After marrying her husband, Tami couldn’t bear the long-distance relationship and decided to join him in Dubai. In search of a safer and stable place, they are building their perfect home together. But moving abroad came with its ups and downs. This is Tami’s story of how she dealt with overcoming homesickness and other challenges along the way and how she is now enjoying life abroad.
Once you joined your husband in Dubai, how was the settling in period for you?
My first six months in Dubai were chaotic and stressful. Settling in for me wasn’t easy. I had to adjust and adapt to a lot more things than I anticipated.
Apart from the weather – which was a real adjustment. I was also worried about getting a good job that would qualify me for a Residence permit. It was a very frustrating process, and it wasn’t easy. But after a couple of different interviews, I was able to secure a job.
I also felt very homesick and missed my friends and family a lot. Luckily I made a few friends via church (a Christian community), which helped me settle in.
Now, four years later, how do you experience living abroad?
Living abroad has given me a feeling like I can survive any situation. I am proud of the achievement I have made in my career and the career switch I made. I developed a real passion for teaching. I never considered it a career for me and wouldn’t have chosen this path in my home country. I also learned more about tolerance and perseverance, especially relating to people of different cultures.
True happiness is my sense of home.
Tami
How do you create a sense of home while living abroad?
True happiness is my sense of home. After a few months of finally settling in, I bonded with some colleagues. They are from other nationalities, but they feel like sisters. We can talk about anything. We share and solve each other problems. It really feels that together we are achieving our dreams. They made my life abroad easy and really gave me a sense of belonging.
How did you prepare for your move abroad?
I had visited Dubai for vacations, but to actually make the move and relocate to Dubai took me two years. I had mixed feelings about going. I felt down about leaving my family for such a long time. But at the same time, I was excited and looking forward to starting a new life with my husband. Once I made up my mind and decided to go, I resigned from my job. I had some savings which, I felt was enough for the relocation and settling in. Getting a visa for Dubai isn’t that complicated. You can enter on a tourist visa and then change the status of your visa. In my case, I was added to my husband’s visa.
Looking back, would you have done anything differently?
I would have liked to save more money. I think it would have helped me a lot with adapting to the new living conditions. Things like rent were generally more expensive than I expected. If I would have allowed myself to take a little bit more time to think everything through, I think it would have helped me, especially in the first couple of months.
Now that you have experienced living abroad, how do you see the future?
For now, I’m not thinking about the next move. But when the time is right, I would actually like a new adventure in another country. Moving home will be the last solution. Maybe not until retirement.
What is your advice for people who are thinking of studying or living abroad?
It is a bold step, so I would advise people to think it through thoroughly. Make plans and have a serious motive before moving abroad.
Every living abroad story is unique, some will deal with homesickness, like Tami, others will struggle with securing a job. We are here to help you along the way, from overcoming homesickness to finding a job abroad and everything else about moving and living abroad.
Inspired by Tami’s living abroad journey and keen to get yours started? Get a copy of the Let’s Move Abroad book today and go! If you have any questions for Tami, email us at hello@letsmoveabroad.com and write “Question Tami” in the subject.
