As the year comes to a close I know two things. #1 I didn't blog enough! #2 Culture Shock is a B@$%^! Russ and I have been here about 10 months and I have learned so much about myself during this time. I now know that moving overseas is not for the faint of heart! Before this adventure began I can honestly say I was ignorant about the world around me. I had seldom left my home state of Texas and knew little about the world and cultures other than my own. I thought that moving to Abu Dhabi would be an adventure of huge proportions and boy was I right! This year has been a time of emotions, excitement, apprehension, fear, depression, awakening, and joy! I read about culture shock before arriving but I thought I could handle anything. I can honestly say I have been through every stage listed in the description of culture shock http://moving.about.com/od/internationalmoves/a/culture_shock.htm
and I feel like I am slowly coming out on the "other side".
I began this year with a sense of adventure and excitement! We were welcomed to the UAE in a 5 star resort, the Beach Rotana, along with many other expats. This time was filled with meeting new people and exploring a new city. I was also given a teaching position in a community outside of Abu Dhabi, Baniyas, in a girl's school teaching grades 2 & 3. The honeymoon stage was lots of fun but unfortunately it led to the distress stage!
We began to hit bumps in the road and I realized that it was up to us to solve the problems. No longer was I able to use help from my family and friends or the "good ole boy system in Texas." I was no longer a big fish in a small pond but a small fish in an ocean! I began to resent many of the differences I was experiencing both professionally and socially. Every difference or challenge at school and home sent me further down. I began to struggle with depression and even anxiety attacks. If we had been able to handle it financially I would have boarded the first plane home.
During re-integration I was just plain angry! Mad that I couldn't go home, mad that the educational system was "backwards" in my opinion, and mad that those around me couldn't see it the way I did. I am so thankful that this period didn't last a long time for me. I am generally a pretty up-beat person and this type of anger doesn't sit well with me. I'm not even sure how long it lasted but I imagine it felt like a lifetime to Russ. I know that I wasn't able to stand it for long and I began to look for answers.
I slid into the acceptance stage as I began looking for answers. We have hit so many obstacles and we now realize that we're the only ones who can work to overcome them. Health issues seem to be our number one priority as we move into the end of our first year overseas. Finding doctors who are familiar and supportive of our issue, psoriasis and chronic pain being the most difficult, seem to be the biggest challenges so far. I realize now that I took for granted the accessibility of health care and pain management in the US. For those who live in this part of the world pain management is actually nonexistent. We feel extremely blessed to have found a doctor who is understanding of my skin condition, psoriasis, and willing to go above and beyond to help me get approval for the needed medication. We are also coming to terms with lack of understanding in the area of pain management and are currently in the process of meeting with doctors at a local military hospital for Russ.
I knew I had finally topped the hill to the independence stage last week when I mentally began to blog "Things I Love about My Life in the UAE." I said goodbye to my grade 2 and 3 girls and began looking forward to a new school year. On the way to school, I began to think of all the things I loved about living in the UAE and it suddenly hit me, I love my life! I have never had so much time to enjoy life. I am home early everyday, I have new friends, and I am not working myself to death. I am beginning to enjoy the differences I find in myself and those around me. Of course there is always one thing holding me back from true happiness and satisfaction which is the distance between us and our kids. I told Russ just yesterday that everything would be perfect if I could just get my kids to Abu Dhabi!
As we begin to look forward to a summer at home I hope to catch up with family and friends, but mainly my two amazing children. I pray that this year away will bring us all closer together as a family as well as thankful for the time we are able to spend together.
and I feel like I am slowly coming out on the "other side".
I began this year with a sense of adventure and excitement! We were welcomed to the UAE in a 5 star resort, the Beach Rotana, along with many other expats. This time was filled with meeting new people and exploring a new city. I was also given a teaching position in a community outside of Abu Dhabi, Baniyas, in a girl's school teaching grades 2 & 3. The honeymoon stage was lots of fun but unfortunately it led to the distress stage!
We began to hit bumps in the road and I realized that it was up to us to solve the problems. No longer was I able to use help from my family and friends or the "good ole boy system in Texas." I was no longer a big fish in a small pond but a small fish in an ocean! I began to resent many of the differences I was experiencing both professionally and socially. Every difference or challenge at school and home sent me further down. I began to struggle with depression and even anxiety attacks. If we had been able to handle it financially I would have boarded the first plane home.
During re-integration I was just plain angry! Mad that I couldn't go home, mad that the educational system was "backwards" in my opinion, and mad that those around me couldn't see it the way I did. I am so thankful that this period didn't last a long time for me. I am generally a pretty up-beat person and this type of anger doesn't sit well with me. I'm not even sure how long it lasted but I imagine it felt like a lifetime to Russ. I know that I wasn't able to stand it for long and I began to look for answers.
I slid into the acceptance stage as I began looking for answers. We have hit so many obstacles and we now realize that we're the only ones who can work to overcome them. Health issues seem to be our number one priority as we move into the end of our first year overseas. Finding doctors who are familiar and supportive of our issue, psoriasis and chronic pain being the most difficult, seem to be the biggest challenges so far. I realize now that I took for granted the accessibility of health care and pain management in the US. For those who live in this part of the world pain management is actually nonexistent. We feel extremely blessed to have found a doctor who is understanding of my skin condition, psoriasis, and willing to go above and beyond to help me get approval for the needed medication. We are also coming to terms with lack of understanding in the area of pain management and are currently in the process of meeting with doctors at a local military hospital for Russ.
I knew I had finally topped the hill to the independence stage last week when I mentally began to blog "Things I Love about My Life in the UAE." I said goodbye to my grade 2 and 3 girls and began looking forward to a new school year. On the way to school, I began to think of all the things I loved about living in the UAE and it suddenly hit me, I love my life! I have never had so much time to enjoy life. I am home early everyday, I have new friends, and I am not working myself to death. I am beginning to enjoy the differences I find in myself and those around me. Of course there is always one thing holding me back from true happiness and satisfaction which is the distance between us and our kids. I told Russ just yesterday that everything would be perfect if I could just get my kids to Abu Dhabi!
As we begin to look forward to a summer at home I hope to catch up with family and friends, but mainly my two amazing children. I pray that this year away will bring us all closer together as a family as well as thankful for the time we are able to spend together.
I now know that moving overseas is not for the faint of heart! Before this adventure began I can honestly say I was ignorant about the world around me.
ReplyDeleteAl Reem Island Abu Dhabi