My flight

My flight finally happened!! And it was FOREVER. There isn't much to blog about it really. I THOUGHT I had the exit row. I THOUGHT I had the seat next to me all to myself. I THOUGHT I would have lots and lots of room to stretch out! I THOUGHT I would have a plug to charge my electronics. I THOUGHT I would be able to subscribe to wifi while on the plane. Turns out I had the row BEHIND the exit row. I had a neighbor. I had no charger connections and no wifi. The seat in front of me had some sort of permanent box thing on either side of the bottom so not only could I NOT stretch out, but I also could not properly store my bag under the seat. So when the flight attendant told me to shove it under further, I pretended to and then I covered it with my blanket!!

My neighbor turned out to be a super nice guy from the northeastern part of my state. He was a slightly older gentleman, maybe in his early fifties? Single. Used to be in the military. (I don't know if he retired.) He went to VMI. After military, he went to law school. Now he was headed to Bangladesh to return to work from holiday. He teaches lawyers over there. He was really quite pleasant and I felt like I knew him my entire life! He gave me his card before he got off the flight in case my family and I are ever in Bangladesh while he is still there! When he first got on the plane, he was kind enough to put my bag in the overhead compartment for me (it was too high) and he also got it back out when our flight was over without me even asking him to!

Maybe some of you are wondering about the food on the flight? But y'all know I'm vegan! I preordered my meal which means- I got my meal before everyone else! My 1st meal was okay. I think it was Indian food. It was rice and a cauliflower/pea curry, a roll, and a salad. I had mango juice to drink. Then they came again and I had a sandwich- maybe hummus with some veggies in it. I drank apple juice. The last meal was another Indian meal but my body wanted breakfast. So I ate all the fruit. I ate a few bites of rice. I ate the little bit of spinach that was on the tray and 1/2 the roll. My stomach wasn't feeling it. I drank water.

So I arrive at the airport and make my way out to baggage claim. All of the men are surrounding the belt while the women wait back. I have no man with me so I get a cart and make my way to the belt. I hefted both nearly 50lb Army duffles onto my cart and then my 50lb suitcase. I wheeled it out of baggage claim, got a little confused and some Indian gentleman pointed me in the direction to go. I followed the carts to the elevator. After waiting numerous turns to get down, I finally made it to the exit door, then realizing there was a ramp I could have gone down! Oh well!

I followed the masses outside and there was a wall of people (literally) crammed together- some holding signs and some not. I found two men with the name of my school. My name was on their list and for one man, my name was on the back of his sign. He is the gentleman that took my things to the car and drove me to my hotel- Al Raha Beach Hotel.

And so NOW the real adventure begins!

I am moving over to my new blog that is all about our life in Abu Dhabi. If you would like to continue on this journey with me, please send me your email address so I can allow you access. It will be a closed blog since no one has commented on this one and I don't know who is reading! Hope to hear from you soon!!!!

Love,

SillyMe

Abu Dhabi TAKE 2!!!

Stopped in at a church member's restaurant to eat before heading to the airport. Good to see him one last time. Then flew out of Norfolk today. No problems! It was just an hour flight. We landed a little early. Now I just wait, wait, wait for my flight out of Dulles...While I wait I have too much time to think. To wonder. To question. Am I REALLY leaving the country right now?? Did I REALLY just pack up my life and put a fourth of it in storage?? Am I REALLY moving to the other side of the world?? Is ANY of this REALLY and TRULY happening??? It feels like some kind of weird dream and I imagine I will wake out of my sleep my 1st night in Abu Dhabi looking for my husband whom I already miss... On that note I will end this post and next post will be about the flight. Trying to not cry...

                                               Empty gate. I have a SIX hour layover!!!!

Just a dress rehearsal...

I made it to the airport. Ours isn't big or busy. I checked my luggage and made weight on all 3! I would have 4 but I shipped a box to myself prior to leaving! We won't talk about how much that cost... 

My family hung out with me for about 20 minutes before I headed to security. During that time my husband wrote all on my gates on my arm in Sharpie marker so someone can help me if I get lost! Then we said our good-byes and I did not cry! Almost. When my daughter cried because she won't be joining us in Abu Dhabi. If I started crying I probably wouldn't stop so I tried to hold it back. Only a few rebellious tears escaped.

I went on to security and my family stayed to watch me pass through. Good thing since my bag got checked and apparently toothpaste is a liquid so it must not be 6oz!! The nice lady walked it down to my husband! I waved bye and walked on to the terminal. I found a seat facing out the windows and waited. An announcement was made about bad weather in Charlotte and the airport there  being closed! We waited for an update. I went to talk to the lady at the counter. I had only 30 minutes between flights there and 1.5 in Chicago. The lady tried to find a new flight out of Charlotte that would allow me to make my connecting flight but there were none. I sat back down waiting to see if they would allow us to board in the next few minutes so I could still make it. As I watched out the window I saw my 3 bags going DOWN the conveyor belt and off the plane! Then I got to sit there and listen to them call for boarding, watch the others board and see the plane getting ready for take-off without me! 

When I first realized I would not make my flights I was a little upset- like a "oh no!" panic upset. Then I sat back in my window seat and started praying in the Holy Ghost. As I watched the plane get ready to leave I thought "I hope you will all be okay because God took me off that plane and I was getting on it with the protection of the blood." I prayed they arrive safely still. Then I said "It's ok. God has something better for me!"

For those who know me it should come as no surprise what my next 2 thoughts were. 1. What can I eat for dinner?? (I was finally starving. All I ate all day was 1/2 a vegan sausage). 2. Maybe I can still make it to church tonight!

So my husband came back to pick me up and we went back home. I emailed my HR to let them know and I requested to fly from Norfolk to DC and fly out of Dulles. They approved it!! I got my itinerary just a bit ago! So now I will leave on Friday afternoon! 

So here we are again. Back to me flying out of Dulles alone just as God told me in February. I wonder if there is a "divine connection" I'm suppose to meet in Dulles? Because the devil has tried awfully hard to keep me here and away from Dulles... 

Well, one more night in my bed and then I really will be off! Now I can help my husband finish boxing up the house and maybe our time apart will be even less than we thought!

This really has been an adventure already and I'm not even there yet! Stayed tuned! ;-)

Feelin' some kinda way :-/

My flight arrangements have been confirmed! I have one more night here. I leave Wednesday afternoon/evening. My husband will have to finish wrapping things up...

I bought a new case for my phone today. It gives my phone 100% more battery. My husband was afraid I'd be freakin out somewhere if my battery was dying. Probably he is also worried...

I am a basket case of emotions. Happy. Sad. Scared. Anxious. Nervous. Excited. You name it- I feel it! 

I will meet some of my fellow co-workers once I get to Chicago. But still I am alone. Ever been surrounded by hundreds of people but yet you felt totally isolated? My world unless I'm with my husband and kids... Well, back to denial. I'm NOT gonna think about it! But we all know what's gonna happen once my family leaves me at the airport on my own - I will be crying.....

1.5 hours later

I have my flight itinerary! My husband is sleeping and I refuse to wake him! Instead I'm here in this bed trying not to cry! FOUR AIRPORTS ALONE???? I will fly from VA to NC to Chicago to AD!!! I leave Wednesday...

I almost got lost once in the Ohare airport when I was a teenager traveling alone to visit my dad in Colorado... But God helped me then so I know He will do it again...

I'm gonna cry. I gotta go alone to FOUR airports!!! I don't even know what to do/ where to go because I always follow my husband and he takes care of everything! Everyone start praying NOW!!!

I'll cry tomorrow...

No sleep now!!!!

Since I cannot sleep now I might as well post to say I got my work visa in my email just a little while ago!!!

Am I packed and ready to go????? NO!

I just loaded up my storage shed yesterday and I'm not done packing the house!! Argh!!!

I have repacked my bags twice now trying to reduce. I think I will have FOUR checked bags, a carry-on and a "purse".

One of those bags was my son's. now I need to purchase him a new one!

The school will be ready (still building) in 3 weeks they say. They are behind with some things, like not sure when we will get furniture allowance. Our villas are new so not furnished this year... Anywho, because of the delays, we will go straight to Ghayathi Hotel from Abu Dhabi airport when we arrive. No time in AD. =(

We will stay a month in the hotel and then move into our new apartments. Because of the delay (really because God answers my prayers) they lifted the restrictions that would not allow me bring my family until I have my residency visa and apartment! They can come whenever we want to purchase the tickets! I'm still going alone though. They will wrap things up here and come right behind me. I prayed they would be 2 weeks or less behind me and God is such a good God that He worked it out so that it's totally up to us! =)

Stay tuned! Waiting for the travel/booking email now!!!!

Almost time...almost time...

I am awaiting my email. It will tell me my flight details.... My pastors prayed over me today and I was determined to not cry. I just don't think about my actual departure and that has been keeping me composed. Many of my friends at church hugged me good-bye today in case they don't see me Wednesday or next Sunday. I don't really know that I will be here for either of those services. I did not cry. But then one of the little boys came up to me. He is not little anymore. He is 14, like my son. When he was in 1st grade, I taught kindergarten at his school. I would find him every morning, give him a hug and tell him to have a good day. If he was having a bad day, he would come find me. I have been watching him grow up, just like my son. He waved at me during service and I remembered all of these things. It also reminded me of former students at the school I am leaving. They stop by my class every morning to say hello and there is one in particular that stops at my door or walks in place until I see him, give him a hug and tell him to have a good day. Well, the little boy in my church made sure to make his way to me after service to give me a hug and tell me good-bye in case he doesn't see me again before I leave and that did it. I cried.

The devil **IS** a liar!!!!

I have been trying to work my way through the house to clean, sort, pack and give things away. The other week I cleaned out my dresser drawers. Thursday I took the 2 full trash bags (reused store bags) to the living room to ask my son to take out for me. In my head I asked him to take them out, but I never verbally asked him too.
When I woke up Friday, I was quickened in my spirit to get up and get my paperwork in order. There are things I need to print and things I need to get copied. First I could not find my portfolio where I stored all of my authenticated documents. I started to fret but then I began to pray in the Holy Ghost. I found it. I proceeded to go through the list of required documents and note what needed to be copied and the number that I needed. I got to "passport" and went to my bedroom to get it out of my drawer. It wasn't there. I looked everywhere. I looked everywhere again. I prayed. I searched. I prayed. I searched. Nothing. I had to go to a hair appointment, followed by a visit with a friend, followed by dinner with another friend. No more time to search. When I returned home in the wee hours of the morning, I searched some more. My husband made me go to bed and told me to sleep on it. I dreamt about it. When I woke up, I checked the place where I dreamt I found it. It was not there. I started thinking about the day I cleaned out my dresser drawers. I started to get annoyed. The Bible says the violent take it by force. I started speaking to my situation. I said, "The devil IS a liar! I will leave on that passport that You orchestrated me getting all those years ago for this very purpose! My flight will not be delayed! I will NOT get a new passport! I will NOT pay for a new passport!" And then I immediately turned to leave my room, went out to the living room to the bags that I placed there a few days before. I picked up the white bag, looked at the side where I could clearly see a blue/black rectangular shape. I patted it. I opened the bag, slid my hand down the side and pulled out my passport!!!
Now you must understand, trash NEVER stays in my house. My husband and son IMMEDIATELY take out my trash. I never told my son to take it out. He didn't know it was there. My husband saw it Friday while I was at my hair appointment. He was going to take it out. He asked my son if it was trash and he didn't know so my husband left it. He almost took it out again Saturday morning, but again he did not know...
THE TRASH????? MY PASSPORT WAS IN THE TRASH???? All I could say was, I guess I am on  the right path because the devil is trying awfully hard to delay me. It would not have stopped me, but it could have delayed me.
All praises to God!!!!