Last Time

So seeing how today is my last day here I felt I would write one last blog post. This summer has been crazy to say the least. I've studied abroad in Florence, Italy for 7 weeks, I've worked in Doha, Qatar for 5 weeks, I've traveled to 6 different countries over the course of 3 months, and I've got to make memories that I will never forget. Over the past three summers I've been to different places and different parts of the world and this summer has topped both of those past summers. There have definitely been some set backs over the summer like my ankle and such but it has still be a great and amazing summer.

There are so many parts that I could say are my favorite parts of my summer but I'm going to narrow it down to two of them. First off, my favorite time while I was here was when my dad and I went to Dubai when I first got here. Even though it was a really fast trip (Two days and only One night) we got to see all of the main points in Dubai. I got to go to the top of the worlds tallest building and also got to go skiing in the middle of the desert. It was a blast and honestly I would have never been able to do that type of thing anywhere else or at any other time than when we went.

My second favorite part was when we went to Germany while studying abroad. In Germany, we had a blast and none of us actually knew anything or what was good to do in Munich. I think the best part of Germany was for sure when we went to the Olympic Stadium and watched Germany's first World Cup with 10,000 other Germans who we never met. We just got invited to go from like four Germans we met in the train station and since we didn't have anything else to do we went and it was awesome. All in All Germany made the greatest memories for us and it was a blast.

So false I'm going to say one more thing. All of my time in Florence was a blast too and made so many memories. I loved everything there was to love about Florence and getting to see and experience everything that I got to do was just amazing. Seeing the Statue of David and just seeing how life like it was was something I will never forget. Climbing to the top of the Duomo was another incredible experience. Seeing the tombs of Galileo and Michelangelo in Santa Crotia was crazy to me because of the history that was buried there. Florence is a wonderful city to study abroad in because there is so much history and honestly there is just a different way of life there that I'm glad i could see and live in.

My least favorite part about my whole time abroad was messing up my ankle while I was in Florence. As some of y'all may know I managed to do something to my ankle and it has basically been hurting me for about the last two months. Thank goodness though that I'm going home tonight and will get to get it checked out before to long. That was just the biggest let down for me because it held me out of doing some things with everyone else just because I couldn't handle it. Mostly it had to do with climbing and hiking mountains. I know pretty random but still. I'm mainly speaking of when we were in Switzerland and then in Cinque Terre.

Living in Doha has really changed a lot of how I few the middle east as well. Even though this is my second time here I still got to see and experience things that I would never be able to do or see other wise. Another thing that I've learned is that the working environment over here is so much different than anything else I've seen or heard about. Everything over here happens at a very slow pace. Everyone has a mentality of just doing things when it suits them best and it's something that I've never seen before. Also I feel like Americans have a mental image of what they think Middle Eastern's are like and I cant say I didn't either. But being here and meeting the Qatari's that I've met I don't have that image any more. The people here are very nice and very hospitable. I'm ready to be home though and get out of this humidity the makes the heat unbearable.

I leave here in less than 12 hours and I don't think I could be any more excited. It's going to be a great feeling to get home finally in the US to all my friends and family. It's been a great a memorable summer but by now I'm ready to be back in the states. Spencer I hope that is good enough for you.

For the last time,
TJ

Pardon for the long absence

Dear Spencer,

This post is mainly for you.


So I started my four week here in Doha and that means I've started my four week of work as well. I'm learning quite a bit while I'm here and it's been quite a good experience. I'm working for three more days with the IT department here at UDC and then I'm moving on the the TComs Division of UDC. Do be honest I'm not really that sure what exactly I'll be doing with TComs but it should be a good time and just allow me to get even more experience while I'm here. Since I'm starting my four week here that also means that I'm about a week and half away from being home in the greatest city in the greatest state in the US and of course that would be Dallas.

By now I've been able to learn and to experience almost every single system that is operating here on the Pearl. Its a great experience and I'm getting to see stuff that I don't think I would ever be able to see in the states including the whole entire network infrastructure that companies would be hesitant to show an intern. I truly am lucky for the summer that I've been able to have.

This weekend was quite fun as well. Thursday night we were invited to go over to one of my Dad's friends house for dinner. He was a Greek and so he invited over a bunch of people to come over and eat a massive amount of pork. It was a little slice of heaven for us. Friday we of course had church in the morning and then went out to eat afterwards with all of the other bachelor dad's whose families are back in the states. On a little side bar I don't think I'll get used to have church on a Friday morning and the weekends being Friday and Saturday. Later that night we went over to another friends house of my parents where we all played poker and just sat around and played for a few hours and just had a good time. Then on Saturday we got the pleasure of going onto the American Army Base and got a grand tour and then got to go to the the store that was on the base and do a little shopping. Then that night we were invited to go to one of the Richest men in Doha's house who lives on the Pearl. I don't think I've ever seen a spread like what they had for dinner. There were dishes that were 3 and half feet wide that were full of meat and there were three of them. One was fish, chicken, and lamb. It was incredible too. His house was one of the biggest houses I think I've ever been in too. It was three stores tall and dinner was on the lowest level where as the desert was on the third level. It was just amazing honestly.

It's been a busy few weeks and I promise I'll update more frequently over this next week and half.

TJ