Jenna and her new home: Dubai!

Hi, I’m Jenna (24). A short while ago my husband relocated to Dubai for work and I ended up going with him!

What was the first thing you thought when you got off the plane? (bus/train/car)

Hmm.. this place doesn't look so bad. I couldn't really imagine what Dubai would be like before I got there. When I walked out of the airport I saw palm trees and the weather was amazing. The complete opposite of The Netherlands. So my first thought was: I can get used to this.

What was the most shocking difference between your home country and your new country?

I'm shocked that there is hardly any crime, violence or vandalism. People here have respect for each other. That is something that is really missing back home.

Did you ever feel homesick? How did you cope with this?

I don't know if you can call it homesick. It's more that sometimes it's the little things you would like to do, just once, and then you'll be fine for a long time again. But Skype with my mom is the best. That makes me feel like I'm back there.

Did you feel at home in your new country? Why (not)?

Half-half. If I had my friends and family here with me I would be able to fully say yes. Because for me, friends and family are my home. But I have my husband here and I made some new friends so I'm not alone. Since almost everybody that lives here – it’s an expat city – is without their family it's much easier to make friends because you have to create your own family when you move here.

Please give us tips about who to befriend when living abroad. The Russians? The Irish? The Chileans? (Honestly, we want to know some gossip about other internationals you’ve met.)

One of our best friends is Dutch. His girlfriend is Russian and we travelled to Russia with them in June which was pretty cool.
Then we have some Emirati friends, British, Hungarian, Canadian, Indian, Lebanese and a big group of Jordanians. It’s a really international place, Dubai!

Describe the inhabitants of the new country in three words.

Respectful, hardworking, open.

Was there a type of local food you could NOT handle?

Fatoush salad. It's so sour… it's nice once but I can't eat it anymore.

What did you learn from your experience abroad? Was it the loving community you liked? The cheap cocktails? The overwhelming nature? Or was the experience less helpful than expected? Details, we want details!

I learned that our life can "look" like an absolute fairy-tale to others but it in real life it is actually really hard to be able to pay the bills and save some money. Dubai is an extremely expensive country and you spend crazy amounts of money on stupid things. On the other hand, it’s a bustling city, full of opportunities for internationals! I’ve been on beautiful trips to surrounding Emirati countries and made friends with camels. The warm weather’s pleasant too, and my apartment is right on the beach…