September and October are important months to me. I like to sit back with a book and an iced latte and plan my family’s Christmas plans then. Maya loves to travel just like her Mom. Who doesn’t though? To be honest, I married well and lived 9 lives. Then I got bored and moody and we divorced. I’m so much happier at 40 then I was at 25. I believe in working on myself and my passion projects and online businesses; such as my website and podcast pilot. I also get to study another language and mentor other journalists. At 40 years old, I feel very beautiful and confident and proud of the work and experiences that shaped me. Mistakes are human, and I don’t regret a choice that shaped my character and gave me real-world experience.

Today, I am able to work at my own pace and on my own terms because I’m American and because I was smart in my 20s and 30s. Bipolar on disability means I’m excused from full-time work and fasting during Ramadán. I applied and understood how the agencies worked and I had a lot of support with that and still do.

I don’t think life stops just because you have a mental health condition. With medication and a stress-free life anyone with a mental health condition can succeed. It isn’t easy and it is daily hard-work to manage it but that can be said about anything- like diabetes or migraines.

I have the right to change and grow and change my opinion. I make decisions for myself and my family. I have boundaries and I cut-off people who don’t respect them. By the way, I own up to any crazy story you may have heard of me, in Dubai or elsewhere. Being a young and daring woman doesn’t mean you’re reckless- it means I took a risk and it worked out. And got a solid marriage-deal at the end of it. You can try to be me and pretend you did that, or be slow and hop-on the bandwagon a decade later. The truth is not a matter of public opinion, it’s what was established and what wasn’t.

I am at peace and won’t entertain anything or anyone that attempts to disrupt my peace. I moved back to my hometown with My ex and My Daughter and My business and that is what I wanted 🥰

My schedule is awesome and I created that lifestyle for myself by myself. Now, as a 40-year-old Yusra, everything came full-circle, and I can’t wait to mingle and be with like-minded people.

More updates to follow, as I visit and review local events. 🥵