Balance

People always talk about work-life balance but what about the balance between being social and finding solace in solitude or being fit & healthy and finding complete satisfaction in eating something guilty & sinful? Part of my goal of being in Abu Dhabi is discovering who I am, what I'm made of, and what I want in life. Honestly it is a lot harder that I thought it would be. Not that I believed it would be without its challenges but I also wanted to be ideal that this self-discovery and its revelations would come to me like it did for Isaac Newton with the fall of an apple beneath a tree. I was too optimistic, too ideal but one can only wish and dream, right? 

I have met some really amazing and incredible people since I've been here in the AD. Heck, I felt like I knew them even before I landed in Middle Eastern soil, thanks to Facebook and other social networking avenues. Truly, I should be counting my blessings that I have the opportunity to build on some solid friendships that have begun to develop here, and I should be further grateful, and I am, that I have found happiness in many aspects of my life plus living in such a phenomenal place on top of it all.  Abu Dhabi is exciting - it's full of culture, it's diverse, and most importantly it's safe - many people can attest to that. Yet somehow, some way, I still find myself feeling completely empty inside, filled to the brim with loneliness and sadness and worries, and I don't even know why, which is the hardest and most mind-boggling part. As people get older, they become wiser (hopefully) but this wisdom also comes with a price - they begin to see the truth. With truth and knowledge they become more guarded with whom they let into their inner circle, whom they call friends, in fact whom they count as family. Not only is money an important commodity but so are time, effort, and trust. Right now I'm just rambling. I have a lot on my mind and in my heart but I don't know what to say, how to say it, or who to say it to. Everyone seems to be incredibly busy these days and has their own set of problems to deal with - I just don't want to add mine on top of theirs. Even if I wanted to talk or try to they could only listen for a little while and then have to rush to take care of their own matters. How can I blame them? So I ramble and let this blog be my escape. I guess if I have my closest around me, right here with me, I would feel so much better. Unfortunately, they are not. 

Spring break is officially over in t minus 4 hours and it's back to lesson planning, classroom management, and teaching. I just made it sound a lot worse than it actually is but really who wants to go back to work and reality? During this holiday I have visited Dubai twice, went out West to bbq with friends over food & music, biked along the Corniche, ate pastries sprinkled with gold leaves at the Emirates Palace, and so much more. I have also experienced several difficult conversations with family, had massive headaches and heartaches over them, and dealt with not 1 or 2 or 3 but FOUR floods in my kitchen, thanks to my nifty little washing-drying-combo machine. Currently, I'm waiting for them to call me and hopefully bring me a new one in the next few days. Not that I am in love with doing laundry but having clean clothes is kind of essential. Anyways, I hope to blog with a more upbeat attitude in my next post but until then enjoy the videos below. Looking at them does make me happier and know that it's not all bad after all.