Mom Deployed: R&R Start in Dubai

I can tell I need a break. Before I went on my last R&R I didn’t realize how badly I needed a break. This time, I could definitely tell.

Getting ready for R&R is stressful. I had so much work to do that I wasn’t in my room packing until well past midnight. We aren’t supposed to do laundry after 10pm but I really needed to so I did it anyway. It is a blanket rule for all laundry rooms on the compound but my laundry room is outside and the sound doesn’t echo like it does in some of the other buildings so I was relatively confident that I wouldn’t disturb anyone. I washed my wallet and my camera. See, this is why I don’t usually break rules…karma.

I met my friend Bimi last Sept at the deployment processing center. She and I work together here. There is a special bond with the people that deploy in the same group. Bimi had done two tours in Kabul but this was her first time in Kandahar. Born in India, she moved to the US in her 20’s so she is well traveled. We hit it off right away so it was a pleasant surprise that we were going on R&R at exactly the same time.

Bimi and I arranged to have a private tour guide and driver meet us at the airport for our six hour layover in Dubai. Bimi’s son and new daughter-in-law were having a wedding reception while she was home and she wanted a traditional Indian outfit for the event. Because Dubai is an International hub, the shopping is amazing. We wandered the streets of shops and while Bimi shopped, our tour guide filled my head with so much wonderful information about Dubai and the Unites Arab Emirates. The guide is from Mexico and she moved to Dubai when her husband accepted a pilot job with Emirates Airline. She has two middle school age children so it was fascinating to hear about her life and how her children felt about living in Dubai. After Bimi found a dress, we went sightseeing. I really like Dubai.