missed seeing him as the commencement speaker at Vassar, Frankie's alma mater because he (Frankie) was on the five year plan).  We had terrific seats, too.  I was in Broadway heaven!  We walked out of the theater into the frenzy of Times Square where folks were being entertained by a naked cowboy and cowgirl singing to the crowd.  Only in New York.  OK, maybe California, too.

I'll be spending my remaining days in Sacramento visiting with friends and resting.  I'm sure that when I get to the UAE, things will be moving fast.

Oh, while I was in New York, I purchased an abaya, the traditional dress worn by women in Arab countries.  You know, when in Rome, do as the Romans do.

If you've made it reading this far, God bless you! 

I thought turning 50 was fun.  Who knew 55 would be even greater.

Thanks again for joining me on this ride.

New Chapter

This month has been filled with anxiety and excitement.  Anxiety as I waited to hear from the UAE and excitement at this incredible opportunity.

Today, I was finally able to announce my plans to my employer and coworkers, as they are as concrete as I expect them to be before I depart.  The next communique I'm expecting from Teach Away will be a webinar later this week finalizing our travel and arrival plans with the other 1200 teachers and administrators who are headed to Abu Dhabi this cycle. 

A side note - There are currently over 3000 US teachers plus administrators who are employed by the UAE.

A wonderful surprise came last night when I was chatting with a dear friend.  She suggested I retire instead of attempting a leave of absence.  So, being totally clueless at the possibility or the process, I contacted the appropriate folks, and amazingly, I was able to submit my retirement papers this morning!  What a thrill that was!

Of course I will miss you all, especially the great staff and students at Nicholas.  It truly was a pleasure being there this past year plus. 

Side note 2 - Today was my last day at Nicholas as I've taken some time off to address a medical issue before my departure.

As I write this, I'm thinking how self-centered this whole process of writing a blog is.  The assumption is someone gives a hoot about what you're doing.  Well, I hope you do and I promise to keep it "quick and dirty," not writing unless I have something interesting (by whose measurement?) to say.

Until next time.

Anticipation

It has been three weeks since my interview and notification that I was selected as an administrator in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) school system. Since that time I've been waiting anxiously for the contract to sign. The signing of the contract starts the clock on my departure.

There is much to be done - purging my garage, packing up my home, selling my car, closing accounts, etc. - but I'm confident things will fall into place, just as everything else about this process has thus far.

I am anxious to tell the students at my current school about my plans to show them that it's never too late to pursue your dreams.

By the time you read this, the clock will be ticking fast and I will be well on my way to saying goodbye to Sacramento and hello to Abu Dhabi.

I invite you to join me for an adventure of a lifetime.