Sunday, January 4, 2009

Home?

Lately I have been doing a lot of thinking about living here vs. America. With Mimi and Papa’s trip and them being so enthralled with every sight they took in here, as well as a comment from an Aussie from of Charmaine’s about the difficulties of readjustment once we go home (which really got me thinking), I thought it was high-time I wrote this post.

We have officially lived here longer than we lived in our last apartment… The apartment where we decorated and prepared for a new baby, where we welcomed Kaden after his birth, where we lived when Stu proposed, where we adjusted to life with a baby… The place that had felt so much like home and that I missed so much when we were first here (and still do, to be honest).

But now we’ve been here almost a year and after all of the adjustment and tears and stress, this place really has become home in a sense. I think if I would have been more open to experiencing Abu Dhabi for what it is, this revelation would have happened much sooner. Unfortunately it took me much longer than I would have hoped. But that’s the problem: we’re at home here now. So as we approach our year mark and talk about our future plans, it’s becoming more of a tough decision to figure out what to do next.

Marcia and my Mom have recently sent emails asking about when we might be coming home and the easy answer is, I just don’t know. With the economy, which is the biggest worry for us now, we’re not sure we’ll be able to get decent jobs that we can survive on, let alone that will facilitate home ownership. So until things start to look up back home, what’s the point of even considering moving back there while we have such a good and lucrative job here? The other thing is that we want to have a dollar-amount goal before we leave, which we keep faltering on. Sometimes that dollar amount puts us here through July, sometimes it’s December. When you factor in the economy, it makes us even more unsure.

On top of everything else, the friends I’ve recently made here have been such a find. I spent so long here with one-sided, back-stabbing, unhealthy friendships and missing out on my actual friendships back home… now that I have met these girls and see them more and more frequently, it feels like I could stick it out here for even longer. Stu still wants to just go home, but he sticks it out in favor of not going home and spending all of our savings in lieu of finding jobs.

So basically, I’m having such a weird conflicting feeling about our future since now this does, though oddly, feel like home. What will I do when I can’t just call downstairs for a loaf of bread to be delivered? I can easily get over the crazy drivers, but what about everything being in a five-mile radius? I still miss Wal-Mart, but Lulu’s really is pretty close. What about garlic paste? I seriously doubt there are any dank Lebanese joints in Boise. What about having to go back to work and missing my infinite time with my monkey. I miss him while he naps! What will I do when I see him so infrequently? So I am feeling torn. Don't get me wrong, I am still missing the home comforts that I've always missed, but I can't deny that there are definitely some things here that I will miss.

Anyway, I just wanted to chat it out a bit. We’re still not set in stone as far as when we’ll be coming back… we’ve even flirted with the idea of going to Fort Worth if we can get on there for a few years before ultimately heading back to Boise… I’m thinking being IN the States would make it easier to see family than living across the ocean. So we will see what happens. Really, it would be best if the economy would just start looking up so we wouldn’t have to worry about it as much and we could stick to our original plan. So someone work on that for me please! :)
And here are some pics of Kaden with the breakfast he prepared for me and delivered this morning while he watched his cooking show!

6 comments:

  1. Hey, we are going to Ft. Worth this month! Jeff has a leadership conference and I'm tagging along to take advantage of the free hotel! Why Ft. Worth? As far as moving back to the states - can't argue with you about the crappy economy, but raising your children around family can't be beat. I missed out on that for a good part. I did have Mimi and Papa here when the girls were born, but once Harrison came along, we were alone here and still are! So, I do miss not being closer to family. It might become more important as Kaden gets older. And as you decide about having more children. And perhaps in your decision making, you should consider you NOT going back to work and staying home with your kids. And factor that into your dollar amount. You can't really put a price on that. Just some things to think about. Of course we all want you back home! We miss you guys and I really miss little Kaden!

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  2. I feel ya! The more i'm here the more i'm torn as well. esp now that (like you said) i have developed a network of friends. that makes being here so much more enjoyable

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  3. Hey Sydney, I know what you mean about feeling better about being here now that we have found our little group. It makes life so much more bearable!

    Just remember that sometimes a positive outlook makes a big difference to how we feel about things. Sure there will always be things that bug us about living here, but there are good things as well. Whatever decision you end up making feel good about it!

    (Personally, I would love it if you stay a bit longer!)

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  5. Hard to call, you've adjusted to life there, you have friend's and a good income. Used to the people and the weather, know where to shop and eat. As much as we all would love to see you come back to the U.S.A. there is not a lot of job's out here. And you have one that allow's you to be home with the K-man, it's hard when you first start out, no matter where you live, so just know we are behind you 100% and are very proud of what you do!
    It would be good if you could stay on, even if it meant you'd have to go to Ft. Worth for a couble of year's, just long enough for college, you'd have a good job and health benny's while going to school, then the job's would come to you. As much as we would love to see you back in the state's, we support whatever choice you make!
    I'd better get off the band wagon or i'll really start to ramble on...lol.
    Miss and Love you'all...
    Love Dad

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  6. I'll be blunt....these days, money talks and bullshit walks, and there's nothing but bullshit back here in the states right now, and it will at LEAST take two years to figure out. So, I say stay another year or so, enjoy whatever money you can get tax free cause let me tell ya, there isn't anyone here that's doing anything different besides getting old. So, you move back, thought things would be different, more people visiting and such, but in reality, people are settled and will continue in their ways. Take advantage of the AMAZING opportunity you have while Kaden is young and bank the money. It'll secure your future!! I'd do it in a heartbeat if I had the access.

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