“Today’s Disappointment, Is Tomorrow’s Purpose”

Last night as my husband, daughter, and I sat out by the pool overlooking the skyline; the thought of Purpose was in the forefront of my mind. I discussed with my husband that I pray God will reveal to me “My Purpose” within this opportunity.

The decision to move my life was a process and was not made overnight. When I was 3 months pregnant, I knew my company would release me of my duties. My intuition came from a discussion I had with the CEO of my company about expectations three years prior. His opinion was that a woman could either be two things; a successful businesswoman or a great mom, but not both. After working in finance in NYC this way of thought was not foreign to me. At that moment Marshall and I began to prepare by taking a Dave Ramsey finance course, saving, and living minimally to organize our lives based on one salary.  Long story short, I was right and my company released me of my duties two months after I gave birth. Although it was a blow to my ego (who wants to be fired), I really do not have anything negative to say about the process. My CEO was very supportive of me during my pregnancy (I had a few complications) and after I gave birth. But at the end of the day I know Business is just Business.

When the possibility for our family to have this opportunity presented itself, deep down inside I had fears. The fear of moving with an infant with no family support, the fear of losing myself inside this new role as a wife and mother, and the fear of my professional goals diminishing. I never expressed these thoughts to my husband because I trusted he would make the right decisions for our children and myself. 

My husband has truly redefined my definition of partnership and what it means to trust. Anyone who decides to take this path needs to ensure they have a pact to remain supportive and encouraging to not only the person with the opportunity, but the other spouse who is sacrificing a piece of themselves as well.

It wasn’t until I read John 13:17 that I had my Aha moment. “If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.” If I am not aware of anything else in this world, I know that my God is Loving, Reliable, and Faithful. He has orchestrated each minute detail of my life for my good, even when I thought those things were negative or made me uncomfortable.

I came to the conclusion that my Purpose is to Hunt For My Greatness in my marriage, as a parent and in my professional aspirations; and to release all expectations to God and allow Him to accomplish his will in my life. In the meantime I plan to enjoy my beautiful view as I arise each morning, have a mocktail (a cocktail without the liquor) with my family at the pool, and embrace this new culture.

Our First Two Weeks

I can not believe two weeks have come and gone. I feel like we were in Alabama just yesterday. I have to admit time is not a factor here. The environment is very calming and relaxing that I often forget what day it is. In the short amount of time, we have made progress. We found furniture, purchased a car, painted the apartment, and made new friends in the process.

Here is my assessment so far.

Out of the 4 malls we’ve visited, there is something about each of them that I like. Yas Mall has the cutest clothing boutiques where I would shop for clothes. It's also attached to IKEA and Ferrari World. Marina Mall is very beautiful because it's near the beach and it has all of the high-end designer shops. Dalma mall was good for furniture shopping and it houses the best meal I’ve had thus far. Finally Mushirf mall was very practical and good for children because of the large fish tank elevator and an amusement center inside. This mall is also connected to a meat (if you have weak tummy this is not for you. You will see whole animal legs and other limbs displayed), seafood, and vegetable market. FYI do not take any photos outside of the meat and seafood market, a police officer stopped me as I was taking a photo.

The best coffee shop thus far is La Brioche. They have the best caramel frappuccino and apple turnover. It is chain coffee shop and can be found around the city. It is also a great meeting location.

 The best meal I have had was from this Italian restaurant in Dalma Mall called Buca di Beppo. The hospitality and service was amazing. They take you on a tour of the kitchen and you can even dine in the kitchen on your birthday. They have a wall dedicated to celebrities who have dined there. I had the shrimp Florentine, rosemary potatoes, and cheese garlic bread. My husband ordered the Buca Trio Platter with fried calamari, fried mozzarella & stuffed mushrooms. We both were very pleased with everything.

 We also experienced a touch of home by going to Marrybrown in Mushrif Mall for some friend chicken. It was pretty tasty and comparable to the fried chicken back home in Alabama. This is a great spot if you are seeking a quick meal. 

 We ventured out and dined with our friends Renee and Bobby at Bonna Annee, an Ethiopian restaurant. I ordered the Doro Wet (chicken stew with onions, tomatoes, garlic, and Ethiopian chili powder) and Marshall ordered the Bonnanne special (mix of key wet, minchet, abesh, kekel, meser be sega, tibs, fir fir, and shiro). The food was different but good. FYI: It is a cash only establishment. 

 All in all the first two weeks have been great. We anticipate some normalcy once our furniture arrives and we are settled.