I haven't decided if I'm going to be staying here beyond this year.
But I have given my mother permission to give away my cat. I got a cat when I was in graduate school and she is the most wonderfully friendly cat in the world. She's super needy and talkative, so whenever she happened to be somewhere besides my room and I wanted to snuggle, I would shout her name (which was Cat) and she would meow back, then come closer until she found me. It was like Marco Polo, except our roles were "Cat!" "Meow!" And I gave Cat to my mother when I first came here, thinking I would be back in a year, no big deal. But by this point, it's a hassle for my mother, and in the interest of simplifying life for all parties involved, I have accepted that I won't ever play Cat Meow with her again.
I have also tentatively declined an invitation to a friend's wedding. She was my roommate for 1.5 years of college and we went to Europe together and by all typical standards, I should definitely be at her wedding. But the wedding falls a month before I technically finish here. If I know I'm moving back to the States, I'm all for ditching out a month early. But if I'm staying, that's a terrible plan. Thus, the tentative declination.
It's slightly unnerving to be so untethered. It's like being in high school all over again and having existential crises about where I fit in. And exactly like in high school, there is no real good answer to those questions.
I have also tentatively declined an invitation to a friend's wedding. She was my roommate for 1.5 years of college and we went to Europe together and by all typical standards, I should definitely be at her wedding. But the wedding falls a month before I technically finish here. If I know I'm moving back to the States, I'm all for ditching out a month early. But if I'm staying, that's a terrible plan. Thus, the tentative declination.
It's slightly unnerving to be so untethered. It's like being in high school all over again and having existential crises about where I fit in. And exactly like in high school, there is no real good answer to those questions.
If you don't end up returning to the States but are unsure about Abu Dhabi, would you consider going elsewhere? Perhaps somewhere else in the region or perhaps South America or Asia? Maybe researching other opportunities outside of Abu Dhabi (if your reluctance to stay there has to do with the location, or job opportunities) will help give some semblance of tetheredness to a potential path in the future. :)
ReplyDeleteI would hate going elsewhere. It took me long enough to gather the small social circle I have here, and I would not be keen on starting that over. Other places also do not pay as well as they pay here, so it would sort of defeat my purpose in teaching abroad. The one place I know pays more is Saudi Arabia, and that's never happening. So my indecision is solely between America and UAE.
DeleteBlah. To be honest, I could never fully give up Todd! I love him way too much. Also, I'm a cat person. ...another thing - I've invested in his life and well being way too much, haha. He's my constant/steady rock. Cat Meow sounds like a cute game. :p Naming your cat "Cat" is also interesting. ;)
ReplyDeleteDo you want to stay in the states more or less than Abu Dhabi? Or, like Manda said, is there somewhere else you'd like to go?
Well if I had a teaching job in America, my life there would be a lot easier than my life here. It would also be a lot more boring, perhaps. But it's still the end goal. It's just a matter of when exactly I get there...
DeleteYour kitty is so cute! I am not much of an animal person at all, but I think my boyfriend would squeal "KITTY!" if he ever saw her.
ReplyDeleteI'm guessing that you don't want to move someplace new, so that you'll either be in the US or Abu Dhabi again next year. Personally, I hope that you'll be in the US, but if it doesn't work out, at least there is one place where you have a job and know the ropes. But I think that the US economy is picking up, and that the private schools are probably hiring. You should try coming back! Either way, I'm sure that your friend understands missing her wedding. It's kinda hard to fly across the world, y'know?
The economy is about to go over a cliff, I hear, haha. Some private schools are hiring and so are some public schools, but it's still not necessarily easy... I also make more money out here, when it comes down to living cost, etc. So while it might be possible to come back, it might be smarter to stay out for another year or two.
DeleteAnd yeah, my friend insisted she understood whatever I decided, so that's good.