 How I feel knowing travel is on the horizon! And also a shameless plug to post a picture of my newest nephew!
School is officially out, the early morning alarms are off, and a massive new adventure is on the horizon!
Up first on our summer journey: Sapporo, Japan. We actually boarded our flight the literal day after school wrapped up. Trading the intense July Abu Dhabi heat for the cool, breezy northern climate of Hokkaido was the exact reset we needed. The moment we arrived at the airport in Abu Dhabi, we checked in, dropped our bags, cleared security, and headed straight to the lounge to soak up the relaxation and mentally prepare for the journey ahead.
1 Comment
The last time I really sat down to check in here, the world was rewriting itself. 2020 came in like whoa, and let’s be completely honest—the years that followed were just life straight-up life-ing.
Between shifting landscapes, navigating the beautiful chaos of the education world, and finding my footing in a completely new chapter here in the UAE, the silence on this blog wasn't planned. It was survival. But if there is one thing you should know about me by now, it’s that I am a survivor—and I don’t just handle the plot twists; I use them to build something bigger. I’m back. And this time? I actually have a plan. Here we are, already in February! I said I was going to do better and here's the proof. LOL!
Oops, I did it again!
It's not like I didn' t have anything to write and talk about. We did so much in 2022! Cruising, Paris, Amsterdam, hosting 19 people in Dubai! Life was great and busy! I'm going to do better. Stay with me. Well here we are again! At the end of another year and I have dropped this blogging ball. I enjoy blogging very much but I can't seem to manage my time to sit and write and chronicle life. So here's the condensed version of what happened between April 2021 and now...December 2021.
Personal Update: After going to Turkey my friend and I decided to start a Travel Agency. It went great. Due to personal reasons, I decided to step away from that business to focus on things that truly need my attention...MY HUSBAND, MY MARRIAGE, AND ME! So much of the latter part of 2021 was spent balancing the duties of a travel agent, wife, and teacher returning back to the classroom after being away for a year and a half! What a whirlwind but I came out unscathed! School Update: During Term 1 we followed the hybrid model of teaching. My classes were split in half. One week, half of them physically came to school and the others stayed at home and joined class virtually and they switched every week. This was a little confusing trying to remember who should be sitting in front of me because they all wanted to come to school 100% of the time. In January, when Term 2 starts, they all will be face-to-face which I'm currently preparing for because I have not taught a full class of students since February 2020! Readers, pray for me! Marriage Update: No marriage is perfect so that definitely includes mine. My husband and I have committed ourselves to putting our marriage first and making sure we strengthen it at all times. We have decided that in order for us to get different results, we have to do things differently. So we are reading together, praying together, doing marital check ins and so much more. I'll share more about this in 2022 because I'm so excited about what God is doing in our marriage. So, look for blog posts about this. Blog Update: I plan on posting on a consistent basis. This is a wonderful outlet for all of the creative juices that don't have anywhere to go. I haven't danced or sewn in a very long time so the creativity needs to be expressed! I'll be doing weekly recipes and hopefully some sewing tutorials every now and then! I'm also going to do an activity here in the UAE at least monthly if not more so that means Vlogging! Travel Update: As with most of the world, the current pandemic has slowed down my travels but not my passion. Unique Does Travel. a travel agency birthed from my love and passion for travel, will cater to unique travelers of all ages who want every detail of their vacations planned for them. We'll be hosting trips around the world. Our next expedition will be in December 2022 to Dubai! Habibi come to Dubai! Check out Unique Does Travel for more information! You're all caught up now so get ready because 2022 is going to be one AMAZING YEAR! I'm declaring that right now. What are your goals for 2022? What do you want to accomplish? Thanks in advance for sharing! Happy New year and remember to Be Uniquely You! 2020 came in with a bang. I decided I wanted to go to Shanghai for my birthday so I could mark Disneyland Shanghai off the list. My birthday is at the end of January. If you know anything about world news you know that Wuhan was reporting a deadly virus that had flu like symptoms. At the time it didn't seem like it was too serious so we decided to continue with our planned trip. Oh what a trip it was! The world only saw the virus through what was being presented in the media, however, being in China was a different story. Once we landed, everyone was wearing masks and everything was closed. We did manage to make it to Disneyland. It was unreal to see how people were dealing with a virus that was still being debated if it was serious or not. Once we got home and settled we realized that this virus was ripping through the entire world. We are so thankful that we went into the belly of the beast and came out unscathed. It is so sad that many people all over the world don't have that luxury. Enjoy our Shanghai Disneyland pictures. Schools have been closed now for 4 weeks and they will not reopen for the remainder of this school year here in the UAE. The UAE Government did an excellent job of being proactive. Malls are closed and so many other businesses are too. The cases un the UAE increased rather slowly but now we are seeing exponential growth because people failed to quarantine after traveling abroad. This is no longer an issue as airports are closed.
So, we exercise, I conduct online classes, the Husbando streams (Youtube - Split Media Solutions, Twitch - SgtSplit), the Husbando is also doing professional development and taking advantage of master classes, and I cook and we eat. I have been vegetarian for 7 weeks and I have seen so many benefits being on this journey. I have also found so many plant based foods that I don't think I'll ever go back to meat unless it's for a chicken wing or 2 or 10. Who am I kidding, 20. With all of this free time I do plan on doing more Unique Does Cooking and letting my creative juices flow. Be on the lookout for what's to come. Stay safe. Wash your hands. And Be Uniquely You! Yes, I've neglected this! I am going to vow to do better I am just trying to live in each and every moment. Now where to begin... The 2019-2020 year began with a bang. I can honestly say this year is an improvement from last year. The behavior of my boys, my creativity and energy, it's all going so well at the moment. I started this year living without my husband. He stayed back in Atlanta to become a Certified FAA Drone Pilot and to purchase a drone and he did just that. *Insert the biggest smile of a proud wife* I maintained our life here. Some of the highlights were going to a FREE DJ Jazzy Jeff concert.
I went to Disneyland Paris. I want to go to all of the Disney Parks in the World and this made #7! In October, we took an impromptu/I miss you visit to Amsterdam. That is his favorite country hands down! My cousins came to visit and we went to some of the popular tourist spots here in Abu Dhabi. One of our stops was the Emirates Palace and I had ice cream with gold on top! At the end of November is National Day and we get days off. This was when the husbando and I were going to meet in Maldives and be reunited. *Insert song "Reunited and it feels so good." Check out the video below of our experience. It was amazing! Life is good. So remember to Be Uniquely You!
My friends and I embarked on what we have coined an Epic Summer! Words cannot even begin to explain the amount of fun that we had. Check out the videos below. This school year is so very different. The kids are different. The school day and routine are different. It's just different and I've struggled with getting in the groove. As a teacher, it is important to establish routine and procedures and I'm just not feeling that I'm there. So Term 2 was a blur. We introduced blended learning which was somewhat successful. It's hard being a teacher when I'm moving from class to class. I'm trying to be positive but I'm finding it hard to continue my creative way of teaching when I move classes every 45 minutes. END RANT. The entire term I was waiting for Spring Break. I had a countdown app and I looked forward to the quotes and seeing how many days that were left until vacation, DAILY. With that being said, SPRING BREAK OWES ME NOTHING! I had a blast. One of the goals when moving here was to travel and I can mark that as done and I'm not even done traveling! I did a Daily VLOG. We traveled for 10 days and each day brought a new adventure. Every day is below. I will do better about documenting my term 3 successes and failures.
Remember to BE KIND TO ONE ANOTHER AND BE UNIQUELY YOU!
|
Hey there, I’m Janelle! Welcome to my corner of the world. I’m an international educator by day, and a massive, do-life-big lover of travel, creative sewing, and bold cooking by night. Currently based in the beautiful UAE, I believe the world is too huge to stay limited by what society says about you, and I'm convinced that creating a life you love is the ultimate way to realize we are not defined by anyone else's expectations. From ziplining in Ras Al Khaimah and hot air ballooning in Cappadocia to conquering 6 out of 7 Disneys worldwide, I’m on a mission to see it all (and probably fabric-shopping or food-tasting along the way!). Want big travel experiences but hate the stress of the unknown, the planning, and the endless logistics? You’re in the right place. I share global inspiration here to show you exactly how to break boundaries and explore—and when you’re ready, I can design the perfect custom travel package for you over at Unique Does Travel. CategoriesArchives
July 2026
|
