Making Plans to Transplant

Wanted - One good plan!

I soon realized the most important step to successfully running away from our suburban life for three years was to have a good plan. There is so much to do, so little time.
It has taken Jeff and I twenty eight years to build our lives, so how do we shed, change and rearrange everything we have been accustomed to in a few short months. The challenge was on, I made a long lengthy list ...first things first.
* Quit my job of 20 + years. After a few meltdowns, panic attacks and tears, I quit the job I loved on January 6, 2012. Everyone keeps asking, " what are you going to do with your time in Dubai?" Stay tuned for more on that subject in the future, it could be entertaining.
* Arrange finances -  I set up online bill pay, opted in on paperless for all of our statements and correspondence, consolidated payments, canceled services and paid off bills. I felt like I lost an old friend when I turned off my home phone number 801-544-0400 on December 12. We were connected for 30 years. Farewell old phone friend!  There were days my IPhone was glued to my ear (it is not as easy as it seems to go paperless) but it is done.
Lesson learned - I should have done this sooner and yes, we are now officially green! Less trees will lose their lives this year because of us.
* Making arrangements for our home. Do we rent or sell ? Neither for now, our daughter Ansley and her husband Shawn decided to live in our home and take care of it. What a relief and I get to keep my master bedroom for when I visit.
* Take it, store it or do away with it - Making this big move provides a good excuse to clear out the junk. Get rid of the things that you are not using and will never use. " One mans junk is another mans treasure" soon became my motto and Deseret Industries and I have became fast friends. One of the DI attendants even commented that he remembered me from the previous day. Oh no, I better wear a disguise next time or go to a different DI location.
* Do we take our car or leave it behind ? Our car is paid off, so the dilemma is whether or not we should ship it to the UAE or leave it parked for when we return. Oh heck, for now we will leave it behind and buy a car in Dubai....maybe a Mercedes :).
* Packing clothes - The big dilemma is getting all my clothes in four bags. Why does there have to be a weight limit for bags on the airlines? It seems like an impossible feat but I am up for the challenge. What if I have to leave a few of my shoes behind ? How do I choose?  This will be hard, more to come.
* Making plans for the large gold fish - Taeler decided she wanted a fish three years ago and yes it is still alive ! The gold fish has grown to be enormous and needs tender loving care. The challenge now is to see how long we can keep the gold fish alive. Good news, Mr. Fish has taken a shine to our son in law Shawn, so I think we will leave it here at the house. Thanks Shawn for taking care of Mr. Fish.
* Getting official documents ready - Passports, pictures, Visa's, attesting documents, etc. Has anyone out there ever had to have documents attested? Believe it or not, it costs money, lots of money and there is a Document Attesting Office at our very own State Capitol. Bureaucratic craziness at its finest and every state, nation, country does it.
All this for a visa that will state that I am officially a "housewife". Oh no !
* Saying goodbye and staying connected - My kids say we are going on a vacation and while it will be hard to be away from our family, friends and especially my grand babies, email and Skype will help make the transition a lot easier. I am making sure that I am totally wired and plugged in before I leave, which includes a cute new laptop, international calling capabilities on my iphone and skype.


Almost ready.


 Have I forgotten anything? Only a few more weeks until the big transition.

You are moving where ?

The word was out - we were moving to Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Jeff would report to his new job, September 1, 2011 and I would join him in February 2012.
Everyone was shocked, surprised and would ask, " you are moving where?" Is that in India, Iran, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Africa, Asia ? A customer service representative from Century Link asked me, "Is Dubai in Ohio?" Really, Ohio?
Other common questions, do you have to wear a burka and be covered from head to toe? Can women drive in the UAE? Is it safe? What about all the terrorists? Do they sell gold bars in vending machines in Dubai ? What will you eat ? Do camels run wild ? Hmmm....I knew I better get better acquainted with Dubai and the gold bar question intrigued me.
I could not get enough information about my new home, like a sponge, soaking it all in. I bought all the books I could get my hands on, researched the Internet for information and watched any and all programs on TV. House Hunters International was currently airing two episodes about two different families that relocated to Dubai and it was fun to watch and see the sites around the city. We watched them once, saved the episodes and then watched them over and over .
After all my research and spending one week in Dubai in October, I realized that I can do this and not let fear drive my decision. The prospect of exploring new countries and doing the things we had only dreamed of was exciting.

And yes, it is true, gold bars are sold in vending machines.

We Are Doing What?

Life was clipping along pretty nicely - a very practical path. Both my husband Jeff and I reaching middle age (that was hard to say), in the prime of our jobs, recent empty nester's and starting to plan the next 20 years. I finally had grand children!
Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think that Jeff and I would uproot ourselves and "run away from home" for three years, especially not to the middle east! Jeff approached me with an idea in late March 2011 as I was folding clothes, "Debbie, what do you think about Dubai ?" What do I think about Dubai? ? Where is it,  how many miles away will I be from my grand daughters, what is the culture like and most important do they have diet Pepsi on tap?
I could not leave ! Impossible - I had a good job with the state,  adorable grand children, other family that need me, one large gold fish that needs a lot of care and future events that required me to be in Utah. Our oldest daughter Ansley was getting married on August 20 and a grand daughter, Ellie Grace, was due to be born on September 12.
 Besides, Jeff and I had done a good job accumulating a house, cars and more stuff that we knew what to do with the last twenty eight years. The mere thought of rearranging our lives to go to Dubai for three years, seemed very intimidating and far fetched.
My husband has always wanted to work internationally and I have been fending off Jeff for years by saying, "wait until our kids are grown." Well guess what, in a blink our kids were grown and on their own, the opportunity came up and Jeff wanted to take it.
After tears, a few arguments, research and many, many talks, we made a decision to take the job in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Our plan to relocate for three years soon became both frightening and and exhilarating. The suburban life that we had lived for many decades, was about to be turned upside down and replaced with city, glitzy high rise living. We were off on a new and exciting adventure in a country 9000 miles away from home.
Dubai here come the Herr's.