The Emigration Diaries - Homesickness in the Desert.

So, it's been a while hasn't it? I think we are due a catch up!

I've been living the emigrated life now for just over three months. The time has absolutely flown by, and I'm beginning to feel settled. After years of dreaming about it Ollie and I finally have our own place. Our apartment is absolutely tiny, but it's super cosy, full of love, and got a cracking WiFi connection... what more does your gal need??

On top of bagging a lovely little flat, I managed to get a job and a working Visa really quickly too. I went for a mop chop and came away with a receptionist job at TONI&GUY. It's a really lovely salon, with a great team of girls. Knowing that I am employed and living here legally with my Visa is very comforting. When I started out on my UAE adventure I knew that it could take a long time to find a job. There was the possibility that I wouldn't find work at all and would be living out here on a Spouse Visa. Those who know me well know that your Meg is not suited for the housewife life! Going to work and earning gives me a purpose for being out here, and helps towards saving money for a house back in the UK - the main reason we emigrated.

Now you're probably wondering how well I'm coping with being away from my loved ones. It's obvious that when you move abroad you're gonna experience homesickness from time to time, but what surprised me was how quickly it can sneak up on you. One minute you're having a jolly old time in the sun on your day off, listening to a fire playlist, when a particular song comes on that makes you so incredibly sad. Missing your family and friends can be so debilitating, and there are moments when all you want to do is wrap yourself up in a duvet burrito and have a huge cry.

I have always experienced FOMO (fear of missing out), and it's super heightened living away from home. I have never craved a night in Blackpool's Flying Handbag and a box of cheesy chips, a game's night, or just a cuddle with my dogs more. Watching those things happen whilst you're not there is really hard. Accepting that your friends and families lives go on without you is no easy feat and there is always the risk of appearing self centred. How dare they dance to Cest La Vie without me! Right?

Living over 4,000 miles away from home means that receiving any bad news feels 10x worse. Not being able to pop on a train and give my loved ones support as soon as the bad news hits is really upsetting. Even when you know you can't really do anything anyway, just knowing you can't give your family and friends a big squeeze is hard.

Not only am I missing home, but there was a while when I struggled to even ring home. Most internet calling is banned in the UAE, and it's very expensive to ring overseas, so there were a few weeks where I didn't hear my mum and dad's voice at all. The times I managed to get through we could hardly hear each other, and in the end I would hang up in frustration and in tears.

We have finally paid for a service with our internet provider which lets me video call home, and it has helped with the homesickness a lot. Being able to see my family and friends faces in real time, just for a quick catch up has been a God send. I am so lucky that all my loved ones are super supportive of our adventure, and they always remind me of that when I speak to them, which helps me carry on another day.

When my homesickness hits me particularly hard however I take a step back and remember how lucky we are to have this opportunity. Not only are Ollie and I able to save money for our future, but we are living in such an incredible country. The views are fantastic, whether that be camels in the desert, beautiful blue seas, or the incredible Burj Khalifa. It is so nice to be soaking up a different culture too. It's Ramadan at the moment, and I'm really enjoying learning more about Islam and it's traditions. No better way to learn about another way of life then actually living in it.

On top of new adventures, I am going to throw myself back into my blogging and am also attempting to make some vlogs. I edited my videos from our London trip a few weeks ago and really enjoyed it. As the weather gets hotter I will be spending more of my days off inside with our beloved air con, so it's a perfect opportunity to work on my creative outlets. I hope you will continue to join me for the ride.

I hope you enjoyed this rambling catch up. I've missed you all.

Till next time,

Stay golden x

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