Decisions, Decisions.....It's Time to Make a Big One.......

Alright. I sit here looking at my renewal contract ready to be signed and am attempting to make sure my choice is well-thought out and of course, the right one. I have spent a total of 118 days in this petite Middle Eastern country. I have driven on its roads, dodged vehicles while attempting to walk down the streets, fled from the wild street cats, learned to communicate in basic Arabic, and adapted to the HUGE culture shift. As I weigh the choice, many things rush into my thoughts - people back home and people here, my previously laid plans for my life and where I am sitting right now with regards to those plans, my love for Canada and my newly discovered love for the Middle East. My decision is becoming clear.

I feel strongly that God has placed me here and given me this incredible opportunity to enrich my life by living in this culture and developing relationships with the various people whom He places in my path. I have become surprisingly close with my girls at school, some of the people I work with and the kids I tutor. When I envision my next year, I see myself here, doing the same thing. I find it rather strange that I do not see myself back home in Canada. Perhaps because right now, for the most part, this is where my heart is? Funny how you never expect how different life can become in such a short amount of time.

The pluses to staying here far outweigh the negatives at this point. A big one is the traveling aspect. Until I flew into Kuwait four short months ago, I had never done any real traveling besides the standard trip to Mexico and a Caribbean cruise. This year will have drastically changed that! The remainder of this school year holds for me trips to China, Turkey, London, Rome and Greece. Sometimes I lay in bed and question if this is really my life, because it has changed so significantly in a matter of 4 months. Yet each time, the answer back is a resounding YES!

So, I guess that's it - I am officially staying for another year. I am coming home for 2 months in the summer and then I will return to the desert once more. :) Just wanted to let everyone know! :) Now where is that pen.......