‘It’s just for two years and then we will be back’ That was the line we repeated to most people over and over before we left the UK. Six years later and here we are still in Qatar! When people ask us what are the greatest things we’ve ever done, we usually give the same answer- get married, moved to Qatar and had children. Moving here was really one of the best decisions I ever made.

 

We arrived in 2015 with little idea of what to expect or where the journey would take us. Within the first few months here, we were captivated. I think what I loved the most was the diversity of everything and everyone. In the first few months I had made friends with people from every corner of the earth each with their own stories to tell. My conversations with friends and family back home always started with ‘my friend from Singapore, Australia, Sri Lanka, Syria’ etc. I loved hearing about other people’s journeys and how they got here and learning about other cultures. I feel like hearing those stories, meeting all these people and enjoying new experiences was a catalyst for so much of my own personal growth in my first few years here. In the time we have spent in Qatar we have met many people some of whom have become close friends. And like many expats I always find it hard to say goodbye. If you are new here, you will soon learn that your friends become family and they support you through every tribulation and every triumph.

 

While the pandemic may be testing our resilience and tugging quite ferociously on our heart strings as we are separated from family back home, it has also enabled to reconnect as a family unit and spend quality time together exploring Qatar. We try to teach our girls about their surroundings as much as possible to stimulate and engage them. Once you have been here for a few years you can sometimes feel like you have seen and done everything. Having young children during the pandemic forced me to reimagine how we view Qatar. We find beauty, adventure, learning and laughter from the most lavish to the most simplistic things. In the eyes of a child simple walks around Al Bidaa Park, afternoons at the beach or staycations in a five-star hotel or bring the same excitement.

 

We are very grateful to Qatar for all of their efforts in keeping us safe throughout the pandemic. While travel is restricted we will continue to enjoy everything it has to offer and see it through the eyes of our children.

 

– Corryn & Patrick (United Kingdom)