The Adventure Begins

Unless you have come across this blog by accident; those of you reading this will know that our adventure started back in February when my employer asked me if I was interested in moving to Doha where we are setting up an office.  I'd been toying with the idea for ages, I love the Middle East, especially Qatar, I'd even considered moving to Dubai after a company had approached me for a job there, but Doha is where I really wanted to be and where I thought Nero would be happiest. It's a great company with a really exciting product and a very hard working team so I'm looking forward to the challenge of doing business in Qatar, which is not the easiest place to do business, I know from experience.

Fast forward to July.  The company has been incorporated and now is the time for visa and residency permit applications and all the paperwork that comes with moving to Qatar.  NJ flew to my parents this morning for a month to enjoy the summer, spend a couple of weeks with his cousins at a British school (in preparation for September when he will be joining the Cardiff International School - which is a private British school) and see the family.  It was heartbreaking seeing him off this morning, knowing I wouldn't see him for a month, but I know he is in the best place possible with my parents and brothers and their families and I can go about the business of shifting continents, knowing he will be well looked after in the meanwhile and have the most amazing month. My parents are the most fabulous people and extremely supportive and I'm so glad I have my family to help me.  I am going to miss him like crazy though!

I'm packing my bags - four to be exact.  I fly to Doha in the morning for the rest of the month in the hope that I will be issued with a residency permit before Eid al Fitr (marking the end of Ramadan) as I have to be back here for the 30th for an important hen weekend - my brother is getting married to a fab lady,  and her hen weekend is here in the Netherlands.  Luckily a colleague is on the same flight tomorrow and we have seaman's tickets, which means I can take over 80 kilos with me (with his help).  Our posessions are going to be shipped at the beginning of August but I know that will take a fair while so I want to take some personal stuff and as many of our clothes as I can carry in the next couple of trips. I will leave most of it there, at our new house if I have managed to sort that in the next three weeks; and otherwise in our new office above the Gate Mall in West Bay.

It's an emotional time, moving is never easy and we are both leaving some great friends behind (and NJ his dad) and our lovely house, but it's the right time to move and I'm convinced that this will be good for NJ and myself.  I'm excited, but scared.  I'm nervous but happy.  I hope we will get lots of visitors, but I know the tickets are expensive. I'm not sure what is round the corner, but I know that the both of us together will do our best to make it work and as we embark on this new amazing adventure, it's with an open mind and much enthusiasm.