Ten Months in Ten Seconds

Okay, in my previous blog I apologized for my ten-month anti-blogging slack-fest and subsequent deterioration in writing skills.  I explained my disastrous Italian holiday about-face that spurred said hiatus. Now, I'm going to attempt to break down the last ten months of my life in one blog entry. 

Symptomatic of my last 2.5 years, this ten-month period has been an ongoing rollercoaster ride of ups, downs, and lots of blah-I-can't-pinpoint-how-I'm-feeling-but-it's-not-great-and-it's-not-bad moments. Fortunately, there were many more ups than downs or blahs, so clearly my life is progressing for the better.

So how do I wrap up ten months in one blog entry?  Simple:  Bullet Points.**

• September 2010:  Left Italy.  Met Spaniard in Brussels.  Together went to Berlin for a week.  Finished trip in Switzerland.  He was working.  I was suffering post-solo-holiday-while-still-kind-of-on-holiday depression (it's a real thing). 
• October 2010:  Broke up with Spaniard (Hardest decision I've ever made...but it was for the best).  Job Interview Spree.  Accepted a job offer.  Flew to the US.  Brother's wedding in Georgia. 
• November 2010:  One week in Miami.  Two weeks of rehab at Project Walk in San Diego, California.  One weekend with old friends in LA.  Flew back to Dubai.  Started new job at http://www.zawya.com/ on November 28th.  Post-breakup depression hits.
• December 2010:  Moved into new apartment.  First business trip to Beirut, Lebanon.  Christmas alone.  Serious regret over breakup.
• January 2011:  Desert camping for New Year's Eve.  Settling into new job.  Housewarming Party. Front tooth broke out of mouth right before said housewarming party. Second business trip to Beirut.  Got tooth fixed.  No more break-up regret. 
• February 2011:  Visit from dear friend Jessica (who I met years ago while living in Korea).  Enjoying the weather.  Eric Clapton concert.
• March 2011:  Third business trip to Beirut.  31st Birthday and accompanying celebrations.
• April 2011:  Bought a car.  Finally got a handicap parking sticker.  Purchased new hot-pink crutches.  Getting warm in Dubai.
• May 2011:  Fourth business trip to Beirut.  Verge of nervous breakdown.  Booked spontaneous trip to Sri Lanka.  Went to Sri Lanka...alone...a decided improvement over Italy in terms of holiday destinations for the crippled.  Lost one hot-pink crutch in the ocean.  Typical.
• June 2011:  Returned from Sri Lanka feeling refreshed, energized, and full of passion for life again (More on that in the next blog entry...).  Sister had 2nd daughter.  Getting toasty in Dubai.
  
  
  Ten months...in a nutshell.  Bravo.

Just to summarize the above outline, coming back to Dubai felt like moving here for the first time.  The previous year I had rarely even been in the country, thanks to my travels and surgeries.  The year before that, I had basically lived in a little over-protected bubble, distancing and alienating myself from anyone and everyone, apart from Spaniard, of course, in whom I unhealthily placed all my trust, love, and dependence.

Imagine the shell-shock when, after two years of living in my own little world, I found myself back in Dubai with all the "new" boxes ticked:  newly single, new job, new apartment, new car, new friends, new life.  It was a beautiful (albeit scary!) concoction of excitement, loneliness, freedom, and fear.  I jumped into my new life with zest and zeal.  I made new friends and reconnected with old ones and I have learned the ropes of my new job.  But most importantly of all, I rediscovered the one thing that I truly missed the most these past 2.5 years...my independence.

And, as earlier insinuated, I had another introspective life-changing solo week, this time in Sri Lanka...more on that and its repercussions in the next blog.

**Footnote for the Nosy:  Front tooth broke out while opening a bag of shredded cheese.  I rocked it.  Job is at a financial intelligence website...no, of course I don't know what that means, I just do customer support and training.  Haven't seen Spaniard since January.  Don't ask.  No regrets.