Redefining...Everything!
I am technically two months into my sabbatical. I had grand plans of weekly blog posts, turns out that was ambitious. Once the first due date passed it was easy to skip the second and so on. Thanks to former NKU CEE Research Fellow, Ben Reynolds, for nudging me to get started. Ben is blogging about his experience as an economics graduate student at Essex University.
The relocation to Dublin has been eyeopening, academically, professionally, socially, and personally. There is a lot to share and too much for one blog post. I’ll share some random updates, feel free to ask if anything is worth going into detail.
Sold the house with everything in it- On August 10th my friend John Carey posted an article about spending your money on experiences and not things. At the time, we were also thinking about increasing our mobility. It was just enough of a nudge to liquidate. I wouldn’t be a true economist if I didn’t tell you that my investment strategy these days is cash heavy…too much uncertainty in the market.
Seeing the world- In addition to getting to know the Dublin area we have traveled abroad. Since July we have visited Muscat, Doha, Paris, and have plans to visit London, Alicante, Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Prague, and Dubai. I spent much of my younger years investing in my education and career. I passed up on many opportunities to travel and see the world. I am glad that I get the chance to do it today.
Academic environment- I love how collegial the economics academic environment is in Dublin. I am grateful for the opportunity to spend time at UCD-Economics. I have enjoyed the collaborative workshops, conferences, and talks that are held here.
Redefining the meaning of sabbatical- October was a tough month for me. I had two papers fall apart when incorporating reviewer comments. I found myself measuring the success of sabbatical by the number of publications and working papers. I had to refocus my effort on measuring sabbatical by the amount of learning, meeting new people, and being a consumer of knowledge. I feel more focused on enjoying the experience.
Till next time!
Follow updates of travel on Instagram. @DrAAlBahrani
