Returning Home

One of our expat friends once said about leaving Dubai that it was "hard to leave but easy to come home." That's exactly how I felt once the time had come for us to leave Dubai and head home to Texas.

Jeff's work schedule ended up allowing him to travel home with us, which we were so thankful for. We loaded up on our last Careem ride (like Uber in the UAE) and took off for the Dubai airport for one final time. Our Careen MAX vehicle barely fit our luggage but we made it work!

It felt surreal to be at the DXB airport for the last time. We had looked forward to this day for so long and here we were, excited but also dreading that long flight home.

Every time we took that flight, it was like hitting the lottery if we ended up with empty seats near ours on the plane. We ended up sitting on 2 different rows so that we could spread out a little bit. And I wasn't sure why, but it seemed like the flight path had changed a bit from my last few flights. This time, we were flying directly over the North Pole. Fascinating!

It is always the BEST feeling to be back on Texas soil! Our plan for the first few days was to stay in a hotel as we made arrangements at our new house. But before we could stop anywhere, we made a beeline for our new house so that everyone (besides me) could see it for the first time. Luckily we still had some daylight, because we drove up to the neatest surprise on our front porch.

Our great friends, the Lettows, had arranged for us to have the best Welcome Home surprise - fun decorations and a gift card for Mexican food. Talk about the perfect way to be welcomed back!

I was so excited for Jeff and the kids to see this new house that they had only seen before in photos and videos. It was a lot to take in, but everyone was very happy to finally see the house.

Of course, all Connor could think about was hitting up his American restaurant favorites like Chickfila and Lupe Tortilla. There's nothing like food to make us feel back at home again!

All the "Lasts"

The final days of May 2019 brought all the "lasts" of our time in Dubai. As we had our villa cleaned and repainted, it was the last time we would see what had been our family's home for the past 18 months.

We ended up selling both of our vehicles to friends in Dubai (who both happened to be from Texas). Jeff and the kids were really sad to say goodbye to RJ.

The final day in May brought the kids' last day of school at American School of Dubai (ASD). Although we had only been at ASD for 1 year, it was a truly special year of growth and close friendships - for all of us! Saying goodbye to ASD was probably the hardest part of our move back home.

On their last day, two different friends texted me photos of the kids with some of their besties on campus. It's very common at the end of the school year for families in Dubai to move on to different locations around the world, and we happened to be the first family in our circle heading out. Everyone was feeling the change in the air and magnitude of loss once again.

We made sure to soak in as much time with friends as possible, especially for the kids.

We also made sure to have one last dinner at the restaurant we'll always remember from our time in Dubai - the Lebanese Kitchen called Mezza. SO many memories here!

I was especially nostalgic about leaving the incredible city of Dubai. I remember when we first moved there, I wondered if I would ever get used to the majestic skyline views and opulence around every corner. Every single morning as I drove the kids to school, I was greeted by amazing and iconic sights such as the Burj Khalifa, Burj Al Arab, and the towering skyscrapers in Dubai Marina. I tried to appreciate the magnitude of how cool that was, but just like anything else, you end of taking it for granted. I was sure going to miss the wondrous backdrop of our time in Dubai. I couldn't resist snapping some final photos of our views in and around the city.

Even amidst the aggravating Dubai traffic, the sun setting behind the Burj Al Arab never ceased to amaze me. It was as if the intense desert sun was bidding us farewell in typical Dubai fashion.

Amazing Adventures of SuperStan!

The kids' school, American School of Dubai (ASD), offered incredible support and offerings in their Fine Arts program. The student body puts on 3 musicals a year, one each for elementary, middle, and high school. The elementary school play this year was called The Amazing Adventures of SuperStan. Kaitlynn was beyond excited for the auditions and was constantly practicing around the villa and at school with her friends. The audition process made her quite nervous but she ended up doing great and landing a role in the choir and citizen group, with several songs and performances throughout the play.

ASD takes their musicals/performances very seriously. Kaitlynn had theater practice 3 times a week for 6-8 weeks leading up to the performance week. The crew and volunteers were AMAZING at how they handled 100+ elementary kids, from costumes to makeup to simply corralling them in the right places at the right times. Rehearsals were slow at times, but Kaitlynn loved every moment of the experience.

When performance week arrived, Kaitlynn was super pumped! She was cast as a policewoman and really loved her costume. The makeup crew was made up of parents and high school students, and they always did a great job as well. I loved seeing her beautiful baby blues!

Parents were invited to a dress rehearsal where we could watch the show, take pictures around the theater, and witness the performance in practice mode. I was blown away by the entire experience! The stage props, lobby decorations, costumes, sound/lighting, and of course the singing and dancing -- everything was beautifully and professionally executed.

After the dress rehearsal, there were 3 official performances for the ASD community to attend. All 3 shows were sold out! And no wonder, because these kids were amazing! Kaitlynn had a total BLAST and sang and danced her little heart out. We had so much fun watching her soak it all in!

Her last performance was actually our very last day in Dubai. What an incredible way to cap off our time in Dubai and at ASD. I was so thankful for Kaitlynn's experience in the musical not only for the great opportunity and fun, but also because it provided the BEST distraction from our last and hardest days in Dubai.

When the curtain closed for the final show, the entire cast was treated to a wonderful cast party in the ASD gym with food and inflatables. It was the perfect way to celebrate their hard work and accomplishments, and for Kaitlynn, it was the best sendoff from Dubai.