At some point, everyone has had the thought of wanting to go abroad. Be it to travel, for further education or to get some new experiences. Having done my education right from primary schooling up till my graduate degree in Dubai, I decided it’s time to venture out for a postgrad course.
The excitement to come to the UK kept building up but as the time came closer to leave home, family and friends, a rush of anxiety stormed in. Questions like, “Will I be able to manage being in a new city and a new place?”, “Will I be able to cope?”, and many such doubts kept popping up.
The doubts may have stuck on for a while after coming here, but they were eliminated as I met more people and made more friends.
The UK weather, though can get to you at times. Coming from Dubai, a city where the sun is always shining even during the winter afternoons, not seeing the sun here for 2-3 days at a stretch can get gloomy. But all the shivers and frozen fingertips seem worth it when it almost snowed. Well, it was more of a snow shower and though the snow didn’t stay on the ground long enough to make a snowman, seeing it fall from the sky was most definitely a beautiful sight!
In the last semester, I visited Bournemouth and London with my friends, and both these city visits were amazing. Be it the beach in Bournemouth or the Christmas Wonderland and sightseeing in London, these travels have been an iconic part of the past few months and I cannot wait to take the next trip!
Being away from home for the first time makes you do many new things which you’re not used to or which might be out of your comfort zone, but that’s what makes the greatest memories and experiences.
It’s been four months that I have been here, and there are still moments I miss my sunny, warm Dubai, but amongst all the cold, I can now say, Southampton is my new home.