• Local cucumbers are amazing and I don’t know if I can ever live without them again..

The cucumbers here are so fresh, they still have blooms on them and they are never waxed.

• I wake up at the same Oh My God Thirty hour every day, even when I don’t have to go to work.

• I’m wondering how I ever lived without a housekeeper. My bathrooms are always clean! Whaaaat? That never happened before and now I realize how totally gross I am without someone to clean up after me.

• I’ve done a freelance writing project for a big publishing house and suffered gloriously through the writing process. It was curriculum writing. I missed all my old resources and knew in my mind’s eye exactly where the books I wanted were on the old shelves of my classroom and former office. I started longing for the books I gave away.

Project takes over the dining room table – that’s how you know it’s legit.

• I’m starting to think about errands as adventures instead of confusing and frustrating chores that involve getting stuck in traffic. I may even blog about them soon!

• Reading about far away places like Turkey and Sri Lanka and Morocco sends me directly to SkyScanner to investigate airline ticket options for my next holiday. Some of that travel is even affordable! Then, I go directly to the Lonely Planet Thorn Tree Forum and start creeping on everyone who’s ever written about going there. I am rediscovering my love of research. Istabul betta watch out. Ima be all over her within the year.

• People at The Club remember my name and I’ve forgotten my phone at one place or another so many times, the staff just hunt me down and bring it to me.

I pretty much get to go here whenever I want.

• I’m considering this Ed. D. program once I’m done getting out of debt. I can totally see myself living here for the next ten years. I love and hate the idea of going back to school – but it must mean that I’m feeling more settled, even if I don’t think I feel that all the time.

• Paris is waiting for me – heading there on June 10 and will be in France for 3 weeks. This will be a “farewell for now” excursion – I’ve got a whole lot of world to explore, but I booked this trip as a let me see all the things I love just one more time and without students thing. I can’t really afford it, but I’m doing it anyway because I want to reward myself for not getting stuck in fear and anxiety for the last year. See previous item about debt. Parlez-vous Visa? This excursion is also legit because I’m also working on a collection of essays about travelling with students that will hopefully come together on this trip. Writing! In Paris! There are things that suck a lot more than that. Life is pretty awesome.

I’m pretty sure I’ve taken this same photo at least 25 different times. It’s still my favorite.

Stay tuned: Blog overhaul and more posts about random Abu Dhabi adventures should be coming soon. Have you ever been date tasting? There are things to learn! Dates – the kind you eat – are a big deal here. . .

* My trip to Jordan was remarkable. Petra is definitely a thing you need to see if you’re anywhere in the Middle East. Vast. Mountain city. With lots of Bedouins hanging out and trying to sell you stuff. I’m working on an essay about it. I don’t even know where to start blogging about it, so here is a photo of me on a horse. There are a few more pix on my tumblr blog. I post a decent number of photos there – and it’s easier to post pix and reblog – which means I’m turning into a lazy blogger, I guess.

The next Indiana Jones?

• Travel in the Middle East is pretty restricted right now, so I’m not anticipating any more trips until June – Paris and July – USA and Canada.

• I’ve been reading a lot, thanks to the amazing friends who have sent me books to fill my shelves. I read at the beach, I read in my comfy chair, and I even have started listening to audio books in the car. Latest book I’ve totally fallen in love with: The Fault in Our Stars by John Green. It . . . just . . . moved me in a way most books don’t get anywhere near my heart. Other authors I’m currently obsessed with: Neil Gaiman and Bill Bryson.

• Speaking of Neil Gaiman: the man is all over the internet and I adore that he answers all sorts of questions from his fans. His tumblr blog is lovely and friendly and accessible, as is all of the Twitter flirting between him and his remarkable wife, Amanda Palmer. From what I can tell, he really likes his fans. He is always gentle with even the most random questions, and when I read him, I just want to give him a hug. The thing I love most, though, is when he hands out book recommendations. He’s one of the contributors to this cool blog: What Is Culture, Coach? wherein a person who feels like they’ve missed out on reading and listening and watching all the things that “everyone” has read and watched and listened to asks for suggestions on how to Get Culture. So basically, what I’m trying to say, is that whenever Neil says “You should read this book.” to anyone on the internet, I get my hands on the book. My reading stack is bigger than ever, and I’m really glad I’ve finally gotten over my post-MFA dear god keep those books away from me I think I’m going to die slump.

• Getting acclimated to Abu Dhabi has been using up a lot of my bandwidth. I’ve finally gotten past the feels like vacation stage of being an expat, and I’m smack dab in the middle of holy crap, I actually live here now. This is my home. Now what? stage. To cope, I spend far too much time on Facebook and Twitter and tumblr. I’m rattled to the core. Did I really do this? Am I really living in the desert? Is my home in Minneapolis being inhabited by someone who is not me? Whose idea was this? When will I get used to it? I haven’t been blogging because I don’t want to whine or cause anyone to worry. But since we’re all here, I’ll just let you know – sometimes this is still really scary — the REAL of this. Those times, I don’t feel so brave. So that’s a thing.

• I read the newspaper every day and I’m trying to learn more about contemporary world history and global politics. Newsflash: Educated people not from the USA tend to know a lot more about the whole world and how things fit together than educated, white, middle-class, American me. Let’s just say it can be very embarrassing when someone you’re talking to knows a lot more about your country than you know about his or hers. I hate feeling ignorant, even when said someone is nice about it.

• I am halfway through my PADI open water dive certification and I got to swim in the Indian Ocean last weekend. It was pretty awesome. SCUBA is really physically demanding, and I’m now working on getting into better shape so I can swim comfortably and not wear myself out when I’m in the water. Also: dive gear is REALLY HEAVY. Plus: Oceans are cool. And big. Swimming in them reminds me that I’m really really insignificant: a nanosecond in the life of the sea. Helps keep all the feelings in perspective. There’s an essay in the works there, too. It feels good to be amazed by things and want to write about them. I haven’t been amazed for a while.

• A date would be nice.

• I miss you, I love you, and thanks for reading.

The Treasury was actually a tomb. A very fancy tomb.

Sunset on Christmas Day, at The Club.

Plus: No SAD. This is the first winter in at least 13 years that I haven’t had a terrible case of the winter blues, feeling like the month of January was something to survive instead of enjoy.

I would love to report to you all that my expat experience has led to a complete and miraculous life transformation. I would love to report that my teeth are gleaming white, that I’ve lost 25 pounds, that I’ve paid off all my debts, that I’m dating an international superstar with a sexy accent who plans to take me on vacation in Greece, that I’ve won a new car, that I’m constantly going to swanky parties in fancy ball gowns, and that I’ve found the solution to world hunger.

But! I live in the real world, albeit far from my country of origin. Life is extraordinarily ordinary here. I wake up, go to work, come home, eat food, chat with friends and family online, sometimes write or go out for a drink, then go to bed. Moving overseas doesn’t make you into a new person. It just lets you know how YOU you really are. So here is a list of the Michele-sized miracles that make up my daily life.

1. I’m making friends who are genuine, earnest, and quirky as hell. During a happy hour the other night, I realized that my comfort level still resides with other misfit toys. Be yourself, keep it positive, and eff them if they can’t take a joke.
2. I have a housekeeper who does my laundry, cooks most of my meals, and keeps my apartment clean. She’s a gem whose efforts afford me time to finally work on those creative projects I have always wanted to work on but haven’t been able to manifest. I’ve never lived in such a clean house or eaten so well. No wonder everyone wants a housewife.
3. I’m working on creative projects again. Some of them are even collaborative. Jumpin Monks on Pogo Sticks, watch this space.
4. I love my job. My students are pretty great and the stress level is about 1/3 what I used to have. It makes me feel like I’m getting away with something. All things being equal, my supervisors are pretty pleased with how I’m doing, as well. That doesn’t stop me from suspecting someone is going to pop out from behind a curtain and tell me this is all a dream and that I have to go back to -28F and shoveling snow and sorting through Senior Photos and quotes for the Yearbook again.
5. I’ve signed up for an improv/stand up comedy class in Dubai that will (hopefully) help me meet more people and get into some performance something around here.
6. I broke down and signed up for cable TV – because they offered it to me for free – and because evenings at home alone are really darn quiet. Basic cable still sucks, in case you were wondering, but I really like crime shows. I’m evidently a creep.
7. I went to a Burns Supper at the British Embassy. It was the swankiest party I’ve ever attended. Unfortunately, none of the men in kilts asked me for my number. *sigh* It was a good time.
8. I haven’t turned into an international jet setter yet, having kept myself firmly planted in the UAE since I arrived 6 months ago, but my sister is coming to visit in March! We are going to visit Petra and The Dead Sea in Jordan. That’s pretty darn exciting.

That’s about all I have for now. Wanted you to all know I’m happy, I’m thinking a lot and I’m trying to stretch my wings a bit. Things are coming together slowly. I’m trying to be patient with myself when it comes to dealing with the inevitable chaos that is Abu Dhabi, and waiting for some perspective before I write too much about what it’s like here. I don’t want to whine. That’s annoying. Once I have the brain space to tell my experiences as funny stories, I’ll fill up the blog with them. Deal?

Miss you all. What’s your latest everyday miracle?

A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE: AMERICA’S WORST SCHOOL MASSACRES

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2248983/Connecticut-school-shooting-Adam-Lanzas-survivalist-mother-obsessed-guns.html#ixzz2FHo9QzA8
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

I feel really disjointed and out of focus right now. I’m struggling to find my old self-discipline and any sort of comfortable routine. All of my previously well-honed planning skills are useless in the new city dynamics, as is any sense of accomplishment for completing small tasks. I get tired more easily than I used to.

So here is a list of moments from the last couple of weeks:

1. My face has been compared to both a flower and the moon. Charming.
2. I have learned how to get out of the way of incredibly fast moving vehicles on my crowded highway commute.
3. I helped an 8 year old with her grammar homework. According to her mother, this made me a hero.
4. I celebrated Thanksgiving on a Saturday with my favorite American expats. I ate an entirely irresponsible amount of food.
5. I cooked green beans that were as long as my forearm. I brought them to Thanksgiving. We forgot to eat them.
6. It’s never quiet here in Abu Dhabi – there’s always stuff going on, traffic noises, fighting cats, and the ubiquitous horn honking. Yesterday morning at about 3:00 am, the Glorious Cat Leader of the Parking Lot Revolution smacked down at least three neighbors.
7. I intend to learn how to cook a duck. Suggestions welcome.

Don’t have much else to share, and will hopefully start more sentences with something other than “I” in my next post. Enjoy the Billy Collins TED talk – some really great visuals to go with his poetry. My favorite poem is the one he reads at the very end of the talk: letter to a 17 year old girl.

Pray for peace: this needs to stop. It just needs to stop right now.

Hannah Brencher’s mother always wrote her letters. So when she felt herself bottom into depression after college, she did what felt natural — she wrote love letters and left them for strangers to find. The act has become a global initiative, The World Needs More Love Letters, which rushes handwritten letters to those in need of a boost.

Hannah Brencher believes in the power of pen and paper, and has started a global initiative that encourages strangers to exchange love letters.

This TED speaker is so adorable – and I am a huge fan of mail. So if you want a love letter from me, send your address! I love stories, and I will tell you one with my own hands.

Michele Campbell, PO Box 36859, Abu Dhabi, UAE

1. Yes, and. The basic foundation of an improv scene is that one person makes a declaration and the second person builds on it. Then the first person builds on that – and off you go. As a new improvisor, I believed this meant that I should learn to stop saying, “No, that isn’t true.” As a human being, I take it now to mean this: whenever I am flexible of mind enough to understand that the perspective of my conversation partner is a valid world view, I can affirm that position even if I think s/he is wrong.
2. Embrace a collaborative world view. In an improv scene, the world that is created is necessarily determined by the input of everyone on the stage. Just like in real life, you don’t get a say in how the story around you develops if you don’t open up your face and add something. While practicing improv, I learned to practice fearlessness and let go of self-judgement while exercising my voice. These qualities are essential to surviving as an expat: when you don’t speak up for yourself, you get steamrolled verbally and socially and live in a world that someone else created for you.
3. Laughter is as essential as water. During my first weeks of class, I laughed harder at myself and the silly things we did and said than I’d laughed the entire previous year. Ridiculous became reality for minutes at a time and I had the chance to look at my assumptions and prejudices in a different space. I am ridiculous: my world view is limited as are the world views of everyone around me – we are shaped by our experiences, and those experiences limit our vision. You can’t see what you don’t know exists — until someone throws it in your face and you have to respond to it somehow. And then laugh because – wow. That’s there. That’s a thing that happened. As an expat, all I can do is laugh sometimes because the constrained rules of living abroad require patience and good humor unless you want the stress to kill you with an aneurism, an ulcer, or a leap from a tall bridge.
4. Listening is more important than speaking. In all sorts of comedy, there’s this thing called a callback that’s basically remembering a small thing someone mentioned earlier in a scene and using it as a punchline again later. Here in Abu Dhabi, I’m the punchline if I don’t remember all the little details going on around me – and information about how things get done is passed on in snippets of conversations and hints from people who’ve done them before. People want to share information, but don’t explain themselves the way I’m used to. All feelers have to be out for anything to make sense.
5. You can be scared, but there’s nothing to be scared of. Being the center of attention during a scene for the first time was kind of terrifying. I had no idea what I was going to say. Then I opened up my face and said things, then my scene partners said things, and we just kept going – and then the audience laughed. It was magic. The first time I went shopping to buy fabric for a new dress, I realized that I had to haggle with the vendor over price and quality and I had no idea how to do it. In the US, price is price and the person at the cash register has no control over it. In Abu Dhabi, the guy behind the counter can make any deal he wants and can spot a newbie walking in the door. Arabian confidence and bluster can really rattle a girl! I was raised to be polite! And even though I’m opinionated, I didn’t want to be rude and say no! But then I realized I didn’t have to give him my money if I didn’t want what he was selling – and I opened up my face and started haggling. I got what I wanted, he got what he wanted, and the floor didn’t open up and swallow me because I was doing something I’d never done before. Then I got to haggle with a tailor and get a pretty new dress. I’d call that an all around win.

So, yeah: Improv. You should try it sometime. Today, November 15th, is Give To The Max day in Minnesota – the biggest fundraising day of the year. If you’ve got a spare 10 bucks to support the people who bring these life lessons to anyone who shows up, please go see a show at the Brave New Institute or HUGE Theater. OR: click on over to these donation pages and support the venues who keep the funny performances and life changing classes happening all year round.

HUGE Theater: IMPROVATHON – 24 hours of improv. $20,000 goal.

Brave New Institute: adult classes for school teachers (like me!)

There are some really incredible things going on here in Abu Dhabi!

Things I’m digging today:

1. The idea that Third Culture Kids – children who grow up as expats, outside of their parents’ home country/countries – are “quick to think outside the box and can appreciate and reconcile different points of view.”
2. Cute clothes from Mark’s and Spencer – a British department store that is the closest thing to Macy’s I can find here.
3. Eight books and a handful of handwritten letters showed up in my PO box this week. If you are looking for a penpal, I’m always game for more.
4. The Humans of New York Hurricane Sandy relief fundraiser. Photojournalism and community activism at its best. Check it out.
5. Knowing that there is snow falling in MN and I’m not there for it.