Back to Normal

We had the most amazing 2 weeks of spring break with our travels and the visit from Collin and Kevin, but soon it was time to return to the grind. For some of us, it meant the usual dreaded chores like taking out the trash. (Ha!)

For Jeff, it meant returning to the grind at his job. One of the highlights of his job in Dubai was his hard-working team in financial reporting. I always enjoyed seeing photos of his group when they enjoyed an occasional lunch outing.

For me, back to normal meant I was back to working as a substitute teacher at the kids' school, American School of Dubai. I worked many days in the spring and really enjoyed subbing in the high school classes. On one day, I looked down and caught myself with my laptop open for notes, my teacher's badge, and a diet coke. I snapped a selfie because I thought I truly looked the role of teacher that day!

As a completely random side note... on one of the many days that I was subbing, the high school students were gathered in the theater for a large assembly. As I walked toward the theater, I was struck by the sight in the theater hallways - backpack after backpack lined up neatly against the wall. My kids later told me that anytime they were in the theater, the students just drop their backpacks outside and then pick them up when the assembly is over. I guess I was surprised by this, because at schools in the States this would most certainly be frowned upon due to the risk of backpacks or personal belongings being stolen when they're left unattended. I loved the fact that kids at ASD could safely leave their stuff behind without any worries.

Returning to normal also meant that Jeff was continuing to follow up on some recent medical concerns with his local specialists in Dubai. After coming down with an illness last fall, his doctors began prescribing extensive medical tests to determine what might be going on. Over the past year, Jeff had been through numerous tests and ongoing lab work to make sure nothing was amiss. This meant that we became very familiar with local doctors' offices and hospitals in Dubai. Some visits even required hospital stays, which we found to be a bit overkill but of course we appreciated the caution.

We continue to be so thankful for the top notch healthcare insurance from Jeff's company, because we were able to conduct all of the necessary tests and procedures to confirm that Jeff is in good shape. He will require some ongoing monitoring and lab work over time, but overall his health is great with no major concerns.