How The Experience of Living Abroad Makes You See the World Differently

I never felt the urge to move because of one very simple reason: why should I move if I enjoy where I am?

I was not somebody to travel or go on vacation for one probably weird reason: I'm a very happy person in the place I call home mainly because there are many things that I enjoy doing such as doing sport, meeting friends, reading, painting, or music (since I have a husband, kids, and dogs, they fall a bit short, but still, we always have something we are enjoying within our four walls).

Nonetheless, I moved more than I would have thought?

First, it was a small jump from Stuttgart to Munich (one car city to another), and then in 2012, my husband suggested a more significant jump from Munich to Doha planned for just a year that ended up being five incredible years. (If you can see the FIFA WorldCup, plan a few days to experience Qatar and maybe overcome some presuppositions.) From Doha, we went to Dubai, where we spent another fantastic three years and then left the Middle East, settling in Switzerland personally but still working in the Middle East and having the pleasure to enjoy the Expo 2020.

Why it had such a massive impact on me

It widened my perspective to the degree that I would not have expected. Moving to the Middle East was an experience that taught me not only about a different culture but so much about myself. The Middle East was an experience that I treasure dearly (so dearly that I won't stop working there). My time in the Middle East match perfectly with three songs:

1.?????A whole new world, The Aladdin Song (whoever sang that)

2.?????What a wonderful world, by Louis Armstrong

3. I'll be there for you, by The Rembrandts

1.?????A whole new world

Aladdin & Yasmin sing it on the flying carpet, just like the ones I experienced in the Majlis in Doha, and I sing along "a new fantastic point of view." Growing up and being surrounded by Germans who believe what I believe and act similarly to me, I feel my time in the Middle East opened my senses to many biases I held. I probably learned new biases, but that is a different story; what is true for sure: I'm more aware of them because I learned new perspectives from people with diverse backgrounds! I experienced different ways of being, behaving, and living, which I now feel part of me.

2.?????What a wonderful world

My friend Louis sang it with a much different environment in mind. For me, the optimistic tone and messages of care have been what I have experienced with every Arab I have come across so far, the Qatari, Emirati, Saudi… All of them have always offered hospitality to my family and me. My experience was indeed "I see friends shaking hands, saying how do you do…" and "I think to myself, what a wonderful world." I now want to see more, experience other differences, and enjoy new cultures.

3. I'll be there for you

Mainly the first line is an aha that stuck with me "So no one told you life was gonna be this way…". If you had asked me ten years ago, I would have answered that I will still live in Munich Schwabing (love love love that area of Munich) and probably not moved far away from the two gas stations I lived on top of (which is convenient in Germany because all other shops were always closed when I was off). Letting go of the belief that life would go a certain way was one of the richest learnings of all. Understanding that there is no specific path I need to follow, and most trails are not predefined but instead created as I walk the path. In addition, the ex-pat community is unique in the Middle East, and we enjoyed meeting people.

What now?

Let's see! For now, we are in Switzerland. Once, I have a Swiss friend – for the life of me, that accent is hard to understand, but I have not given up yet as I did with Arabic after three teachers! Once I have a Swiss client – business is done differently, and I, for one, am still learning… And once we have a Swiss rescue dog – we adopted one in Doha, one in Dubai, so naturally… Once all of this is done, I might be ready to leave, but until then: let's crack this nut of arriving back in Europe enjoying public transportation for a change.