A sense of adventure

The sun setting on the Burj al Arab. 

Yesterday afternoon, I sat in the late afternoon sun with a warm breeze blowing, the kids were running off their energy at a beachside park in the shadow of the Burj al Arab. As the sun began to slink down the sky I had one of those moments. Those little jolts when you suddenly think 'how on earth did I get here?'

Is it just me, or does this happen to you every now and again? It's almost like watching yourself from a distance. I looked at the kids, who suddenly seemed older, more grown up. I looked at the amazing view around me. I soaked up how comfortable and relaxed the kids were in this setting. They're totally at home and at ease. I thought about Skip flying 20,000 feet above Saudi Arabia at that moment on his way Lebanon.

It seemed like five minutes ago the girls were just babies and I was waving Skip off to Brisbane. Now these walking, talking, opinionated people are in my care and I'm waving him off to Beirut.

While living in Dubai is not strange anymore, I still strongly feel the sense of having a big adventure, which is terribly addictive. While I don't get to jet off to places like Beirut, I love hearing Skip's tales on his return. It's meeting new people and hearing their stories. It's venturing to a new part of town in search of a good meal and feeling like I could be in downtown Mumbai. It's knowing that being in the centre of the globe you could trek off to somewhere new with ease, even if you don't.

I often wonder when this feeling will end and the pull of 'home' will take over. Or if it ever will. Sure there are moments when you'd like nothing more than to sit and chat with family and friends. Or wish that the kids had a lush green backyard to play in. Or to laugh with people you share a long history with. At the moment, the pull of the adventure is still too strong.