Can you believe today marks 7 months since I packed my bags, sold my things, and flew across the world to embark on "a whole new world?" Sometimes I think "it's only been 7 months?!" and other times I think "wow, can't believe it's already been 7 months!" In this amount of time I have experienced so much personally and professionally. I have met so many wonderful people from all across the world, traveled to destinations I never imagined I would step foot on and expanded my horizon in many different ways of doing business (not always how I would prefer, but that's part of the experience!)
The main question I am asked when meeting someone new is "How do you like Dubai?" 2-3 months ago I would have responded with hesitation in my voice, "I like it, but it's different. Difficult to adjust to the ways of doing business and I cannot stand the lack of policies and procedures in this place!" Today, I respond "I am really starting to enjoy it." I have found myself settled...met a core group of amazing friends or "family" as we call each other here, I have a routine and know my way around Dubai, learning short cuts and better routes to get places, and finally getting a grasp on this completely new way of doing business...because believe me it is NOTHING like business in the USA. In the US everything is black and white. If it's written on the contract, you get it, if it's not written on the contract, you don't get it. There might be some flexibility, but that is up to the business, not the consumer to decide. Here, everything is gray...the word "NO" does not exist. Most of the time I wonder why we even send out contracts because half the time they are not reviewed, never signed and returned and even when they are, the clauses do not hold meaning.
This lack of black and white carries outside of just the hospitality world. You experience this when standing in line at the grocery store...where I am from, there are lines and you stand behind the person in front of you, waiting your turn. Here, it's just a mob of people all getting to the front (but nothing as bad as China, at least people have manners, ha!) Or how about the time my electricity was turned off in my apartment because the owners of my hotel neglected to pay the bill! (and that was only MY apartment, not everyone else's...oops B904 must have slipped through the crack). But what I have learned when these situations arise is to laugh, brush it off and say "only in Dubai!" It teaches you to look at the bigger things in life and how fortunate we are in the US that we have such organized government, businesses and systems.
On a personal level, Dubai is amazing...you work hard (long hours consisting of 10-12 hour days), but weekends are all about FUN! Afterall we live in a desert that has been made into a fairy-tale...beaches, pools, clubs, restaurants, shopping, stunning hotels, waterparks and theme parks, you name it and Dubai probably has it. Yes, I miss my Ballard Market Sundays and running along the Puget Sound overlooking the snow capped mountains, breathing in fresh green air, but on the flip side, it's pretty incredible to grab your swim suit EVERY day of the year (ok we occasionally have a rain fall...which is GLADLY appreciated) and hit the beach/pool/hotel deck/outdoor club and take in sunshine, drinks and laughs with friends, and overall feel like every weekend you're on vacation or "holiday." Dubai never sleeps and there is always something going on. I recently read a magazine article that said people can be defined into 2 categories in Dubai: YOLO "You Only Live Once" and FOMO "Fear of Missing Out"....I laughed and couldn't agree more. Everything about Dubai is being social, out and about, meeting people, and just experiencing different cultures. And this my friends, is what I LOVE the most about Dubai.
I could not tell you how many different nationalities of friends I have, let alone people I have met during my 7 months. My favorite experience was my 4th of July Party...here I threw a party to celebrate MY country's independence day, however there was only 1 other fellow American present. I had Dutch, Australian, Belgian, Russian, Syrian, Italian, Ecuadorian...all celebrating for ME. What a special day and it really shows the harmony of this place. Did you know there are 230 nationalities living peacefully together in Dubai? No where else in the world does this happen. I feel like every day I have traveled somewhere new...learning about a new culture, custom and even better, place I have never even heard of before. Let's just say the bucket list is expanding, not getting smaller!
Speaking of travel, never did I imagine that after 7 months of living here I would have 5 new Visas placed in my passport...I had to go to the US embassy and get more pages for my passport! I have been blessed to travel to Moscow, Russia, Shanghai, Chengdu and Beijing, China, UK, and next...India for work. Let alone the personal travel of Istanbul, Turkey, Sarajevo and Mostar, Bosnia and Dalmatian Coast and Dubrovnik, Croatia....and soon sailing through the Seychelles islands. For those who know me, travel is my ultimate passion in life and I could not be more grateful for these incredible experiences.
So in a nutshell, marking my 7 month anniversary of living abroad, I would say, I am pretty happy living here. Everyday presents a new challenge, but these are so worth the gain that you receive at the end. Of course the hardest part of living across the world is being so far from my incredible family, sweetheart Ben, and loyal friends. The saying that "distance makes the heart grow fonder" is certainly true as my heart has grown SO big (kinda like The Grinch's heart...except I didn't steal Christmas :)!
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