Reader, I Married Him!

 

Three weeks ago, March 15th, James Rendall Prior (Skip) and I tied the knot. 

After years of single life, this was a pretty big deal for me...

 and a very happy day for us!

Skip never blinked, but he did joke a lot! Haha!

We had the support of some of my closest family and two very good friends.

Mom, Lisa Aramouni, Bride and Groom, Our Minister, Linda McLeod, Roger Aramouni

My Mom is the one who introduced us!

With my Sister, Lisa. 

A gorgeous day to say "I do."

Rings and Flowers

One and Onlies

A nice lunch at Pier 22 in Bradenton.

"Just Beachy" cake from Edible Elegance.

Doing this together...

Wow, we really did it!

Back home to the Prior Patch!

With thanks to all our family and friends 

and to the literary heroines who have been my trustworthy companions 

during many days and many nights. 

Charlotte Bronte, author of Jane Eyre

Exit Process

Outside of Al Ain, UAE

It has been a long time since I've written anything...

Well, last year I had a really tough time emotionally (for various reasons) and wasn't even sure what to say anymore, so I had kind of given up commenting on my situation here in Dubai. I've also mostly given up talking about the American political situation, as it has gotten so depressing, insane and scary. Since I haven't been able to do much from here, it is just waiting and watching and trying to stay informed with real news. Mueller Report anyone?

Hopefully, once I am home, I can find some ways to take constructive action!

And that is my big news! After almost eight years, I am finally leaving the Middle East for good this time. July 4th (of all days) is my "Independence Day!" We are still going to be working, but it's the last day of school. And then I will be free! Funny enough, as excited as I am, I'm finding that as difficult as it was to come here, it is even more difficult to leave. When I came it was with a sense of excitement and embracing the unknown, now I am leaving with a big question as to what has been accomplished along with so many mixed emotions. Nevertheless, I have no regrets about making this move, as it really has been the adventure of a lifetime and I have met so many wonderful people along the way.

Also, there are camels. 

But it is definitely time to come home!

The problem for me is that at times it feels excruciating to let go of my life here. This proves to me again, if I ever had any doubts, that I would never have made it as a Bedouin. To have the ability to pack up and go, cyclically and predictably, without carrying a lot of baggage, no, I would have died.

                                                         From Thesiger's Journeys

Now that I am repatriating, there won't be the coming back and forth anymore and always feeling like I am living two separate lives. Although I have to say, going home brings on sensations of near panic that my days of travel are over, and it is true, I may never make it back to Nepal or Bali or even the South of France. Talk about the fear of missing out!

View from Kopan Monastery, Nepal 2015

                                                      Ubud, Bali in February 2018

La Roane in the South of France

It feels like I am giving up a lot, by leaving. Not to mention packing up my apartment. This has proved to be quite a challenge for me. Although I have been studying my Marie Kondo, the dilemma is that practically everything I have acquired since I came here "sparks joy" in me.  So it just doesn't seem to be working. I told myself I wouldn't acquire things, but I did. Now it's sorting, packing, giving away, selling, and slowly freeing myself to travel back. I could use some help, but it seems I'm really on my own in this. There is also an incredible amount of bureaucratic red tape (banking, shutting off the utilities, visa cancellations, etc.) to get through in order to exit this place, which I am not at all sure how to accomplish. Yes, I am doing a lot of whining too, just haven't been doing much of it out loud. A lot of my life here has been like that. Everything is a private joke with myself. Not a sustainable way to live, take it from me!

Packing Up Apartment 

The truth is, a lot of people living here complain of the sense of isolation and loneliness. I will not miss these feelings and I will be forever grateful for the connections I have been able to make, especially with the 5 rhythms tribe in Dubai and the women I met in Sports City. When I was wondering how I would survive, I found some real community. Thank God for that!

My job, I had to let it go. I did what I could and I hope I did some good. I know I grew, in spite of myself. I will miss the kids but I have high hopes for all of them. They are amazing and way more resilient and adaptable to change than I could ever hope to be.

At any rate, I am bringing home as little baggage as I can, but I know what comes with me will need to be dealt with...

I think I found him 
(but can I say I am a little scared?)

Going forward, you will find me here: 

at the Prior Patch, in Bradenton, Florida! 

Brand New Chapter - Chris and Skip - 2019

I just need to remember to breathe!  

Bye, bye Dubai! 

xoxo, Chris

IB Learner Profile

Forgiveness

"If I have harmed anyone in any way either knowingly or unknowingly through my own confusions, I ask their forgiveness. If anyone has harmed me in any way either knowingly or unknowingly through their own confusions, I forgive them. And if there is a situation I am not yet ready to forgive, I forgive myself for that. For all the ways that I harm myself, negate, doubt, belittle myself, judge or be unkind to myself through my own confusions, I forgive myself."

Let There Be Peace - Lemn Sissay

Let There Be Peace 

By Lemn Sissay

Let there be peace

So frowns fly away like albatross 

And skeletons foxtrot from cupboards, 

So war correspondents become travel show presenters

And magpies bring back lost property, 

Children, engagement rings, broken things.

Let there be peace 

So storms can go out to sea to be 

Angry and return to me calm, 

So the broken can rise up and dance in the hospitals. 

Let the aged Ethiopian man in the grey block of flats 

Peer through his window and see Addis before him, 

So his thrilled outstretched arms become frames 

For his dreams.

Let there be peace 

Let tears evaporate to form clouds, cleanse themselves 

And fall into reservoirs of drinking water. 

Let harsh memories burst into fireworks that melt 

In the dark pupils of a child’s eyes 

And disappear like shoals of silver darting fish, 

And let the waves reach the shore with a 

Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhh Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Keeping Quiet - Pablo Neruda

Now we will count to twelve
and we will all keep still.

For once on the face of the earth,
let’s not speak in any language;
let’s stop for one second,
and not move our arms so much.

It would be an exotic moment
without rush, without engines;
we would all be together
in a sudden strangeness.

Fisherman in the cold sea
would not harm whales
and the man gathering salt
would look at his hurt hands.

Those who prepare green wars,
wars with gas, wars with fire,
victories with no survivors,
would put on clean clothes
and walk about with their brothers
in the shade, doing nothing.

What I want should not be confused
with total inactivity.
Life is what it is about;
I want no truck with death.

If we were not so single-minded
about keeping our lives moving,
and for once could do nothing,
perhaps a huge silence
might interrupt this sadness
of never understanding ourselves
and of threatening ourselves with death.
Perhaps the earth can teach us
as when everything seems dead
and later proves to be alive.

Now I’ll count up to twelve
and you keep quiet and I will go.

                                  by Pablo Neruda

"1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12"

In the End, Love Always Trumps Hate (If it hasn't happened yet, it's not the end!)

So today I had lunch at a beautiful hotel in Dubai with five other librarians (all women at my table). Two of us were transplanted Americans, one Canadian, a lovely Egyptian mother of two, a woman from India and another Arabic librarian slightly older than me that asked me with a bemused expression if I could explain DT's hairstyle to her. I couldn't do it and we both started laughing. Today I really felt how much more powerful the laughter we shared together was than the bullying and posturing of the POTUS... The training on our database was a bit dry and technical, but I felt SO MUCH love and connection when we all started laughing about the dumpster and talking about the marches that have been going on around the world. Watching the livestreaming from DC yesterday, Gloria Steinem's speech also made me laugh and I LOVED Madonna's F.U. to the people who say it's not making any difference! I felt so much gratitude for being born in a country where women of all ages, colors and beliefs can express themselves to the fullest and I do not want to see us go backwards into some dystopian dark age conjured up by a delusional pack of kleptomaniacs led by a Cheeto colored conman.

Women's Marches Around the World

Women of the world will not be silenced!

We must continue to fight for human rights and to share love and laughter while we do it!

“All shall be well, and all shall be well and all manner of thing shall be well.” 
― Julian of Norwich