Who are you?
My name is Lindsey Parry, I’m a British freelance writer and mother to one, living in Abu Dhabi.Where, when and why did you move abroad?
I first moved abroad in 2006, to Dubai. I had been offered a job in Dubai and having always been excited by the thought of living overseas I leapt at the chance.
What challenges did you face during the move?
The hardest part was probably deciding what to keep and what to get rid of! I had no extra shipping allowance as part of my job package so all I could take with me was what I could carry on the plane! As it turned out this wasn’t a bad thing, as what you wear and items you use changes quite a lot anyway according to your new life.
Are there many other expats in your area?
Yes there are a lot of expats in the UAE! The number of expats here actually outweighs the local population!
What do you like about life where you are?
The weather is (nearly) always good which makes people much happier in general, and life is much easier on the whole! It’s the small things that make the biggest difference, like being able to have your laundry and dry cleaning collected and then delivered! Small things, but these things make a huge difference to the quality of your life. We are also very spoiled here with incredible restaurants and just a very good quality of life in general.
What do you dislike about your expat life?
Being away from family and friends is the hardest thing. It doesn’t get any easier the longer you are away, you just get used to it.
What is the biggest cultural difference you have experienced between your new country and life back home?
Learning to deal with so many different cultures. People say London is a multicultural society but it’s nothing compared to the UAE! The biggest learning curve in living and working in the UAE is finding so many cultural differences and opportunities for misunderstandings – but you adjust very quickly and learn to accept and deal with the differences.
What advice would you give to anyone following in your footsteps?
Just get on and do it, and don’t look back. You’ve got absolutely nothing to lose and if you don’t go you’ll never know!
What are your plans for the future?
Who knows?! For now, we’re very happy living in Abu Dhabi and have no plans to leave, but you never know what’s round the corner as an expat, everything can change in the blink of an eye!
You can keep up to date with Lindsey's adventures on her blog, Arabian Notes.
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