My First Desert Safari – October 2010

Several adventurous friends decided to take a trip to the desert – Arab style  – in new SUVs! We departed Al Ain in the afternoon, but four members ditched the trip before we arrived in the desert. They were afraid to be in the car with a crazy driver??? Ha!

We drove to an area known as Margham, which is 30 km south of Dubai, and then we proceeded to have an exciting dune drive!!! Oh my, my … it’s not for the faint of heart! After the exhilaration of riding a sand roller coaster, we reached our first destination, a camel farm located somewhere in the middle of the desert. Camels are so sweet and sooooo cute!  Afterwards, we continued to drive or should I say sail across the desert. Imagine 100 or so SUVs atop sand dunes and sliding literally down the side. We stopped to watch the beautiful sunset over the desert before reaching our campsite where we had the opportunity to have a camel ride and try out a henna design on our hands or feet. We enjoyed a delicious barbecue dinner and shisha (the famous Arabic water pipe which I love!). The evening came to an end as we watched a belly dancer perform her show around the campfire by starlight.

If you ever visit the Middle East- this is a MUST DO

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! See for yourself!

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A Magic Carpet Ride

In the Sunday July 11th Atlanta Journal Constitution, there was a good article about teachers who interviewed in Atlanta with the Abu Dhabi Education Council.  Several of these educators were offered positions and will soon fly away with me to Abu Dhabi City. I’m sure our magic carpets will get us there in record speed!

http://www.ajc.com/news/teachers-compete-in-atlanta-567827.html

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Adventure, Fascination, and Intrique

It’s official! One year to the day of leaving the Georgia Department of Education, I was offered (and have accepted)  a position with the Abu Dhabi Education Council in Abu Dhabi, one of seven emirates in the United Arab Emirates. I leave the first week in August 2010 for a two-year leadership/teaching experience in the city of Al Ayn, also known as the Garden City, located in southern Abu Dhabi. I’m off on new adventures … living in a desert villa, riding camels, watching spectacular sunsets, working in a stellar educational system, travelling throughout the Middle East/Europe/Asia, and if needed, I’ll volunteer for Samantha’s role in Sex and the City 3!

Until this point in life, I have focused on guiding my children and my career. However, in the past few years, I realized that ones’ existence is but a fleck in time, so I’m taking this window of opportunity to LIVE LIFE in big bites! You know what ‘they’ say, “women who behave don’t make history,” and I want to make REAL history!!!

Please follow my blog as I uncover funny, touching, exciting and intriguing stories of life on other continents. Hopefully, my reflections will show that how we play and work together reflects and celebrates the commonalities of the human character. Join me and together we will laugh, love, and live life to the fullest!

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