When I called for room service last night the man on the end of the phone asked me where I’d been. I realised two things: 1. I haven’t eaten at ‘home’ in my hotel room for the last month and 2. The month prior to that all I ate was room service. When I walked into my room before midnight for the first time in the last two weeks, I face planted on my bed and fell asleep. My phone was still in my hand when a text message woke me and encouraged me to order food, watch an episode of Homeland, take a bath and then sleep again. These three things have become such luxuries to me over the last month I’m really looking back and wondering if it was all worth it.

What I enjoy about working hard is the contrast it provides me with when the job is done. I have always been somewhat all or nothing, and in terms of work this is especially fitting. I still have reports to write and reconciliation to complete, but my focus has now moved to life beyond work. After spending two months in a large white tent on top of a sand pit, all I want to do is be outdoors. My only thoughts during the last 8 weeks have been work and flashbacks from the Pacific Crest Trail. It’s really weird the memories that flash back all of a sudden. A campsite, a lake, a view. Small inconsequential moments on the trail are what I miss the most. Quiet peaceful solitude and simplicity. Perspective. I think I lost some of that over these last two months.

Someone asked me recently if they should hike the PCT, if it was worthwhile and a life changing experience for me. In my opinion you should do whatever motivates you if you have the means to do so. Why wait? I read something my friend Leigh wrote recently about the notion of retirement. It mirrored my sentiments entirely: http://remoteleigh.wordpress.com/2014/03/02/by-living-more-i-needed-less/

So what’s next? Right now I’m on my way to Oman so I can extend my visa to the UAE for another 30 days. The driver and I are having some trouble finding the correct border to cross. These things are never simple. In fact to renew my visa my driver needs to drop me at the border, I then walk through the pedestrian access point to get an exit stamp, then take a cab 35 kilometres to the passport office in Oman, get another stamp, a cab back to the UAE border, and then an entry stamp back in. Sure, easy enough.

Before divulging my next adventure I thought I’d complete my recent experience here with a few pictures from the event. I’m on the home stretch now and almost ready to take my next leap of faith to another part of this big wide world!

I’m thoroughly looking forward to getting my life back mid next month and having time to put pen to paper. But I have to say 5 days into the festival I’m starting to feel like all the hard work is starting to pay off. Here’s a preview of the first fruitful days…

This Festival’s gonna give the Sochi 2014 Opening Ceremony a run for it’s money… The city has actually installed a full size countdown clock to mark the occasion. No pressure, just a few more sleepless nights to go!

The life of an expat always sounded glamorous but somewhat artificial to me. Living in a high rise or hotel, expensive company dinners, weekends on the beach, chauffeurs, live in nannies, swimming pools, glitz.

Tonight while I walked along the corniche I came to the realisation that I am in fact an ‘expat’, a word I associate with business men who wear expensive suits or women who sunbathe while the nanny nurses the kids.

Everyone in the working world in Abu Dhabi is an expat. I ran into a woman in the lift the other morning who asked if I was American because she heard me speaking English. She seemed desperate for contact with someone from a familiar land telling me how weird this place seems to her. In some ways I agree, but on the other hand this place feels just as much home right now as anywhere else on the planet.

Tonight was my second evening stroll along the Corniche. Walking is my sole activity outside of work. It brings me such joy to simply be outdoors amongst the life of the city. It also gives me time to think outside of my ever growing task list and refocus on why I’m actually here and what I want to be doing.

When I reached the beach I sat and reflected on this fascinating expat lifestyle I’m currently living. It certainly ain’t champagne breakfasts and lazy days on the sand…

For the past couple of weeks I’ve been swimming in the world of work and desperately trying to tread water while the waves of deadlines and requests have been hitting me from all sides.

I had a few breakthroughs today, and although the tide seems to keep dragging me back, I know eventually I’ll reach a point where I hit the shore again.

This morning I spoke to my four year old nephew to wish him happy birthday, and other than a recent five minute conversation with my dad for his birthday, I’ve been completely cut off from society outside of the Fort walls where the festival I’m working on will take place in just under 4 weeks! Frightening!

As I stared at my computer screen just before 10pm this evening I decided it was time to resurface and give a brief update on where I currently stand. I’m sure a few of you might have thought I’d vanished into the ether, but I’m still alive and kicking, keeping myself afloat and my head above water.