Return & "Now What?..."

Figured it was about time to wrap up the Doha chapter of my blog…

The end of my experience in Doha was fabulous. New Student Orientation went superbly. The events leading up to the main day were fantastic! I had so much fun and enjoyed working with my student leaders and meeting so many new faces of the HBKU students.
The “main day” of orientation went well and I greatly appreciate the experience that it gave me both professional development-wise, but also all of the amazing people that I got to work with through the process.

The most rewarding part of New Student Orientation was the end of the day. I was exhausted both mentally and physically. I was leaving the next morning at the crack of dawn to head back to Texas and start classes. However, this moment made everything better- When the CDAs (what they call RA’s) and my OPAs (orientation leaders) reconvened at the end of the day for a wrap-up session right after the small group stuff concluded I could tell there had been a big change, a shift in their moods. Then they started sharing their stories about how amazing their small-group time had been. The students were engaged and meeting new people and did not want to end group time at the end of the day. It was that moment that nearly brought tears to my eyes. I was seeing the trickle-down effect of all the hard work that myself and my colleagues had been doing. It was then that I shared with the CDAs and OPAs that that is what orientation is all about. That feeling that the freshmen leave with at the end of the day knowing that they’re a part of something bigger than then, a part of something that cares about them and wants to develop them. It was fabulous and I wouldn’t change a thing!!

The last orientation event that day was the bowling and pizza get together at the Student Center bowling alley. I’ve never seen so many pizzas eaten in my life! It was hilarious and thankfully there was a Papa Johns in the Student Center to keep up with the pizza needs that we faced! The event was also my going away shindig. It was incredibly nice and I ended up crying in front of all the freshmen, OPAs, CDAs, and staff members when everyone was speaking about my contributions and how great the experience was. It was one of those pivotal moments when you realize that you’ve impacted the lives of others as much as they’ve impacted yours. That moment that student affairs professionals live for.

At that party I said goodbye to all the wonderful students that I had met in Doha. I cried some more saying goodbye to staff members. Katie took me to pick up the outfit that I’d had tailored to fit me. I’m still looking for the perfect occasion to wear it since it is on the formal side. Arooj henna’d my hand, then Basit took me out for my last night on the town. We went to Souq Waqif for the last time, drank some soda, smoked shisha and I tried CAMEL!! It didn’t taste all that different from pot roast. I just had to get over the mental block first. Heading home from the souq I was nodding off in Basit’s car since I’d been up since 5AM.  He dropped me off; I finished some last minute packing and got a few hours of sleep.

Basit took me to the airport at the crack of dawn and I came back to the states. On a side note, the fight was the flight from hell. There were crying babies for all sixteen hours of it which made me want to cry myself about half-way through. My mom picked me up from the airport and I spent a little time with my family before I drove back up to College Station to my new apartment to prep for classes the next day (I’d already missed Monday’s class).

Since I’ve been back I’ve slowly been able to put my experience into words. I learned so much and my worldview changed a little while I was gone… that whole return culture shock that no one ever expects. I’ve tried in small ways to educate people about Muslims, Islam and to correct some misperceptions that people have. I try to share things with my friends and family that make them see that people that live in the gulf area are people too and not that crazy bunch that the news tells us they are.  Most of all I share my experience through sliding in little stories or bits of information here and there.

Three months later and I’m finding myself asking the question… “Now what?”
As of today (November 15), I have exactly 176 days left until I graduate with my Masters of Science in Higher Education Administration with an emphasis on Student Affairs. I’ve started the job search, which is always daunting to even think about. I’ve somewhat narrowed down what I’m looking for. I’ve started to warn my family that as soon as I graduate I’m going to be moving abroad if I have a job lined up. My dream job would be working internationally doing something with New Student Orientation, I really rediscovered my passion for orientation this summer. If I can’t find an international position then I’m looking at schools in a totally different location. I’d love to work in D.C., Washington state, or Oregon. Definitely looking for a change of pace after being in College Station, Texas for six years (how long I’ll  have been here when I graduate).

But as for now I’m in the waiting and job searching stage. My next adventure (hopefully international) will undoubtedly be the biggest one yet! Wish me luck!