Hey Everyone!

Sorry it’s been so long since the last post. I promise it won’t happen again.

So Sarah and I are sitting at a Costa coffee house in Dubai, United Arab Emirates…perfect time to post on the blog. It’s crazy how small the world is these days. I had been dreaming of going to Dubai for 10 years and now we’ve been here twice in the past 2 months. We did a Middle East trip with our friends Jordan and Jodi in June, and this time we had a 9 hour layover in Dubai. It worked out perfectly. The metro is attached to the airport and brings you right to the tallest building in the world and my third favorite skyscraper…the Burj Khalifa. We were able to hang out for a few hours and watch the famous fountain show.

Now, back to to what this post is all about. It’s been a CRAZY last week. On top of finishing up the final details with our house and jobs, we had the privilege of showing my friend, Filip Sebesta, Grand Rapids this past weekend. Filip was my roommate in Taiwan the first time I went in 2011. Sarah and I visited him in Prague, Czech Republic last year and he promised to come visit this year. Fortunately, he had a conference in Las Vegas and was able to coordinate a visit to Michigan before heading out west.

I’m always amazed at the lasting friendships that can be made anywhere in the world. Filip, along with a few others, and I lived together for 4 months and I consider these guys to be some of my closest friends. I hope history repeats itself this year. Again, this is a great opportunity for Sarah and I to make some lasting friendships. Whether they are from Czech Republic, USA, Taiwan, or Timbuktu, we are looking forward to see what friendships will be made this next year.

So, on top of all the packing and goodbyes, we HAD to make time for one of our BEST friends….cream filled donuts from Marge’s Donut Den! We couldn’t leave the USA for a year without having one last cream filled donut….we also could’t leave without a shake and cheese fry from Steak n’ Shake :D. Got to fill up on all the food we’ll miss this next year!

As I said before, it’s been a crazy week. We didn’t have time to sit back and really think about what we were getting into this next year. It’s a bizarre feeling to leave our family and friends for a year. We never thought it would actually come. First, we’re saying goodbye to our family and friends at a going away party. Then, we’re saying our final goodbye to my parents as they drop us off at the Brower’s the night before we depart. All of a sudden, we’re at the curb emptying out our pile of luggage from the Brower’s SUV at O’hare saying goodbye to them. Where did the time go? Are we really leaving right now? It finally hit home. I know a year doesn’t sound that long, but it’s hard to grasp once it’s happening. Can you remember what you were doing a year ago from today? It’s just weird. I don’t know how to explain it. We’re embarking on a super exciting adventure, but sometimes, it’s hard to overcome the overwhelming feeling of wanting to just stay home. Too late! We’ve been planning this for months now. It’s important to remember why we were doing this in the first place. It’s going to be an amazing year!

Stay tuned as we arrive in Taipei tomorrow. We do not have an apartment lined up yet, but will be searching as soon as we arrive! Sounds stressful, doesn’t it?! Ahhh, sounds fun 🙂

Kyle and Sarah