My Abu Jobbie: July 2011

My Farewell Tour

Years ago, sitting in class, didn't you wonder why you had to learn where Mesopotamia was? Why learn about the places so far away? What was the point of knowing about some huge desert in a place it was unlikely I would ever visit. Well, now I know why. One never knows in life what sort of interesting things will come about. And my life has certainly been interesting. But, now it's time to learn about another part of the world and depart from my safe haven of New Hampshire and head out to parts unknown in a place called Abu Dhabi.
I am calling this part of my journey, before I leave, my "Farewell Tour" because haven't you ever noticed that when a cool rock band is going to change members or break up, they have a Farewell Tour that lasts about a year? Well, I began my "Farewell Tour" at the Thanksgiving dinner table last November as I sat and looked around at my family, my cousins, aunts and uncles and I asked my mother what she would think if I decided to teach overseas. My mother responded favorably and I thought, well, then, this is it. This could be my last Thanksgiving dinner with the family in New England, for a couple of years. I mentally looked around at the family as if to impress their faces and that moment on my mind. At that point, my mother was the only one who knew that I was planning such a crazy, wild journey of my heart. I applaud her for being open to such an idea. Now that I am further along in my journey, she is still so very supportive. What more can one ask from her parents?

Thursday, July 14, 2011

More Farewell Tour

As I make my way around New England, saying goodbye to people and places I love, I have made some new discoveries and made new realizations about myself.
I had a wonderful visit with friends from my Martha's Vineyard Writing program, Andrea, Joan, Diana, MinGi and made some new friends, Sarah and Jackson. We rented a house on the Vineyard that I have stayed in perhaps 4 other times. It is a wonderful home, owned by Chuck and Ann who also operate the lovely shoppe "Off Main" in Vineyard Haven.
Oops, I will finish later, as my plane to visit my wonderful daughter, son in law and grandson in Baltimore is boarding...It's late, but that's no excuse.