Moving In

I’m surrounded by boxes and packing paper.  My clothes and my husband’s clothes are scattered all throughout the living room and bedroom…patiently waiting to be put in their places.  Other random things…books, hair dryer, kitchen utensils, etc. are in a similar situation.   Regardless of the mess, I’m incredibly ecstatic.

Back in America, a moving company was hired by my husband’s new employer to pack every little thing.  All I had to pack were the necessary clothes and other items that we would need on our immediate arrival prior to the shipment.  I didn’t touch a thing.  In fact, it took me around two hours to pack my things and my husband’s to move all the way across the world. 

Another moving company was hired here in Dubai by my husband’s company to unpack all of it.  My beloved husband (I really do love him with his quirks and all) had this crazy idea (and I think I’m crazier for having conceded)…he wanted the movers to unpack only the big things…and leave the rest for us to do since we weren’t sure where we wanted everything just yet.  Doesn’t sound too insane at first…but unpacking all the things you’ve collected over the course of 3 years...it’s a lot.  I can’t imagine what others who have houses do when they move….all I had was a one bedroom apartment. 

Where is my husband?  In South Africa for training.  Where am I?  In the apartment.  Doing what you may ask?  Putting everything away.  I have been lifting boxes, unpacking things, making the difficult decision of where to put them…and I am absolutely exhausted!  I feel like I’ve had the most intensive but excellent work out ever.  The one that really makes you feel like your body is healthy and strong.  I really don’t mind that I’m doing it all on my own, either.  I’m pretty sure if my husband was here…we’d have a ten minute discussion on where to put each thing.  I’m just going to set everything the way I see fit (since I’m the one that’s going to be using this apartment the most)…and if he doesn’t like it…we can move it around later. 

Now I truly understand what it really is like to move your life hundreds of miles.  I remember how excited I was to have this opportunity to live in another country and travel.  Since I’ve been here…I couldn’t understand why I wasn’t as psyched as I thought I was going to be.  My husband even told me (for the first time last night) that he’s noticed and he’s sure everyone else has noticed as well…since we’ve been here I have had this attitude he could only describe as blah.  After he said that...I couldn’t have agreed more!  That’s exactly how I felt.  It’s because up until just yesterday…I was a guest in someone’s house and I wasn’t doing anything that you normally do to make yourself feel at home.  I didn’t have “my home” until today and now the excitement and thrill of being all the way across the world is hitting me.  What’s funny is that even though I have hours of work ahead of me…at this moment…I feel energized and awake, Alhamdulillah.

I’ve come to two other realizations.  The first is that as much as I may have enjoyed watching the men do everything for me…I really like to do things for myself.  Even at my husband’s aunt’s house they had a servant…and I felt horrible when she’d do things for me…so I just would ask her where everything was and do it myself.  I could tell she totally appreciated it…since she’s overworked completely.  The second thing I realized is that I need to get a job.  I need that feeling of accomplishment…and as much as I thought I was done with working…I know now that I am not.  There’s a teacher in town looking for a job J.