The rumor is..

that while an individual studies abroad there are a variety of stages the person will go through while on their journey. Stage 1 consists of becoming settled in your new temporary home and the new challenges of getting used to being away from friends and family. Stage 2 consists of finally becoming comfortable in your new residence, and eventually making great friends. Then the individual enters stage 3, when you are beginning to become homesick and missing the comforts of driving, friends, home, wine, boyfriend, home university, and familiarity in itself. It seems the person has been experiencing this all along, but now to a higher degree. Lastly, stage 4 is the stage in which the individual recovers from the homesickness (around the 2 month marker), and becomes fully aware and comfortable, although still missing home all in the same.

(Thanks, Bryn)

I'm in stage 3 as of approximately 2 days ago. I'm becoming pretty homesick and I miss doing whatever I want, whenever I want, and with whomever I want. However, the way in which I will defeat this issue is to simply be myself. This sounds silly, but I've learned from life that dealing with things or people that you don't necessarily like is the only way to grow up. By not being comfortable in one's place, you must deal with it and move on. I'm not saying I dislike Dubai, because it's actually grown on me considerably, although I'm still not into the entire over emphasis on glamour and the rich.

On the upside, I am traveling to Berlin beginning November 15 and I will be returning to Dubai November 20. I will be staying with Theodora, which is a friend I made at SVSU while she was studying abroad for a year. I am extremely excited for this opportunity! I have a small list of places I want to visit, and as all of you know, I HAVE to go to an Aldi!

There are also a number of day trips you can take right here in Dubai. Some of these excursions go as far as Oman and are overnight trips, and some are just the ordinary tours of Dubai itself. I will more than likely be partaking on a few of these in the near future. I haven't even seen the desert up close and personal yet, so I believe it's time for an adventure!

My classes are going great and they seem to be the best part about being here. I already feel as if I've learned 10x the material that I knew before I stepped off of the plane. I'm excited to share my newly acquired knowledge about this place, but I still have so much to learn! Accordingly, you will have to wait for this! :)