The Day I Watched the Sunset Twice

Hello! Welcome! Salam Alaikum!

For those who don't know me, my name is Brittney. I'm a nurse who is beginning 2021 in a way that not many others can say they are. I took a new position at work that has officially made me an expatriate/expat, a person who lives outside of their native country, and I now live halfway across the world, in the United Arab Emirates.

This all came about in the Fall of 2020 when an opportunity was presented to become a nurse manager for the outpatient department at one of the hospitals in Abu Dhabi. It was not an easy decision to make, I had been working as a nurse manager for a successful Remote Monitoring program that was helping lead the way in care for patients with COVID-19, I had a great support system of family and friends, and I had never lived outside of the country before (the longest I had been abroad was one month).

The thought of taking this position brought about so many emotions: excitement, fear, anxiety, I could go on and on. But a few thoughts kept sticking in the back of my head. When would I ever get an opportunity like this again? Anything worth doing in life starts with being scared. One person in particular, who was a great mentor to me and passed away in May 2020, was a prominent voice in my mind. One question he told me to always ask myself when it came to big decisions was, "Is it a crazy idea?" Ask yourself this question 3 times. If ever answer, "No" then its not a crazy idea and why wouldn't you pursue it? Sure, this would mean moving halfway around the world, away from my family and friends, away from where I was comfortable, and plunging head first into a brand new world, culture, and climate (I may be changing my mind about all of this when summer hits here!). However, now (and in part thanks to COVID) we are more connected to the world than we ever were before (Thanks Zoom!) and to be able to work in this new setting, helping build up nursing practice and work with a diverse workforce was an opportunity I couldn't pass up.

In the blink of an eye, January 2nd, 2021. I said my see you later's (not goodbyes) to coworkers, friends, family. I moved out of the house I had spent the last 6 years living in. I went through my belongings and donated clothes, furniture, and dishes that I wouldn't be using for the next few years (my parents will tell you there is much more of my things that I could go through). I had my life packed up into 2 large suitcases, a carry-on, and a backpack. I still can't believe I fit everything I did into those suitcases or that I was able to accomplish all that I did in the two weeks leading up to my departure. Thank you to everyone who helped!

When we got to the airport, we were met with one of the longest lines I've ever seen in my life. All I can say is thank goodness I tried to check-in online the day prior and saw the notice to be there 3 hours before departure (which even then wasn't enough). I'm not sure if it was the post-holiday rush, people who arrived late thinking they would be able to breeze right through, short-staffing, the innumerous amount of people with their pets, or a combination of all things that lead to this long line. We arrived at the airport at 10:00 am for my flight at 1:10 pm. We got in line and waited, moved a little bit, waited some more, and repeat. It was about 12:30pm when we made the turn for the final row, I checked my Delta app and found out my flight had been delayed until 3pm. The anxiety of missing my flight that was increasing as I waited in this line immediately released from my shoulders and I knew I'd have a little bit more time to say goodbye to my mom and dad.

I got up to the ticket agent, presented my passport and documentation of my negative COVID test, put my suitcases on the scale (both under 50lbs my friends!), and asked if it would be possible to get a gate pass for my parents so they could see me off. They were only able to offer me one, so my mom was the one who got to join me. Although I knew I'd be talking with him while I was away, it's never easy to leave. I hugged my dad, shed some tears, told him everything is going to be okay, and that I love him. Then made my way through the security checkpoints with my mom (which...because of the long lines at the ticket counters, was a breeze to go through). I spent a little bit more time with my mom and new boss at the gate and finally it was time to board. I gave my mom a tight squeeze, told her the same things I told my dad, and got on my first of two flights for the journey.

While I'll be working in Abu Dhabi, I was going to be completing my quarantine in Dubai. One of the requirements of my organization, when booking my flight, was to be on a direct flight from a US city to Dubai, so I begrudgingly booked a flight from Minneapolis to Chicago O'Hare (I am not a fan of O'Hare at all - I try to avoid this airport at all costs). My first leg was from MSP to ORD. It was here that I witnessed my first sunset of the day. The flight was short and uneventful. When we landed, I was surprised to find a fairly quiet airport, though it is COVID times, so I should have expected this. I made my way out of Terminal 3 and boarded a shuttle to Terminal 5 where I checked into Emirates and breezed through security again. I walked up to my gate and saw the huge 777 that would be taking me on the next part of my journey - 13 hours to Dubai.

Boarding the plane was the fastest I've ever boarded a plane. This plane could take well over 300 passengers, but there were fewer than 100 on my flight. I had a whole 4 seat row to myself which made for one of the most comfortable flights I've ever been on.

The journey began. I was able to lay down and grab a few hours of sleep. I watched some movies and did what I could to distract myself over the 13 hour journey. I watched as we flew over Greenland, Iceland, Sweden, Russia, Iran, watched my second sunset of the day, and turned my screen to the cameras mounted to the front and bottom of the plane as we began our descent into Dubai International Airport.

We landed and I turned on my phone and messaged my friends and family that I had made it safely. I walked through the airport (which is absolutely beautiful) made it swiftly through customs, collected my luggage, and found the car that was going to be taking me to the hotel where I would be staying during my quarantine.

It's been quite the journey so far and I still have to pinch myself that I'm here. I can't wait to share more of my journey with you!

Until then,

-Brittney