Following your life partner in the United Arab Emirates

Wow! This topic has definitely struck a nerve!

I’ve been living in Abu Dhabi for almost four years now and if someone told me then that I would be a ‘trailing spouse’ for all this time, I would have laughed in their face.

I’m not laughing now though.

I was never supposed to be moving here ‘with my husband’s job’ for very long. We were both teachers back home and were told by our agency that I wouldn’t be able to get a job as a teacher initially because my degree is in a different subject to my PGCE. However, they assured me that it wouldn’t be long before I should be able to work as a teacher here.

But the reality has been quite different. The opposite in fact. I have applied for many schools and have not been able to secure a job as an English teacher anywhere in Abu Dhabi. So I’ve had to find other ways to make money a one of which is running my blog ***.

It has been a challenging experience, especially as I’m quite an independent woman and have had to rely financially on my husband (which I was not used to doing before).

But it has also been a liberating one. I have been able to explore my creative side with writing and generally return to the things that I love doing. I have been blessed with time to learn new skills and understand that my worth doesn’t come from what I do but who I am. No, we may not have reached the financial goals we set out to achieve but I do feel like I have grown so much more as a person because I’ve had to carve out a path for myself out here. I was forced to make the shift between “how can I make money?” to “where can I add value?” This birthed one of my other ventures afrohairuae.

I’ve met some great people, especially women who are in similar situations to myself and they are doing amazing things out too.

It’s definitely a sacrifice and an adjustment but one I would make again.

I hope this has been helpful!

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Take care! Helen x