One whole year in the sand box

As I sit here and look past the flickering lights on our Christmas tree and focus on the distant palm trees and mangroves outside my window, I am forced to examine where my life was one year ago.

This time last year, I was struggling to keep my emotions in check as I hugged Miranda, my girlfriend at the time, outside a simple breakfast diner near Minneapolis. I was about to board a plane for the Middle East in a few hours and my immediate future was very uncertain.

My first day working at The National was December 15, 2012 and it was conveniently the day after I first set foot in this country. When duty calls, there's no time for jet lag.

The initial transition was anything but smooth. I was so ill during the trip that my colleague, Steve, who was also making his UAE debut, felt like he was talking to a corpse during the 15-hour flight over the Atlantic Ocean on a packed Etihad plane.

That first month was spent at the Royal Ramee Hotel & Apartments, which was down the block from my office (which was good) and also had a free daily breakfast (which was not so good). The "American sausages" looked like under-cooked hot dogs and the tinfoil presentation always reminded me that I was dining in style...

But a quick glance outside my window offered incredible views of serene desert sunsets and the popular mosque across the street.

Then came Christmas.

I will never forget that holiday season because it was my first away from home.

All my office mates and very new friends were nice but trust me, it is never a good idea to re-locate just 10 days before Santa comes to town. It doesn't matter if it is the Middle East, Japan or Tuscaloosa, Alabama.

Those were lonely days and just getting over the sickness from hell did not help things. But like I always do, I made the best of it and got a little help from my friends.

A fellow production editor at the newspaper, Rich, took it upon himself to entertain me with a few beers after deadline on Christmas eve. Rich is also a fine American and I think he saw a fellow countrymen in need.

We went to a swank place called Stars 'N Bars on Yas Island, feasted on over-sized cheeseburgers and washed it down with cold Budwesier while we gazed at the gaudy Viceroy Hotel, which lit up the early-morning sky. Yes, this is the hotel with a Formula One track that goes underneath it.

Unfortunately, during that particular holiday season, there were no Christmas carols and there were no stockings stuffed with care.

So last night after deadline, we hoped into Rich's car again and set a course for Yas Island to celebrate my one-year anniversary in the sand box. This time, we had another production editor, CB, from India, with us in tow as we reflected on what has been the past year at The National.

It was just fitting that the surrounding area around Stars 'N Bars was under heavy construction during last year's holiday season and during our current visit, Rich gave us a quick tour of all the new restaurants, cafes and clubs that have sprung up.

It's like the players are the same but the game has changed. A year has passed and things have improved in a very good way.

I'm not one to promote useless milestones, unless there really is something to celebrate. Living in Abu Dhabi this past year has presented many challenges as there has been many twists in my professional and personal life.

Planning a wedding from abroad and then actually getting married to the woman I love has definitely been the highlight for me in 2013. We have also built a home together over this past year in Abu Dhabi and it looks like a 7-star luxury hotel compared to the old Royal Ramee.

As an exciting new year is about to start for Miranda and I, we're not really sure what is in store for us while living in the desert. How long will we live in the sand box? What new adventures are on the horizon? And should we open the red or white wine?

All I can say is stay tuned...