I spent most of the day today feeling about as low as could be. Which makes very little sense because by all metrics (other than my personal emotional well-being) it was a really nice day.
We started early with C's assessment testing at the American School of Doha (ASD), which went well. C tested at the normal level and we'll hear the formal admissions decision in a couple of days, which sounds like a formality; I have no doubt that C will get in. School starts on September 9, which is a little late because they are finishing construction of a large new complex which should be beautiful.
But by the time we got home at 9:30 I was pretty much done for the day. We had our new friends Dane and Lucas stop by and the boys played with them at the community center and then at their house for half the day, which is wonderful. Their dad, an acknowledged saint, delivered a case of my favorite adult beverage. My parents called and we all got to talk to them for a good while. And I still felt like crap. I miss my friends, I miss my dog, I miss my garden, I miss Frick Park. I'm sick of hauling three kids to a different mall every day because there's pretty much nothing else we can do. The malls are plentiful and spectacular -- they've figured out how they can draw folks in when the heat is oppressive -- but they're still malls, and I just don't like those places. I want to get outside and play.
It felt like Seasonal Affective Disorder but in reverse, like my body just can't handle this much sunshine without shutting down and seeking a dark hole. Maybe I'll get used to it? The good news is that once we got to 5 pm and the sun went down, I started to rebound. There was an actual crowd at the (usually empty) pool, all the regulars were there. The community here isn't so different from Regent Square with all the young families, friendly neighbors, and the huge proportion of people with post-graduate degrees. I just need to get my head in the right place, forcibly if necessary. Must... regain... perspective....
I hear there's a walled children's garden just a block or two away from our house, only women and children allowed, I'm hoping to try it out tomorrow morning before it gets unbearable. And I think I'll invite someone over for dinner, which as you probably know is one of my favorite ways to improve my mental health.
