Wednesday, January 16, 2008

10 years on...

I feel like I've been writing way too many reflecting posts reminiscing on the times gone by, but I just can't pass on this opportunity. After all, it's a big one, it's a whole decade we're talking about here. TEN years ago, January 16th 1998 I came here to the United States, right after finishing up high school back in Riyadh. I still remember that afternoon in DFW airport when I landed with my brother and proceeded to immigration. Lots have changed since then. I finished Undergrad and then Grad school, started working, met some awesome people, made some lifelong friends, hopefully learned a few things about life in general. First, it was hard being away from family and home, then I began to enjoy the time away, and Wichita became home. Among some of the not-too-easy-to-forget things in the past ten years (in no specific order)
- the Desi corner in the student center at Wichita State
- the first snow shower
- the first Eid prayer in Henry Levitt arena, basketball stadium
- the first C programming class with Brad Owens
- long nights on the second floor of Jabara Hall
- my little Honda CRX which I shared with my brother and wrecked in 2000 :(
- regular visits to Toledo, OH and Detroit, MI
- all the other fun filled road trips
- the concerts, especially millennium night at the Pontiac Silver dome with Metallica headlining
- Dollar movies at the East side Palace, the place to be at on Friday and Saturday nights during undergrad
- Foundry and Chroma
- grilling steaks on our $20 grill on the patio in Broadmoor
- the first tornado
- Dunkin Donuts on Central, one out of two places that were 24/7 back in the days in Wichita
- driving my boat looking Le Baron without oil and having the engine ceased
- pumping iron and sweating buckets at the Heskett Center
- learning to cook and make chai
- two ACL injuries
- letting go of my fears and starting consulting work: Wichita -> Dallas -> St. Louis -> Wichita -> Boston -> Harrisburg
- my first ever cell phone
- Barnes and Noble on 29th and Borders on Rock, my favorite places to hang out in Wichita
- Chisolm trail park, Sedgwick County park and the side walks in Wichita, miles upon miles of jogging
- Cookouts at our apartment
- Cricket games in Adeel's basement
- Dinners at Mir Saab's
- first trip to Europe
- losing a very close friend :(
- making a life long friend :)
- first crush in the US, psychology class
- first job, teaching biology lab
- first paycheck, ahhh the feeling
- getting fired for doing assignments at work
- learning to fill 'er up, coming all spoiled from Saudia
- burying a friend
- skydiving, shooting, kayaking, paint balling, horse riding, rock climbing, roller coasters, 10 K, hiking

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