It took exactly 74 days, from the time I accepted the offer from my school in Kuwait till the time the visa was issued (If you want detailed information on the Kuwaiti visa process please click here).
During that time, I resigned from my job, reconnected with friends, spent quality time with my family, sold my furniture, leased out my apartment, packed as much as I could into two large suitcases, filed my taxes, drew up a will and amassed the necessary documents for my life abroad.
My visa was processed in the utmost haste, only to the kindness of the consulate officer who hurried to do the paperwork so that my passport wouldn’t be stuck at the embassy while they took a week off for Eid-ul-Adha. I now proudly have a visa in my passport and have a flight booked… in 2 days time!
It took a matter of 3 days from the time the NOC reached my hands till the time the flight was booked by the school yesterday. And yes I fly out on Tuesday evening.
I may be away from the blog for sometime as I am not sure how much time I will have to blog while I get settled in my new country… But do follow me on Instagram and Snapchat for live updates on my journey:
Oh and thank you to all my followers; it took only a month after I publicly launched my blog for me to reach and smoothly surpass 1,000 hits!
“Maybe your country is only a place you make up in your own mind. Something you dream about and sing about. Maybe it’s not a place on the map at all, but just a story full of people you meet and places you visit, full of books and films you’ve been to. I’m not afraid of being homesick and having no language to live in. I don’t have to be like anyone else. I’m walking on the wall and nobody can stop me.”
― Hugo Hamilton, The Speckled People: A Memoir of a Half-Irish Childhood
![🌀New Blog Post: How I survive moments of doubt as an expat🌀
5 international moves later and I still struggle with self doubt 🫠
The way I see it, life is a collection of experiments where we constantly learn about ourselves. Maybe we succeed at what we set out to do and/or we learn something. If we’ve learned, we haven’t failed, so never look at anything you do abroad as a failure 🥇
In my blog post today I outline some of the coping strategies and thoughts that help me navigate a new place once I have moved. Give it a read if this is something you’re struggling with or share it with your friends who may have just moved somewhere new! You can find the post from the latest post tab in my bio link 🔗
The worst is when people say, “But you live in Europe, how bad can it be?” in response to any problem I am facing, as if living in a European country is a magical cure-all for all of life’s ills. I WISH.
Have you experienced self doubt when moving abroad?
[Living abroad, moving countries, life as an expat]](https://i0.wp.com/expatpanda.com/wp-content/plugins/instagram-feed/img/placeholder.png?w=640&ssl=1)
6 Comments
All the best on your new adventure….Go and show them what South Africans are made off 🙂
Haha do you want me to be deported? Just kidding! Thank you 😊
Mabrook! Finally,Best of luck in your new adventures in Kuwait.
Make sure your papers are intact and your visa along with your contract.
Do you know already which part of Kuwait you will live?
Its still hot now,but the weather will be cooler starting End of October,so you’re in luck 👍🏻
I live in Salmiya area before,just in front of the beach.
Looking forward to hear your impressions on Kuwait.
I have written quite a lot of Kw in my Blog.
Hey I just saw your comment now! Thank you for the tips and well wishes. I stay in Fintas… you are lucky because Salmiya looks like a lovely area. At first I thought I would die with the heat but actually I am surprised that I am adjusting. Yes I read so much about Kuwait from your blog… it really helped build my impression of this country so thanks for that.
Glad to hear that. I wish you all the best in your new adventure in Kuwait.You can ask me anytime If I can help anything about Kuwait 😉
Well done ! Congratulations ! Thank you for all the info! All the best in Kuwait!