packing and hot

We are down to the last closets full of clothes, and the planning for a bon voyage party here in Paonia.  We have 12 days left before we are out of this rental house... so ready!  We will be in Leadville for 12 days after we leave here, and then we fly out of Denver on August 13, straight to Heathrow, then on to Dubai.  

I can't imagine what our first glimpse of the apartment will be like, or our first look at the brand new school, where we will be spending a lot of time.  Our first effort will be to purchase a used car, hopefully a 4x4, so we can explore the desert.  Right now, Sam is quite the man about town here in Paonia, spending as much time on his bike, and with his friends, as he possibly can before we leave.  My duties aren't quite as cavalier, and involve endless lists, packing, emails, and phone calls, but we are getting there!

We leave in two months.  Such a long wait!  I am posting pics of Al Hamra Village.  I hope it really looks like this...

Chapter One

I have just accepted a teaching position overseas in the UAE.  We will be living in Ras al-Khaimah, at the Al Hamra Village, a five star resort on the Arabian Sea.  Work begins August 17, but there is major bureaucratic hoopla to jump through, and bags to pack, shots to grimace through and a storage unit to jam full of stuff before our departure date.  

I will be teaching third grade and Sam will be attending second grade at the American International Community school, a brand new school with state-of-the-art facilities, and marble floors, so I hear.  The temperature outside should be a paltry 110 degrees Fahrenheit when we get there.  It cools down in October, through the month of May, so after we give you the skinny on what the place really looks like, plan a visit!

Now that someone has shown me how to set up a blog, we'll add travel adventures, mishaps, and ethnocentric moments to our blog.  Please check in with us, as there are sure to be more than a few homesick days, and we would love your comments.  Bye for now.