Since I think I have jet lag or something lag and I can't take a nap, I will update you on the haps. Well, my sister took me to the airport and I did what I said I wasn't going to do. I ended up taking clothes (workout pants) out of my bag so it wouldn't be overweight. Plus I did the unthinkable! I actually removed two pairs of shoes!! Lawd help me! It wasn't too hard, but I did it and just told myself I'll get them back in December. I also told myself..."Girl you can buy some new fly shoes in Abu Dhabi!" So I was satisfied.
I tried to keep the mood light so that my family wouldn't be sad because truly this is a happy experience for me. I didn't cry when I left my parents' house. I hugged them and said my see you laters and I love yous. I hope they didn't cry either. The thought of it makes that lump come up in my throat and the tears well up in my eyes, even right now. :( When my sister and I said our see you laters, we hugged and said our I love yous and we didn't cry. I know she cried in the car on her way home though. Ha Ha! Love you Sissy! :( I had to contain myself because I was slightly discombobulated after having to rearrange my luggage. God sent help though because the man at the curbside check-in stepped right in to assist me. He took my checked luggage and basically Debo-ed his way to the front of the long line of people waiting to check in and took me to the front. I know they were wondering who in the crap I was that he just brought me on up ahead of all of them. That's called Favor! God's Favor! And Favor ain't fair! Plus I paid zero dollars for my second checked bag that I was supposed to pay for so I gave the man a nice tip for his help. I was also supposed to pay an overweight fee because my other bag was 3 lbs over (oopsie). Ain't God good? Yes he is!
I prayed for window seats and just to let you know, not only did I get a window seat on my first leg of the flight to New York with no one sitting next to me, but also on my connecting flight to Abu Dhabi...Boom! I got another window seat with no one sitting next to me either so I could stretch out and that's exactly what I wanted! Hey now! Favor! God is real yall, no joke because now how else did that happen? I'm just saying.
After approximately 13 hours, last night I landed in Abu Dhabi. A representative was waiting with my name (my whole name too) on an ipad along with two other ladies that are teaching here also. There were only three of us teachers on the flight. Yes, I was country and took a picture of the sign. Hey, I never had anyone to hold up a sign at the airport with my name on it ever before in my entire life, so I captured the moment. Call it country, or whatever, I sure did take my picture of it and I will always remember that. We were whisked away on a golf cart thingee and boy was he driving that cart fast, blowing the horn at people too. I was holding on to my bags and couldn't help but smile showing all teeth as the three of us looked at each other with the wild eye wondering why this man was driving so fast.
Now moving on, we got our luggage, well a bag man got my luggage and followed us as we were escorted to the moment I had been told about, but there aren't really words to explain. The heat! Lawd yall! It is a heat your tail has never experience before I won't lie! I thought it was hot in South Carolina and Georgia! Man please! I had on my glasses when those doors opened and it was so hot my glasses fogged up!! What the world?! Then I had to take some deep breaths because the heat literally will take your breath away when you first start to try to breath in it and I'm used to hot weather, but not like this! The humidity is greater than the south in the states also. Just to let you know how humid, we were standing waiting on the hotel van and about three minutes of being outside, I literally felt sweat dripping down my back! I had on a light jacket that matched my workout pants so it wasn't heavy but yes immediately sweating! I only sweat like that when I'm running! That's the best I can do to explain this. Otherwise, you will just have to see for yourself.
On the way to the hotel I couldn't see much of the landscape but I could see the bright lights, the waterfront park area also. What I saw was beautiful, the architecture, amazing! And guess what? I did not see any homeless people sleeping under the bridges! Plus in this heat, I don't think that would really work out. I'm just saying.
I am in awe with this island! It is more than I could ever dream of seeing with my own eyes and to think...I live here now! Wow! So as I sat in the van as we drove through the city, I finally had my moment and I started to cry, not sad tears, happy tears, tears of joy, grateful tears. This is actually happening to me kind of tears. God is making my dreams come true I thought. Thank you God I whispered and quickly wiped the tears away.
Finally, I landed in Abu Dhabi. I am now comfortable and well taken care of in a gorgeous Five Star Hotel with a view of the deep blue green sea from my balcony and it is wonderful! Now if I could just lay down and go to sleep.
