Two months ago I went home for a visit. To say my trip home was an intense one would be an understatement.
The visit was only ten days. With an 11-hour time difference and a 20-hour travel day, ten days is not enough. It took me most of the trip to get over the jet lag, and then BAM I was on my way back to Dubai, facing another 20 hour travel day. Blerg.
Also, ten days does not leave you enough time to see everyone or do everything you wanted to do. There are many people I just didn't have the time to see, and that sucks.
The trip also drove home exactly what I left--one of the most beautiful cities in the world, where the colours are bright, the air is fresh, and walking is the norm. Vancouver went out of its way to make me want it, with no rain, the Celebration of Lights Fireworks and some of the best people I know.
Beyond the residents, I got quite the treat because Jarod and Steve flew from Edmonton just to visit little ol' me! I know, I'm spoiled, but I love that they love me enough to do something like that.
It was also intense for some very personal reasons. I won't go into the details here, but my trip home proved that long distance relationships are the hardest to make work. And in the end, mine did not.
The last point is the hardest to swallow and the one which makes me question my life choices on a regular basis. I had been waiting years to meet a man I could be with and who wanted to be with me. But my dream came before my relationship and the relationship suffered. I knew this move would come with consequences, but I regret every day that my relationship with this wonderful man was one of them.
Above all else, this trip proved that Vancouver is my home. Edmonton is my hometown, but Vancouver, thanks to the people I have been lucky enough to meet there, is my home.
When I returned to Dubai, my first instinct was to give my notice and run back. I haven't, and I'm not likely to revisit that idea until I've done a full year here. I made this move to explore--this region, the industry I now work in, the cities we fly to, and the experiences from all of the above.
With everything this move has cost me, I'd be a fool not to stick it out to at least try and see some returns on this investment.
The visit was only ten days. With an 11-hour time difference and a 20-hour travel day, ten days is not enough. It took me most of the trip to get over the jet lag, and then BAM I was on my way back to Dubai, facing another 20 hour travel day. Blerg.
Also, ten days does not leave you enough time to see everyone or do everything you wanted to do. There are many people I just didn't have the time to see, and that sucks.
The trip also drove home exactly what I left--one of the most beautiful cities in the world, where the colours are bright, the air is fresh, and walking is the norm. Vancouver went out of its way to make me want it, with no rain, the Celebration of Lights Fireworks and some of the best people I know.
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| Do you see how pretty it is!? The view from a bench in Stanley Park |
It was also intense for some very personal reasons. I won't go into the details here, but my trip home proved that long distance relationships are the hardest to make work. And in the end, mine did not.
The last point is the hardest to swallow and the one which makes me question my life choices on a regular basis. I had been waiting years to meet a man I could be with and who wanted to be with me. But my dream came before my relationship and the relationship suffered. I knew this move would come with consequences, but I regret every day that my relationship with this wonderful man was one of them.
Above all else, this trip proved that Vancouver is my home. Edmonton is my hometown, but Vancouver, thanks to the people I have been lucky enough to meet there, is my home.
When I returned to Dubai, my first instinct was to give my notice and run back. I haven't, and I'm not likely to revisit that idea until I've done a full year here. I made this move to explore--this region, the industry I now work in, the cities we fly to, and the experiences from all of the above.
With everything this move has cost me, I'd be a fool not to stick it out to at least try and see some returns on this investment.
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