I’ve been feeling a little sad and lonely lately.
Isak Dinesen’s famous quote goes: “The cure for anything is salt water – tears, sweat, or the sea." I figured, ‘Hey! I shed a couple of tears a few nights ago, I sweated buckets at Bikram Yoga the other night, maybe a little seawater will do the trick.’
So this afternoon I bought myself a new neon-green bikini, grabbed my beach mat, headphones and Kindle, left my mobile at home, and went to Jumeirah Beach Park.
The minute I plopped down onto the sand with soft tunes in my ears and the subtle scent of seawater wafting in the warm breeze, I was in an entirely different world from the one I’ve been living in for the past 5 months.
Gone were the stress of the concrete jungle, the busy streets and fast-paced work environment. In their place were the powdery sand and the exquisite sound of waves crashing onto the shore, the soft glow of the sun slowly turning the world orange as it dipped lower towards the horizon. There’s nothing quite like nature to make you feel at peace with the world.
Moments like that make me feel a little sorry for people who don’t like being by themselves anywhere. It feels awesome to be totally comfortable with yourself and not give a damn if other people are thinking "Look at this nutty girl all by herself, propped up on her elbows with her huge headphones on, smiling into the sun with her eyes closed and swaying her head from side to side.”
In that moment I felt so grateful to be here in Dubai. I am so blessed by the opportunities I’ve been given. Despite the homesickness, loneliness and frustration, I am very happy to be here.
I am where I’m meant to be at this point in time. I am here by God’s good, pleasing and perfect will.
Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; For His lovingkindness is everlasting.
Psalm 118:1
