Changing up the game.....

SO....You may have noticed that the title of this blog has changed! While I am excited about this journey to Abu Dhabi, I am not alone. My wife and newborn daughter will also be joining me and are just as invested in this new adventure as I am. Just a year ago, we were dating, getting to know one another, and going to opening day to see the Atlanta Braves and NOW we are packing for Abu Dhabi. Quite a change in direction:)

Since we have jumped all twenty toes into this experience, we have decided to share in this blog as a way to show both sides of the coin. I am sure there will be times where I will be excited and she will be hesitant, and other times where she will be elated and I will be thinking "What in the world did I get us into!" But that's where the fun comes in.....right? We will take some time to share "our story"..but for now, I won't steal her thunder!!!! I'll let her introduce herself to the blogosphere! 

“For Such A Time As This”

Has anyone ever heard this phrase? It is actually a phrase that comes from the bible in reference to Esther. Esther 4:14 states “if you keep quiet at a time like this, deliverance and relief for the Jews will arise from some other place, but you and your relatives will die. Who knows if perhaps you were made queen for just such a time as this?”

It's no secret that this has been one of the biggest decisions that I have ever made in my life and has left me terribly conflicted at times. I have been looking for signs or confirmations that this was really the RIGHT decision. Several things have happened over the past week to give me solace that "THIS" was the right time and thing to do.

1. A realization that there are a number of people who are tasked with providing an education to children that could be no more concerned with doing what they are paid to do. Instead, they come to work....not to work. It's quite the oxymoron.

2. I met with a financial planner who calmed all of my fears about retirement, savings, and my family’s future when I am gone. When I complete the process, I will share more but for now, I encourage everyone that in between all the day dreaming about shopping, and traveling, and boat parties, that you be sure to get your financial house in order by having a game plan. You can be broke and in debt in the states! Take full advantage..... 

3. My 13-year-old son had a bit of crisis this week, which landed him in some hot water. My plan had always been to go over and get settled and then bring him (after I am sure would be a contested court battle) but my spirit shifted this week. His troubles made me think about my own somewhat disconnected relationship that I have with my own father. I began to think, what a wonderful bonding opportunity it would be for he and I to figure out this new experience and journey together. To lean on each other as we navigate the unknown and unseen! So while I hate that he landed himself in hot water, I am thankful to God who, at least in my mind, kicked me in the butt to say, why wait. 2 Corinthians 6:2 states: “At just the right time, I heard you. On the day of salvation, I helped you.” Indeed, the “right time” is now. Today is the day of salvation.”

Salvation means to save one from harm, ruin or loss. So no matter the cost or fight, I surely expect myself to be entangled in a battle to simply be a full-time dad to my son in an effort to help him navigate the world, understand the excellence in and savviness in which he must do it, and set a foundation for manhood so that he can be self sufficient when he become an adult.

So even though I don’t know what the future holds for my son and I, I am excited!!! What I do know is….”For Such a Time As This!”. I am praying, believing and thanking God for favor in this situation. I am also ready and excited about school ending in two short weeks and summer vacation beginning. Have I mentioned that I plan on doing nothing….other than packing! AND I need to find my son a school to attend in Al Ain….I did say I was thanking God for favor!

This is a HUGE Leap of Faith....

I can hear the "ole" folk saying...I can't believe you quit "yo guud payin job! LOL Well....I did just that and in a matter of a few keys strokes, I am officially unemployed as of June 30th! I can't remember the last time I didn't have a job. Yes, technically, I do, but until I receive an airline ticket this fear and anxiety will rest on my chest like a 3 ton elephant. I have a wife, three kids, and responsibilities so those key strokes were much bigger than just the 1x1 squares on a computer. They represented financial security and a peace of mind.

Am I thrilled at the opportunity, YES! Does this in some ways scare the hell out of me, YES! I keep telling myself, many other before me and along this same journey with me are having to make the same leap. AND, for those before us, it seems as if there was someone (ADEC) on the other end to catch them. That's somewhat comforting........

The other nerve racking part that at the same time gives me great feelings of joyful anticipation is the unknown. See, in my current role, I know the challenges, the hills, the valleys, the obstacles, the bureaucracy, and the joys. There....I KNOW NOTHING!! I have read all there is to read, facebooked folk who are over there to get their experience, and researched things on my own....BUT NOTHING will compare to actually placing my feet in the sand and experiencing it for myself.

So here I sit....excited, nervous, imaginative, conflicted, worried, happy......

Praying to GOD that I have made the right decision for me, for my family, and for my future. I think so, but only time will tell. For now, ALL I can do is sit here and daydream about what is to come and appreciate the time that I have left with family and friends (it kinda sounds like I am dying). 

One thing I WILL DO is DECOMPRESS from the last 6 years!!!!! Each summer for one reason or another, while teachers are somewhat able to enjoy their summer break, I, a principal, start the process of retooling for the next year. Now, I'm not complaining because that's what I signed up for. However, it is draining. Yes, I might have taken a week or two in the summer time, but any administrator knows, you can probably find an iphone or laptop not far away crafting School Improvement Plans and re-doing handbooks, and writing newsletters. I have even be known to conduct skype interviews while on vacation... BUT NOT THIS SUMMER! I am going to relax, refresh, and enjoy the quiet of the beach, the pool, but mostly, I'm going to enjoy NOT WORKING!!!!!

Timelines, Waiting, and Patience!

“If you want to heat water until it boils, and you watch it while you wait, then it seems to take a very long time. In the same way, anything that we wait for with eager attention seems to take a very long time: like waiting for someone to arrive, waiting for the phone to ring, waiting for a letter to come”

Many people who know already and who will want to know about how long this journey will be. This opportunity is about patience, patience, patience, waiting, waiting, waiting, and more patience and waiting.  Here is “MY” timeline

·      October - complete application

·      A few weeks later (October) completed the phone interview and told I would go on to the next step

·      November- received and email asking if I was still interested in the position

·      A few days later (November) I had yet another interview and told I would move forward with the next round after the new year (2015)

·      January- received an email asking me to choose a few dates and locations to do the In-person Interview

·      February- The day after having my first little girl, I received an email with an In-person Interview Date in New York the next week.

·      February- after interviewing on a Tuesday (10^th) I was notified by email on the 18^th that I had been offered a position. The offer letter was due to be returned by February 27^th.

·      February/March- this time was spent obtaining the needed documents and certification.

·      February 27^th- GOT MARRIED!!!!!!

·      March 25th- Submitted all documents to ADEC

·      April 13^th- received an email from my recruiter that my Visa was being processed by ADEC

I have been told that we will arrive anywhere from early to late July so we shall see. What I have realized is that if I keep waiting, then the wait will be excruciating! So I have decided to focus on other things like closing out the school year (May), moving out (May-June), my son’s birthday (June), my VACATION (June).

I figure that once all that passes it will be time to leave……So my advice to anyone would be to now wait for the water to boil, find those benchmarks in life and focus on them until your Golden Ticket arrives……

Questions and Answers.........

So again....the purpose of this blog is to document my experience and help answer any questions that families, administrators, and others have regarding this experience.....I woke up this morning with a bunch of questions....well...maybe not a bunch AND a HUGE REVELATION!!!

I would like to think that I am fairly knowledgable about the process and what to expect, but there are a few details that I am still in the dark about and if I am in the dark, I am sure that others will be too. So when I get there and find out the answers to these questions, I will give others more information than I had at this stage of the process.

Most of my questions are with regard to housing. Now remember, I am traveling as an administrator so I get a housing allowance (113,500 dirhams per year)  due to my family size and I will be responsible for finding my own housing. With the housing allowance provided, most administrators live in villas, as opposed to flats (apartments). The upside with living in a Villa, is that you get you a great deal of space. However, there are some amenities that are available with flats (gym, pool)Some of the pictures on-line look amazing! However, you never know what will be available by the time you get there or where you will need to look due to location of the school that you are placed in. So a few questions that I have are:

1. Upon arriving, where will we stay?
2. How long will we stay in that hotel until we are moved?
3. What is the process for obtaining housing (e.g. working with a realtor)?
4. How much freedom will we have to negotiate with landlords? 

For me, I will have some time to "get my affairs in order" because the plan for my family is to come in September.

HUGE REVELATION!!!!

With my "future" resignation, it suddenly dawned on me that this will be the FIRST summer in about 6 years that I can literally "shut my brain off"!!! I am SO excited about my summer plans, but mostly I am just excited about being able to sit somewhere near water or poolside and think about absolutely NOTHING! NO new school initiatives, NO staff to hire, NO back to school week to planning, NO staff developments to lead, NO budgets to develop, and NO master scheduling:) LOL

Ahhhhhhhhh.......LIFE WILL BE GOOD..........

WOW!......What an interesting few weeks!

So this has been a pretty few good weeks for me! My baby girl Maddy (Yum Yum) continues to do well for starters. She is such a blessing! Even though she is addicted to her mom's breast and wants very little to do with the outside world right now, I enjoy her. My wife and I are still trying to wrap our heads around this new paradigm of marriage, baby, and international move. I was approached about another opportunity, but I am not going to speak anymore about that until I gather more information. Oh, my wife's family and I are interviewing for Family Feud next weekend. The jury is still out as to what we will wear for the taping:) LOL

I also got a very encouraging email from my recruiter stating that everything was full speed ahead with my visa, so as many of you know or WILL know, it will be a LONG WAIT..............She stated that I would probably be in one of the first groups to come over..but who knows:) She also stated that it would be mid July. I have a countdown on my phone that has an end date of July 31st. So according to this, I only have 104 more days!!!!

This will be me waiting on the Golden Ticket email! LOL

I also found out a few weeks ago that one of my good friends also got accepted to the sandbox and will be in Al Ain with me. I think that is pretty cool to personally know someone who will be in the same position as me. I think we both we be able to support each other. UNFORTUNATELY, the Incognito part is slowly fading as there is a rumor floating about my school that I am leaving. I just smile when asked and I normally respond by saying something like, don't believe everything you hear or if that were true, I would have told you:) LOL I will keep everyone guessing just a few more weeks and then formally announce my departure........and wait for the parade!

Oh, I also bought a few gadgets that we will need like a power strip and plug adapters. Just trying to knock out the small stuff. Still debating on luggage at this point, but I have started purchasing Ziploc Vacuum Bags! I'm also trying to lose a few lbs before I go. I managed to workout 3 times this week which was a HUGE improvement. I also ate A LOT better.....I know...I know....the diet is the most important thing! You can't outwork a bad diet!!!!!!

THE RIGHT POSITION IS SEEKING ME NOW...

THE RIGHT POSITION IS SEEKING ME NOW

I see myself in the right position in the business world. That position is also seeking me. There is a divine activity at work in the universe and nothing can keep the right position from me. I allow all necessary inlets and outlets to open up in order for it to show up at its divinely appointed time. The ideal position comes with the ideal compensation. The right position comes with awesome business partners. The ideal position always reveals the perfect business plan.

I do my part by providing the necessary service, knowledge, and skills. I prepare myself to receive my good. I awaken each day open, receptive, and responsive to divine guidance. All that I do blesses me to be a blessing to others. Thank you, Wisdom- in me, through me, as me, around me, through the Christ within. And so it is.

... for the Lord knows everything that is in the heart
and understands all the imaginations of the thoughts of men;
if you seek him, he will be found by you;
1 Chronicles 28:09

Daily Thoughts from the Hill
Copyright: Hillside International Truth Center, Inc.
Bishop Dr. Barbara L. King - Founder Minister/World Spiritual Leader