One of life's most simple treasures is spending time with the ones we love...

Hello everyone!

I hope this new post finds you in good spirits. I've missed you all... I admit that it has been a little while since I last added a post to my blog but I think this post was well worth the wait...

My mom came to visit meeeee!

She was here for one week last month and I feel bad because I didn't realize how fast the time had passed. I remember preparing to write this post last month and here it is June and I'm just getting around to it. Wow... time flies.

I was thinking the other day and I realized that my mother's visit was actually a milestone in my international journey because she is the first family member to come and visit me overseas. I have had a few friends come, however my mother was the first of my family. What a blessing. I was truly excited about her coming to visit me here in Abu Dhabi and it actually turned out to be a wonderful trip.

 I arranged for us to go to Dubai and visit the Burj Khalifa, which is the tallest building in the world. We did a desert safari trip and she was able to ride a camel while I did the quads. I've been on a camel quite a few times and I don't think I need to ride a camel ever again in life!! It's not an experience that I can say I "enjoy!"

I cooked dinner for a few friends while she was here and we all sat around and ate while we enjoyed each other's company. We went to visit the grand mosque and she learned a bit about the history of the United Arab Emirates. She was also able to come to my school and meet my coworkers and my students as well. My kids were so excited to meet her... especially Mahmoud who kept saying "hello Ms. Brown"... he is a bit mischievous but they were all excited.

One of my other kids, Ernesto, said "Miss Tiffany, your mom is beautiful!" I had already prepped them for her arrival so they knew that she was coming.

Originally, both my mom and my grandmother were planning to come and visit together. Sadly, a few days before their scheduled departure, my great-grandfather passed away. My Gramma had to stay behind for her father's funeral and could not make the trip.

Grandpa Aron Hearn was 95 years old and was blessed to live a long and prosperous life. I remember speaking with him when I was home last Christmas; he was joking and telling me that I needed to find and marry a rich man over here and get myself a husband! Even at 95 years old, he was still full of life. He was truly a wonderful man. Many people are not fortunate to meet their grandparents, let alone their great-grandparents so I am truly blessed because I was able to enjoy my great-grandfather's presence while he was here on this earth. I will cherish those memories forever. Interestingly, in one of my previous posts, I blogged about my great-grandmother passing away; she lived to be 99 years old. As sad as it is to lose loved ones, nothing but joy comes to my heart when I think about the memories that I was able to share with them. All three of my grandparents that I have lost will continue to live in my heart and in my stories that I share with my family and my own kids. My desire is to live a long and prosperous life, just as they did.

"One of life's most simple treasures is spending time with the ones that we love"... something so simply said but something that most of us take for granted. I am truly blessed to have shown my mother a piece of my journey; a piece of my life. Encouraging her to witness the things that are so precious to me that when I left home 3 years ago, I haven't looked back since. Talking about my experiences through my blog and sharing stories with family and friends doesn't describe half of my three year journey being overseas. I'm not sure that it justifies ten percent of it. For my mother to come and embrace a culture, meet my children, see me teach, and express how proud of me she is... is truly priceless.

I have completely accepted that I am the odd ball of my family because I went against the odds of what was "normal" to everyone else... and that's ok. The amazing part is that my journey is inspiring others to do things that aren't "normal" as well. The astonishing part is that one of the "others" being inspired is my mom. My mother came to Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates; not to be on vacation but to visit me. Now who would have thought that a small family from Dooley Drive would be spinning the globe and collecting passport stamps? I am truly happy and fulfilled to have spent that week with her. We have created some memories of our own that I will embrace and keep forever.

The end of the school year is near and I have about two weeks left before I head home. I have already began to plan my summer adventures and  there are many things that I am looking forward to doing... one thing that I won't forget is to spend time with the ones that I love...

Besos besos...