7 years in Doha

Wow, I can’t believe we did 7 years here. I have loved it, hated it, liked it, loved it and never really until now, wanted to go anywhere else. Seven years has flown by and it has mostly been great. I would be lying if I said it has always been a breeze, this country can be so frustrating. The people, the rules and the trips to different ministries with the inshallah attitude can drive you nuts. But if you can put the frustrations aside and make sure you get away on regular holidays, Doha is a great place to live.

Doha will always have a special place in my life as it was the first place we left the UK for, it was where we got married and where both of our children were born. It was the first place our little family made a home. 

Marriage

A man and woman should not live together unmarried in Doha. We were aware of the rule and were engaged shortly after arriving in Doha. However, getting pregnant before we actually tied the knot was not planned and although it was one of the best things that happened to us, it did mean we has to change our wedding plans and get married in Doha (quickly). 

After 3 months of finding out I was pregnant I was wandering down the aisle in a random villa/makeshift chapel in the Middle East. Who would have thought it? But it was an amazing wedding and I couldn’t of wished for a better day. My only regret was that my bestest friends were not there to share the day with us, but we did have our family and new friends in Doha to make up for it.

Oliver and Lucy 

So 5 months after our wedding at the end of April, beautiful and amazing Oliver came into this world. He is the most wonderful little boy and I couldn’t be prouder of him. The life of an expat has taught him so much and given him so many opportunities. He thinks the sun always shines, gets excited when it rains and going home is always a disappointment if it doesn’t snow (even in summer). He has experienced Christmas in the cold and in the sun and he knows that Santa will always find you, no matter where you are. He is amazing at swimming, golf, tennis, football, cricket. He has opportunity after opportunity. Yet when you ask him what a forest is or how to play pooh sticks or what English money looks like, he searches your face for the answers.

There is so much opportunity being an expat child, but he misses out on so much of what we took for granted. Once we are home, I think he will struggle with not being allowed out of the house on his own to ride his bike, go to the shops or walk into school alone. Life is pretty safe here.

Lucy came along 5 years later. It was a tough time trying, but finally we were blessed with a feisty, beautiful and confident little girl. She is still so young, so doubt she will remember her experience of Doha, but she will be ready to experience the next adventure and make her mark on the next place we travel to. She already tries very hard now to make her mark – it’s going to be interesting ride!

Friends who have left and who remain

All of them have had an impact on our time in Doha and all of them have made life in Doha worth living there for. In the past couple of years there has been a big change and many friends have made the move to another country and that’s hard. Goodbyes are hard, but thanks to technology, some of them still feel like they’re still just down the road. I didn’t realise it when we first arrived, but people leaving is hard and you become hardened to those goodbyes, but now it’s our time.

Brunch

I couldn’t write about life in Doha and not mention Brunch. My ultimate and most favourite pastime on a Friday and I know you all take the piss out of me, but who can disagree? Bubbles and 5 star food, I'll take that, thank you very much. I am glad I will be leaving known as the ‘brunch queen’. It has added to my Doha kilos, but boy has it been fun. Some of my most favoured memories (or lack of them) have been at brunch and it beats hanging out in Villaggio at Paul café anytime!