Doha Here We Come

I haven't blogged for quite awhile, but the latest life decision begs for some explanation and elaboration. Brett just accepted a teaching position with Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar. We are leaving August 1. Last summer Brett's friend Kevin, who teaches at VCUQ, came to our home and asked Brett to consider applying for a position with the school. He thought Brett would be well-suited for the faculty and the challenge. We thought he was crazy at the time. Qatar is in the middle east, a small peninsula off the east coast of Saudi Arabia. It is a safe country that is very westernized, but still . . . The more emails Kevin has sent over the last year and the more overtime Brett has had to work with his present job has made the nine month 8-5 job in Doha, Qatar look quite appealing. Brett has worked so hard all of our married life - at least two or three jobs at a time or a full-time job and full-time school.

A new experience in a foreign country and a chance to travel with student field trips are also part of the appeal. Abbey is very excited. When she was three she kept asking us if we could move. We were surprised by that request and would try to convince her that our neighborhood, our home, and her friends were wonderful. She would agree with us and then just say, "But I want a new experience." I was dumbfounded - isn't every experience a new one for a three year old?! Well, Abbey hasn't voiced that request for a long time, but we certainly are going on an adventure that qualifies for long ago desire.

During the decision making process our son Ben announced his engagement to his sweet girlfriend Mary Smith. They haven't been dating a long time, but hey, when your parents get engaged after only three weeks of dating, two months of dating is LONG. Even though the engagement is such happy news, we will now be leaving them during their engagement and missing out on being here for all the planning. I am trying to get everything planned before we go, but it will still be difficult to miss the showers, the little details, and especially all the bonding time with them as they continue their courtship. We will be coming back for a week at the end of October for the wedding, but I feel like I want to split myself in half. When it came down to the wire and we had to make the decision, we kept saying, "How will we feel if we decide not to go to Qatar?" Answering that question helped us move forward with plans to go, because we knew if we turned down the offer, we would always wonder "what if . . . "

So I will have a lot to share here in the coming months. I hope you will tune in and join us on our once in a lifetime adventure. One of my friends said, "Dianna, this is just so out of character for you guys." She is right, but maybe that is the point.