Friday 17 April 2009

End of an Era

It’s the end of the world as we know it.....

An earth-shattering thing has just happened in Dubai – Ashleigh, one of my best friends and flatmate of 3 years, has pulled the pin. After almost 3.5 years of service, she’s resigned and has departed the sandpit one last time and has relocated to Melbourne where the pastures are certainly greener.

While some crew pretty much schedule farewell tours with endless dinners, piss-ups and get-togethers, Ash went quietly ... although I wasn’t there to witness the possible debauchery of her final night out. We had a nice low-key buffet dinner at Yalumba, the lovely Australian restaurant that has been the setting for many boozy brunches. With low lighting, a one-man band and a few bottles of rose, we chattered and talked about what the future holds for Lil Ash.

There aren’t many words to describe the loss felt when a best friend leaves. No-one really talks about it as the focus has always been on what happens when we first move to Dubai – all the new experiences, the outings, the culture shocks, the new friendships forged and of course, the ever frustrating battles with things like banks, car registration and phone conversations with the phone company. When people leave, unless they’re very good friends, the world seems to swallow them up and life resumes as normal in the desert. I can’t see that happening this time.

While there are some very frustrating and foot stamping moments in Dubai, the majority of us love our lives and freak out at the thought of returning to what we did before flying or ... gasp ... the possibility of trying something new. This is such a fear-inducer that some crew get comfortable and just never leave! I’ve never really known what I wanted to do when I grow up. Now that I’m 26 maybe I should think about it! There are lots of things I’d love to try, with the more eccentric ranging from being a jewellery designer or a diamond expert, to a guide dog trainer to a model. I’ve not yet finished uni, but following my final remaining part-time semester I’ll have a Bachelor of Criminology with majors in Criminal Justice and Psychology. Ideally I’d love to get a job in the field I’ve trained in but I also have thoughts of running a shop that sells beautiful things with my Mum. Or moving to Bolivia with Felicity and establishing a Llama and Meerkat farm. I’d like to take this moment to assert that there will be equal numbers of Meerkats and Llamas on the farm. Are you reading this Felicity??

There are possibilities for anything and that’s what makes life so beautiful. Due to my lack of words regarding Ash’s departure, I’ve chronicled our greatest adventures caught on film. Enjoy!!



1 comment:

Girl on Tour said...

It seems lots of Aussies are coming back home from the Middle East of late. I am home right now, and the thought of heading back to KSA in a week already has me with a little anxiety! :D