Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Seventy-five Days and Counting

Seventy-five days until the insanely hot desert greets us. Seventy-five days until we arrive in Doha, sleep in our new house, hear the call to prayer, and begin a barrage of meetings in preparation for the school year. Seventy-five days! Is that enough time to begin a blog, purchase new running shoes, catch up on inoculations, shuffle our finances, stash stuff in storage, and say goodbye to everyone? I suppose it has to be.

It's been honeymoon-ish dreaming about our new life abroad. In February, we ceremoniously signed our teaching contracts in Iowa and pledged our lives to ASD. I donned a dress and Chris sported a tie. We've been blissed out ever since.

The honeymoon glow is fading. Slightly. Now, it seems, reality is setting in. I am nervous about being in the classroom full time, anxious about feeling deflated by the heat, and uneasy about helping the kids adjust to life abroad. We have made the right decision to move overseas, that I know. Chris and I are lucky to have secured these jobs. It's been a goal of ours for years to teach internationally, and it feels so fantastic to embark upon our dream. Honestly, there are moments when I am so thrilled about Doha I could turn a cartwheel on the kitchen floor and others when I am queasy with uncertainty about teaching.

I hope seventy-five days is enough time complete my growing to do list, quiet the queasiness, and perfect my kitchen cartwheels.