Uuuugh… arriving ‘home’ was a bit of a disaster. The plane rides were pretty uneventful. But technically, we had no place to stay. Ha! We had made arrangements, but there was a misunderstanding. Long story short, we ended up staying in our old place. That in itself was WEIRD. It’s our home, but it’s not. It had our stuff mixed with someone else’s stuff and it was just, again, weird. So in Miami, we stayed in our old place which is not our place anymore. In Al Ain, we stayed in our old place which is not our place anymore. So, at this point we’re homeless. Really.
We made the best of it. We treated the place as we were guests while making ourselves as comfortable as possible in order to rest and regroup and get ready for the huge change that was about to take place. The upside to the whole thing is that we got to stay with our Chloe and to spend lots of time with our beloved Ana and Marina.
We arrived before Ramadan was over and it was extremely hot; sooo, not much going out during the day. Not that the jet lag allowed us to anyway. We tied some loose ends, got together with our friends Joey and Stella and did some much needed last minute shopping. Our 5 boxes of whatever was leftover of our belongings got shipped. Chloe’s paperwork was also done. Sigh… and finally we were ready.
Now, because this time we were traveling with Chloe, we had to make alternative arrangements for the ride from Al Ain to Dubai (airport). Thankfully, our amazing friends Stella and Joey were right there – bright and early to save us give us a ride.
I have to say, leaving the UAE was hard. I was really starting to feel like that’s where we wanted to be for a few more years. Great connections. I was even getting really used to the heat. As much as one could get used to 47 degrees Celsius (117 Fahrenheit). I will forever hold that place and its people in my heart. I will always miss our dear friends greatly. Mila will always remember it as her first home. I know that when I look back, I will immediately feel melancholic and a longing to return.
Our years in the UAE were years of learning, of growth. They were years of being very close to each other and learning to be a family on our own. It was wonderful to host family and friends who came to visit. We had visits from my mom and aunt; Josie & Dave; our friends Javier & Susana and family; and Jesse and Betty. And thankfully, the yearly visits from Mami and Papi which made living away from family bearable year after year. We are so thankful to have had such loving guests to make us feel cared for and loved. Thank you everyone.
Farewell Al Ain; Abu Dhabi; Dubai…
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