*sometimes it does rain
The whole beginning of this year has felt a bit like this: sometimes the days feel long, sometimes they feel short but when a new month comes along I have to do a double take and ask where the last one went.
April was jam packed with every category: work, sports, and travel.
At school, it felt like assessments and paperwork were rolling out every hour. I started buckling down and (thankfully) have been in a good pace to have everything checked off by the time Ramadan comes around in mid May.
My two favorite highlights from April have to be the final Gaelic Football tournament that took place in Abu Dhabi and my weekend in Oman.
Let us begin our tale with Abu Dhabi: The Weekend of 50% Gaelic Football and 50% waiting in line for drinks.
The journey began on Thursday afternoon as the Harps ventured to the airport for our flight out of Kuwait. Basically the plane was comprised of the team and a few unsuspecting random people. We arrived safe and sound later than evening. I used the few hours before bed to make a special trip out for a quick visit to the ladies I'd met at the beginning of the year. It was awesome getting to catch up with them in person and hear about their plans for the summer and the coming year. It's another amazing side effect of working abroad: while these lovely women work in Boston--a small drive from me back in the States, I still may never have met them. Through a mutual friend and all of us living in the Middle East I was able to connect with them and am very thankful for the opportunity.
The next day was long and sunny but action packed and one for Kuwait Harps history books. I played with the ladies senior team this round and to say I was nervous barely scratches the surface of my emotional roller coaster. However, when we won that first game (a first in a few years might I add) I was overfilled with pride to be playing along side such incredible and strong women and wanted to do my best for them.
Tournaments are long and very hot. You play one 14 minute game and then wait a few hours until the next. We got to catch some of the lad's and girl's social games but as we kept winning (or tying) our games, the pressure started to mount. Then came the moment the Kuwait Harps Ladies Senior Team moved on to the championship game. We were beyond ourselves. There was such pride and motivation as we prepared to play that last game. A resolution that we were strong enough to win but that we had to want it.
We did want it. I could see it on every person's face as we went out onto the field.
It's just, in the end, the other team wanted it more.
And though the story didn't end with a 1st place plate, I think of it as a different kind of happy ending. In the moment there was disappointment, of course, we were not the public victors. But, I know we weren't any less proud of what we had done and how far we'd come since the beginning of the season.
And that's why I'm proud to be a Harp.
That evening, as tradition for the last tournament of the season, there was a huge celebration with food, drink, and music. The drinks were free but only if you endured an endless queue to get drink vouchers followed by another endless and chaotic queue to actually get the drinks.
I didn't see some friends for quite a while because of it. I said my thank you's when friends came back with six drinks in their hands and graciously took one or two off them.
As a music nerd, one of my highlights was getting to talk to the band; an awesome group flown in from Ireland for the occasion.
Since I'm not a night owl, I enjoyed the food, drink, and friends but crawled into bed at a modest 1 AM. It's the best kind of tired. The tired you feel after a long day of doing something that you're proud to be a part of.
The trip to Oman a few weekends later is a little more compact as far as recounting the events that transpired. My flatmate, a friend, and I decided for one last weekend away to get us to then end of the year (since we didn't have a spring break, #teacherproblems). We had never been to Oman and had only ever heard amazing things about the country. Oman is half of the bottom edge of the Arabian peninsula. Half is Yemen and half is Oman (if that helps, a map has been included). We stayed in the capital city of Muscat located on the coast of the Gulf of Oman to the east. It was a short weekend with the right mix of adventure and relaxation. Our first day we went on a beautiful excursion that took us to the desert (where I got to ride a camel) all the way to a luscious wadi (ravine) where you got to swim surrounded by beautiful mountains: a true desert oasis. Specifically, we visited Wadi Bani Khalid. Wadis are spaces that fill with water during the rainy season (though some only decrease in water level) and create a small paradise within and around its waters. In addition to our adventure day we also got to go around and see some of the beautiful city sights of Oman. We spent a few hours just walking along the beach, exploring the creatures and climbing on rocks. One evening we went to the famous Souk Al-Mabarakiya followed by dinner outside. We ended the evening on the top floor of a hotel enjoying a drink (as alcohol is only available in certain hotels) and looking out onto the marina.
It was simply a weekend of good fun and good times with friends. Though it was a short trip it was hard to come back all the same. Oman was as beautiful as advertised and it's good to know there is still more to do and see should I ever return.
Now we've reached May and while I won't spoil the next post it has definitely been crazy to put that countdown up and know that my first year of teaching is coming to a close. Between everything I've seen, learned, and everywhere I've gone, reflecting on this year will be no small task.
Have dreams, will travel.
~Shannon O'Leary