PLEASE NOTE: I have NEVER quit anything in my LIFE! So, I’m still sensitive about this shit…….

January 2, 2019, I made the decision to resign from my teaching job overseas. The decision haunted me to days. Well, actually weeks. Teaching in Doha inspired me. Although I only spent 5 months there, I learned so much about my role as a teacher. I have taught kindergarten for 7 years and I grew levels on levels in terms of professionalism and purpose. Teaching is such a fulling career. I must admit that it is a difficult job but in the same energy it gives you a sense of satisfaction.  I love teaching.

However, my job in Doha took me away from my children and my husband. Everyday I felt like I was choosing. Choosing this job, this experience, this paycheck over my children and it sickened me. My family needed me and I needed them. Not until I was separated from my family did I realize that they are home. Home makes the heart happy and wherever they are, is where I need to be. I pray that an opportunity like this arises for us again but in a form where we are all together. My job in Doha asked me to contact them via email if I ever want to return so that made me happy. I know I am a great teacher with a lot to offer but FAMILY FIRST.

GOD

FAMILY

WORK

In that order!!!

So Jess a few things…

1. School days are Sunday to Thursday ( So hard for me!)
2. Fridays are like Sundays for church/mosque
3. There are NO liquor stores here! Now that I have a RP I can apply for a liquor license but the process is ugh
4. All of the Qatari families have nannies and drivers
5. Just incase you didn’t know, this is the RICHEST country
6. The most represented culture here is Indians from India then Filipinos
7. If you go to the gas station, you will NEVER pump your own gas
8. In shallah – hopefully, soon, in time, God willing
9.  driving here is like grand theft auto
10. Yalla- stop
11.  Haram- forbidden by Islamic law
12. As a women it is haram for a Qatari male to shake hands with me( I learned this the hard way)

It’s something about the depth of his dark

The melanin of his skin, the strength of his bark  

I swear to you it humbles me each time 

I look into him and see sunshine

I see love, I see him, I see me and I see them

I bend at my knees to show respect to him  

My king let me taste you… pour your royalty to the brim

Don’t bring me up until your ready, you’re ready to see me 

And when you’re ready, baby please, just love and protect me.

So on my knees for my king ….

Its just a position for me

A position where I get to show  humility.

Because no one in this world ever appreciates you

or show you this love like this queen could do 

The mix of our melanins …Im destined for you

A black man of dark skin with the world as his opponent

Taking place as his queen I don’t say I Jess own it 

November 2017, I told my husband that we should celebrate our 1st wedding anniversary in Cape Town, South Africa. I must say that this was the most AMAZING place I had ever traveled to! The culture, the land, the people, the food. OMG! If you ever have a chance to visit South Africa, please GO and take me with you 🙂 This is just a few pictures from our travel there.

I’m a writer at heart but its mostly when my mind is full. So when I’m off and on blogging its because I’m running then stopping lol. Right now in this moment my heart is full my mind is heavy and my options are slim. I tried to fix it but ignoring it… no luck.. Tried to ease it by burning it… no luck…Tried to rid it by drowning it… no luck… So I’ll try writing it and then leaving it. Let’s see if that works.

You have to take the good with the bad

You have to walk out on faith

You have to just go for it

All of this is all good and cool for me but at this moment in my life, it’s not just me. So recently within the pass few weeks, I’ve accepted a job out of the country. The job is Teaching English in Doha, Qatar. Honestly, I have never even heard of Qatar before I started my job search. This is my story in a nutshell…

July 17th while in Luxor, Egypt airport awaiting boarding for a flight back to Cairo I met a girl who was telling my cousin about how she was living in Egypt for two years. Immediately in my mind I’m like wow Egypt for two years… why?? She continues by saying she was a teacher. Once she said that I was all ear because I’m a teacher (not sure if I ever mentioned that) and I love teaching! So she talked about her journey on how she got started and I literally took notes. In that moment I turned to my husband and said “Babe you want to do this?” He was all “YES”.  The next day I jumped on it with applications and researched. I filled out 20 applications but mostly for the Middle East in countries that I’ve never heard of! Countries like Abu Dubi, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, Dubai but not Kuwait or Saudi.  My 1st choice was Qatar because of the size of the country, I wanted to go somewhere small 🙂 Fast forwarding… One week later, I was offered 3 jobs. One in Qatar, Abu Dubi and Japan. Since I originally wanted Qatar, I focused my time and energy there.

One week after meeting the girl in Luxor, I had a job offer. Two weeks later I had a job that I had accepted. I’m officially moving out the country on a 2 year contract. OMG! So next step was finding a job for my husband. My kids would go to school with me so that would be easy. However, the job search for my husband was the most stressful part of this journey. After a full month of searching and contradicting the choice. He had no job when it was time to leave. So, as a compromise, he decided to take leave from his job for one month to come and help me settle in. My daughter and him would take flight back exactly one month after we land then my son and I would stay. While my husband was here he would still search jobs and look so that they could possibly stay. This was such a hard time for our family because we have never thought that moving overseas was a decision to divide our family. 😦

I wish he knew how much I love him

I wish he knew how much it hurt

I wish he knew that I’m currently losing it

But I really need us to work

I wish he knew that I don’t trust love

Its not him ….its just me

Since I lost love so many times

Im struggling with insecurities

I wish he knew my direction was fucked up

One way going the wrong way

I wish I could say this all to him

But the right time doesn’t fit in a day

I wish he knew how sad I get

Well then again maybe not

Emotions that sniff weakness

Pride will fight it with all I got

I should tell him how I’ve been copping

But that may turn him away

Even though I wish this were possible

Some right time…

Jess not today

Jess that fast I fell off from my blog but I’m back.

The past two weeks have been full of reflections. Reflecting on what’s wrong and what’s right…. what’s working or what’s failing…. what’s real and what’s fake…

Jess reflecting

I’m at the centre point where I’m literally straddling

I’m proud of where I am but I still want more

I’m blessed for what I’ve got but I still want more

I’m humble… but I’m still hungry

Who said chasing money is selling your soul

And made up that shit about glittering things not being gold

I get it the point …don’t follow the hype

Nothings wrong with checking if the numbers are right

I, Jess need more …………