Skip to main content

Reality check




Many people have been asking me how things are going in Dubai and the truth is: things have been difficult!

It’s not easy leaving everything behind, moving to a new country, starting a new job and making new friends. After almost 2 weeks, I still have no internet, no car and very little furniture in my apartment.

If I break down my day (from Sunday to Thursday), it looks something like this:
I get up at 5:55 a.m., go to work, come home around 4:30-5:00 p.m., eat dinner (in my bed), do some work (in my bed), write in my journal (in my bed)…then, I go to bed (in my bed)!!! Ok, wait! I forgot to mention that I do go for a walk almost every night (not in my bed)! :)

Don’t get me wrong, I’ve done some fun things as well! I’ve gone to many malls, I’ve had some great meals, I had a barbecue on the beach and I’ve met some pretty cool people.

It’s obvious that moving away from everything you know will have it’s ups and downs, but one thing is for sure…I will never ever regret my decision to move abroad no matter how hard things may seem to get at times, because I know that, in the end, my expectations will be met.

My expectations:

-professional growth: getting IB training, gaining experience teaching in an international school, learning more strategies on how to teach French as a second language

-personal growth: pushing myself into new situations, living on my own, making new friends, travelling and learning about new places and cultures

I’ve always agreed that overcoming obstacles makes a person stronger…but, seriously watch out, soon I’ll be able to lift a bus! :)

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

In a World Full of Noise, Let’s Show Understanding

“Not everyone processes uncertainty the same way, and that’s okay.” The past few days have been unexpected. What started as a normal Saturday - coaching at the gym, breakfast with a friend, catching up on work with the TV on in the background - quickly changed when I heard a loud “boom” coming from outside my apartment. At first, many of us in the community assumed it came from one of the many nearby construction sites. But, within the next few hours, the loud sounds came again and again, and word spread that these were missiles and drones being intercepted in the sky. I’ve always felt safe here in the UAE, and believe it or not, to a certain extent, I still do. Like many other residents here, I have a lot of trust in the country I’ve chosen to call home for over 11 years. I’ve seen it overcome challenges in the past, such as COVID and floods, and I’ve witnessed how much the leadership cares for the residents, particularly over the last few days.  That said, it’s no secret that I a...

Momentum Reset

"Momentum doesn’t just return; you rebuild it, one choice at a time." Before summer began, I was feeling a little low. The tipping point came when I found out my HYROX competition partner’s visa had been denied, meaning we wouldn’t be able to compete at the HYROX World Championships in Chicago. Deep down, I knew it wasn’t the end of the world, but I was still pretty bummed. I thrive when I have a goal, something to work toward, and for nearly two months, I’d been all-in. That training gave me momentum, purpose and energy. When that goal disappeared, so did my drive. Suddenly, my energy shifted in the wrong direction. I slipped into autopilot, stuck in the routine of daily life, work, and thought patterns that were becoming more and more negative. Social media didn’t help. It felt like everyone else was out there doing so much, and I had nothing exciting happening. I would catch myself comparing and as my thoughts spiraled, my body started responding, and not in a good way. Th...

Living Out a Dream

 “Have you ever stopped and thought: “Wow. I prayed for this. It’s here. It’s happening.”? I recently received a message from an  old student from my very first school in Canada. It was a simple note, but it sparked reflection in me about where I’ve come from and everything that’s happened over the last 15–20 years. At my age, I often look around and see many of the people ( my age ) settling down; getting married, having kids, buying homes ( A dream for many, especially women. ). And sometimes, I can’t help but  ask myself: what am I doing with my life? However, that message from my former student reminded me of something I often forget: I’ve already been living a dream. When I left my first teaching job in Canada, it was one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever made. I absolutely loved my students, and together we had built a really special bond. But at that time, I had a dream to travel the world; to immerse myself in different cultures and to learn from people whose li...