My year in Qatar has come to a close. I am back at home, visiting my family in Virginia. It is amazing to see everything covered in greenery, and to smell flowers, leaves, good food, and and the general scents of summer in Charlottesville. I’ll be heading to Hawaii next week, for a couple of years at least, and an exciting new job. I have never been to Hawaii before, and it will mark, even more so than Qatar, the farthest South I have ever been on the globe.
It will be fascinating to be in a place that stays green and warm all year long, and to be once again close to Asia for travel and work opportunities. I may be able to make use once again of my Korean and Japanese language skills, and potentially improve on them significantly. I am also looking forward to a job that is more aligned with my personal expertise and experience than many previous ones.
Being back in Virginia is good preparation for the somewhat confusing morass of the next few years, I think. While navigating family events, I am also back within range of remote friendships centered around being in nearby time zones, and also trying to satisfy everyone’s differing ideas of what I can and cannot do for them. Overall, I am happy to be back, but will also be glad to be settled in my new “home” sooner rather than later.
Dictionopolis 