"To Live By The Open Sea"
- May 25, 2020
- 5 min read
Liz Gilbert: “I've come to believe that there exists in the universe something I call "The Physics of The Quest" — a force of nature governed by laws as real as the laws of gravity or momentum. And the rule of Quest Physics maybe goes like this: "If you are brave enough to leave behind everything familiar and comforting (which can be anything from your house to your bitter old resentments) and set out on a truth-seeking journey (either externally or internally), and if you are truly willing to regard everything that happens to you on that journey as a clue, and if you accept everyone you meet along the way as a teacher, and if you are prepared – most of all – to face (and forgive) some very difficult realities about yourself... then truth will not be withheld from you." or so I've come to believe.”
~ Eat Pray Love
Truth = Peace.
I left my home for an adventure. I left predictability, friendship, and familiarity. I left behind the adorable 1200sq foot home with a front porch for cocktails and slow Sunday talk and moved 10,817km to an adorable ground floor apartment 1/10th of the size (68sq meters, tiny house), overlooking trash bins and crumbled walls, no patio, 18 inch kitchen space, and a nightly stray cat screaming performance, banging their paws on my bedroom windows.
Address: 001.
The first place that was truly mine.
I moved my entirety into 001 on this brave adventure, brave enough to take steps to find peace, face my reality, parts of myself I didn't love, grow into parts I do love, and explore the world. Not a huge Liz Gilbert fan, but I understand "Physics of the Quest" - I understand 001.
It's not all been pretty, especially in quarantine half-lockdown, teaching remotely, hardly seeing anyone except when I take the trash out once a week, but it's been brave fun.
Park Lane Drippy Ceiling Park Lane Bedroom Hallway 2
Drippy Ceilings and Falling Plaster Pieces when the building expands in the heat
Two years adventuring. I've consumed knowledge, food, and thoughts. I prayed in churches around the world and lit candles for peace, love, and contentment. I fell in love with places, food, people, and myself.
That time The Company trusted me to help with the Winter Party. so I took down my Christmas Decorations and wore them with my dress.
Liz Gilbert is right - but so were my Grandmothers when they said this same sentence:
You grow when you eat, pray, and love.
I've grown to fill my curious little apartment. It is time to grow a bit more.
The company is shifting us. We had the opportunity to take a housing allowance and stay here or shift to our location of choice (approved by the company), but I am not yet ready to navigate landlords, leases, utility deposits, etc.
I'm shifting with company housing to "The Pearl" - my description:
"overly westernized and glamorous beach neighborhood with fancy shops, eateries, the marina, and water sporting access at your front door".
A complete 180 from Al Sadd, named after the flourishing natural plants here.
Al Sadd is the oldest surviving mixed-use district in Qatar. A working class neighborhood with hypermarkets and local stores, expats on the building steps each night having a chat. Think middle-class neighborhood and retail area.
Park Lane Kitchen 1 Park Lane Home Park Lane Abaya Park Lane Cats
Top Left: Tiny Kitchen, two burners, pickle jar for reference
Top Right: Living Room
Bottom Left: First Iftar, Abaya optional but recommended
Bottom Right: The Screaming Cat, yes, I went to feed them one night.
I'm going to miss this apartment, as I miss parts of my 'old life'. I thought to myself one evening in November 2017, I need something bigger than this for right now. It's time to need something a bit bigger for the next steps.
I returned to Qatar in August to start this school year, having had an emotional
farewell to my parents. It was much harder to return here than I anticipated. I miss them very much, and now with the global situation, I miss them even more.
This year's adventure experience felt different from the moment I stepped out of the car in Newark to come back. I felt like I was returning to a part of myself I lost, and yet I missed home so much, but here is home too.
With these feelings, I named 001 "the chrysalis".
Something inside me was defining the 5W's.
Apartment 001 Fun Facts:
My first visitor: The Army Captain (now Retired, living in California)
Craziest visitor: Watch Guy (still on speed dial, but stuck out-of-country in his own quarantine, with the borders closed here and where he is too)
Funniest visitor: The Boat Captain (we'll be near-neighbors by the marina!)
Most Random Experience Here: Pool Party and Game Night with Jags, Kim, and Mark (Jags scored us Wyndham Hotel Towels!)
Best Couch Cocktail Chats : Kevin and Jacquia
Best meals: Easter Ham, Herbed Focaccia, Cinnamon Rolls.
Craziest Kitchen Equipment I learned To Navigate: not stubbing my toe on the washing machine
Most Thoughtful Visitor: Aladdin
Best Neighbors: Those in 002 :D
Number of times I rearranged the furniture: 4 (once, and then 3 times since distance learning)
Most Curious Thing: Recording for a Virtual Choir
Park Lane Virtual Choir Park Lane Clasroom 1 Park Lane Classroom Space
Park Lane Living Room Park Lane January 2019 Park Lane Couch
The Apartment : Right after a crazy thought about travel, January 2020,
New Years 2019 Takeaway and April 2020 Lazy on the Couch
Park Lane Tiny Kitchen 2 Park Lane Moon Park Lane Coffee Table Park Lane Easter Ham Park Lane Oven Toaster Griller Park Lane 19-20 New Year
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