Atlanta....it's been real! #deuces

Well, I can't speak for Sherrica, but then again, I probably can. When I moved to Atlanta 2 years ago, you couldn't tell me nothing! Big city, things to do, closer to home, great job, more money, and the women (I was single at the time)!!!! I would have never guessed that two years later I would be married with a new baby, packing for Abu Dhabi. Ain't GOD Good!

While I present to most as a modern, intelligent, articulate, well traveled man....at the core of me is just a country boy from Alabama. I AIN'T BEEN NOWHERE:) Seriously, you don't believe me...

L.A.- No
Vegas- No
Chicago- No
Miami- No
Texas- Barely
New York- only for my ADEC interview
Boston- Yes...(finally one place)
Out of the country- NO....unless you count that cheap ass Carnival Cruise by the Bahamas because we weren't there long enough to say I went to the Bahamas.

See, I told you I am really "country as a sofa on a front porch". I just hide it really well! #RachelDolezal

Although I'm African American, you get the idea:)

Two years ago, I hadn't even heard of Abu Dhabi, let alone working there. Had I, I probably would have chosen to go then, but EVERYTHING happens for a reason and had I gone, I would have been the picture of what not to do. Where I was mentally two years ago, I would have BALLED OUT. Yacht parties every weekend, shopping, shopping, shopping, probably driving a new Range, living in a villa much bigger than what I would need....did I mention shopping. 

Thank God for maturation, a greater sense of purpose, a WIFE (Proverbs 18:22), and a renewed commitment to my financial security, but more importantly, the goal of securing my family's financial future.

I was attracted to Atlanta two years ago to help with the renaissance of Atlanta Public Schools. For those that do not know, APS was part of one of the largest, if not largest, documented systemic epidemic of cheating. THOUSANDS of children were impacted and continue to be impacted as they were "literally" passed along year after year and given passing test scores...well, actually teachers changed the students answers so that children would pass state end of year test. I needed a change and the idea of joining with other new principals to serve students and communities that had been impacted was, "at the time", my DREAM JOB! I won't bore you with the details, but I leave Atlanta with APS in my prayers. Nearly 4 years after this tragedy, APS is still trying to pull itself off the mat from the blow of the cheating scandal. I pray for APS because at the core of all school systems are the children. What will need to happen, but most certainly won't happen, is that ALL the brilliant people in APS, and I do honestly mean BRILLIANT, will have to talk about the main thing and not about the "next thing". With that, I truly wish this school system, more so any other that I have worked for, GOD's SPEED and GUIDANCE!

The past three days have had me asking, how in the "cotton picking" world did my ancestors do it? It has been hot!!!! Yes, I had my 13 year old to help me, but if you have kids that age, you already know how that went. I will give him his props, he helped and I couldn't have done it without him, but I felt like a cowboy trying to break a young stallion:) I thought that by giving away all the big things that loading a truck with the little things would be easy. I didn't take into account the daily 95 degree heat, along with the 14 steps that had to be navigated about 75 times. Talk about a work out!!! And while we gave away most things, I only had one simple request when those people came to pick items up...bring MUSCLE! In one instance I gave away two bedroom sets, with dressers, beds, side tables, mattresses...you get the idea. The person who I gave it too, while I love to death, she brought a U-haul and her 65 year old retired husband as the MUSCLE! Are you f$%^ing kidding me? So, there I was, doing what I did not want or intend on doing which was lifting and carrying, very slowly I might add, furniture up and down stairs.....it didn't help that after her husband fell with the mattress on top of him, things went progressively slower. I STILL lover her and I am appreciative that he gutted it out, because he had no idea what his wife had set him up for.....even though renting a large U-haul might have given most others a small clue:) LOL

After another three days of packing, we made our SLOW way to Alabama and we will be here for the rest of the summer until I leave. Surprisingly I got an email from my recruiter yesterday telling me to be patient. If she only knew, I still a tremendous amount of work to do. I have made a list using the Wunderlist app. It's the best! Some of the things still left to do are:

• purchase luggage
• do one final sort of clothes
• purchase a VPN
• Make copies of all my paperwork
• Do a Will
• Register my car in Alabama
• Figure out the cellphone "thingy"

A funny thing has happened over the past month or so. Initially, I wanted to board a plane and leave immediately. I was so excited...maybe too excited because I was spending all the free time I had reading blogs and on every FB group associated with Abu Dhabi there was. At one point, there were at least 15. I have since cut back to about 10:) The point is, my wife became extremely angry at me and told me that I was killing "the mood" for her. I was sooooo excited about what would occur in...who knows when (you know how that Golden ticket thing works) that I wasn't living in the present. I had to reflect on my wife's perspective and while I am still excited to go, over the past month I have come to a place of peace about not caring really when I leave. I find myself more excited about my vacation to Orlando, or stressing about where to take my 5 year old fishing since that is ALL he keeps asking me for the past week. Why am I stressing, because the trip means nothing if we don't catch fish and while I am not a novice at fishing, I am certainly not an expert. I am excited to have the time to work out and then do nothing! Abu Dhabi is not going anywhere and I will get there when I get there. Don't get me wrong, I don't want to be in the last group, but living in the moment feels a lot better than worrying about or anticipating the "unknown" future.

I knew something had shifted about a week ago when I was sorting through my suits. All of a sudden, I was like, why am I taking all this STUFF! This is about an experience, financial freedom, travel, and family! I don't need 30 suits to accomplish any of this! I found myself placing suits and shirts and ties in a Goodwill bag. Mind you, some of this STUFF, I have never worn before, but how many DAMN blue shirts do I need? All of this STUFF was a symbol of gluttony and money wasted! It was a symbol of everything, I didn't want this opportunity to be!

STUFF= Something(s) That Undermines Family Fun. How much STUFF are you holding on too? How much STUFF is in the way of you having an incredible life with your family? How much STUFF is holding you down or drowning you financially? Let the STUFF go...Hell, you can't take it with you anyway and with this opportunity, I "literally" cannot take ALL THIS STUFF with me!

I'll end this post thinking about the horrific acts that occurred this week in Charleston, South Carolina, a state by the way that still flies the Confederate Flag as a symbol of pride. My prayers are for the families of the victims, the Charleston community, and the world (U.S) we live in.  I still get asked the same questions about how safe is it "over there", and I am beginning to hate the phrase, "You be safe over there!" I want to respond that "It's safer there than it is here or I'll try to be as as safe there as I am here." And I am sure there are others, who behind my back, speak negatively about my leaving as well with regards to safety. For all those who worry about my safety and the safety of my family President Obama, this week unfortunately, said it best:

I'll just drop the mic and walk off now and let you digest the reality of what your "safe" truly is/means....