Late Night Ramble

Everyday
everyday I think of things
I want to write about
in 500 words or so
and when I sit down at the computer
they are gone
sometimes I think about them for days
and finally get them out of my head
and on the screen,
but not to the extent of my other blogs
where there are some days
of two or three posts...
or there were
a few years ago...

In three days
 I leave for Abu Dhabi
in the Middle East
where I am told
I am as safe as I am in the US
as long as I follow the rule
"when in Rome..."

Many thoughts resurface
of big changes I have experienced
in the not so distant past
that didn't turn out the way I wanted
or even resembling anything "good"

at least
not at the time

and then I am reminded
that to become stronger
we must face adversity...
well I know I haven't seen as much adversity
as many people
but I think I have seen enough
to feel like an amazon
strong enough
to take anything on...

This move is for many reasons

The first is to
satisfy my adventurous spirit
of seeing the world
and having the opportunity to do it

The second is
 to have a chance to continue teaching

It became abundantly clear
in the last 8 months

as I searched
 to find myself
regain:
myself,
my inner strength,
my life,
my sanity

that there are many things
I CAN do
and I might enjoy doing
but the one thing
I truly WANT to do
is teach
and to teach very young children

and that just wasn't going to happen
in Texas
any time soon,

The third is the opportunity to save
over half of my salary
pay no taxes on it
have housing provided
and still be able to travel
to anywhere I want
with reasonable costs

the short list
of travel destinations?

Italy
Germany
France
Greece
Australia
New Zealand

So, three great reasons to work overseas
plus, children are grown
no grandchildren in the next several (please) years
parents are both dead
Unattached with no plans to be
anything else again...
It truly is
a great time to have
The adventure of a lifetime

and then return to the states
when I have saved enough to retire
and start a whole new adventure
living off grid
with no bills


that is the plan...

Let's Roll

Watch Out

Once upon a time I wore a watch

A simple watch with easy to read numbers

A comfy two tone watch 

to wear with gold or silver jewelry

Shortly after my last husband 

(yes he is and will remain my last husband)

and I married,

 I became a teacher

It seemed a good time to replace my watch

with one very similar 

so students could see 

and read the time on it as well

The day we divorced

I took it off and laid it down

and didn't pick it up again

until last month

Last month while going through everything I own

 I found it in a drawer

A smile appeared 

as fond memories surfaced

 a trip to the jeweler ensued

A battery and new crystal later

 it is on my wrist 

wherever I go

May not seem like much 

but it is a huge paradigm shift

I don't know if I associated the watch

 with the loss of my married life

and best friend

This much I do know

 when an experience is soured for me

any representation of it is soured as well

Clothes worn when something negative has happened

rarely worn again

I no longer geocache regularly even though I love it

Gone are the days of collecting quarters 

sorting them by state and mint and organizing them

in fact I cashed them in at the bank

 except for the sets from the mint

and I really enjoyed that hobby

There are others but really these are the ones that stand out 

in this moment

So, my watch looks great

It feels great

I forget I have it on

Like an old friend

we have taken up 

right where we left off

Perhaps I will start collecting coins while overseas