My hesitant farewell

It has now been a little over two weeks since I arrived back in the US.  I can't believe that it has already been a year since I first got off of the plane for my new adventure in Qatar.   What I then considered an 'Uneasy arrival' quickly became a place that I called home with people that I called family.

I will never regret the decision that I made to move to Qatar.  It was the best decision and risk that I have ever taken in my entire life.  I have grown more both professionally and personally in these 12 months than I have in the last 25 years of my life.  Though it was a challenge to the person that I was, it has now made me a stronger individual and I now truly believe that ANYONE can do ANYTHING as long as you submerge your entire self into it. 

From bargaining with street vendors in the souq to riding jet skis in the Persian Gulf, Qatar touched my heart.  I may have complained about the annoying traffic, desert heat, and abscence of social activities for a mid-twenty year old woman...but the country and its culture became a part of me.

The morning that I departed from Qatar, I was a total mess.  Tears streaming down my face.  I said goodbye to one of my very best friends, whom I met in Qatar, and also said goodbye to my home.  On the way to the airport, I felt sick at my stomach.  Was I making the right decision to leave?  I rolled down the windows in the taxi and watched the tall buildings and palm trees fly past me.  Would this be the last time I see these places that had become a part of my everyday life?  I cried the entire ride to the airport, through airport security, and didn't stop until I buckled the safety belt in my seat on the plane.  I am sure spectators thought a family member had died or my boyfriend broke up with me.  They certaintly didn't think 'She's leaving Qatar to go home to the USA'.  For the next 14 hours I contemplated over the decision that I had made to come home.  Was it the right one?

As I look back on my 2011 in Qatar, I see it in three stages.  I first came to the country on business, with a specific job to do.  I had it in my mind that I would stay for a my 10 months then get out of that desert peninsula. I then met people who welcomed me into their lives and homes, and I could call these people friends.  It wasn't until I was leaving the country that I realized these 'friends' had become my family.  They were my support system, my shoulder to cry on, and my mentors for guidance.  I could not have made it even a month in Qatar without the amazing people that I met during my stay.  There are good people everywhere in the world, but there are lots in Qatar.  I promise you that.

I definitely hesitated when saying goodbye to Qatar.  It was more difficult than I ever imagined.  And though I am happy to be around friends and family back in North Carolina, I miss that dusty Doha skyline and the greasy shawarma that I could get for three bucks.  Like I said, going to Qatar was the best decision that I have ever made.  I hope my records during my stay helped you to understand the country a little bit better.  The Middle East is a region of the world that has so much history and so much spirit; if you ever get the opportunity to explore it, I encourage you to do it.  For a certain fee, I may even be your tour guide.  :)

Thank you Doha.