HOT & HAPPENING, but still missing Home
The Krugers have been in Abu Dhabi for more than 10 years now but still come back to SA whenever they can. ‘Because there’s nothing more beautiful in this world than an African sunset.’
My husband, Johan, and I have both been in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for more than 10 years. We share an amazing life here with our daughter, Mia, our English bulldog, Lola, and our cat, Milo.
We live in a compound that is approximately 35 minutes drive from the city of Abu Dhabi.
I moved to the UAE after finishing my studies at the University of Potchefstroom. I worked as a flight attendant for Etihad Airways for two years.
After that, I got the opportunity to work for Presidential Flight, the Abu Dhabi royal family’s official carrier.
It was an amazing experience. I travelled the world while working on-board a multimillion-dollar jet with bedrooms, a spa, gym facilities and movie theatres.
No one was ever allowed to know where I was flying to. Not even my husband. All in the name of the safety and security of the UAE top brass.
Johan is an air traffic controller and works as a training specialist in Abu Dhabi.
Life here is very safe, slow and convenient. And although we feel blessed to have the opportunity to build a life here, we do miss the culture, traditions and people of South Africa dearly.
My husband and I have been together for five years, married for three years, and Mia just turned 1.
Being pregnant in the UAE during Covid was scary and testing at times. My parents were not able to travel here due to the travel restrictions, and we weren’t able to travel to South Africa for the birth of our baby, as planned.
Thankfully, healthcare in the UAE is very good, and giving birth was easier than what we imagined.
I gave birth to Mia in the Danat al Emarat Hospital, which specialises in the treatment of women and children.
I stopped working as a flight attendant before I fell pregnant. After giving birth, I was looking for an opportunity to work from home.
Being a new mom can be a challenge. Mia struggled to sleep properly, and so I decided to start my own business as a sleep consultant, Snugglebaby Sleep Consultancy. Working from home has been a wonderful experience. I have been working with moms from all over the world, right here from my home office in the UAE.
The UAE is safe. It is so safe here that we very seldom lock our back door – we keep it open for Lola.
It’s also not uncommon or strange to see keys in the ignition of an empty car idling in front of a shop.
People leave their cars running to keep the air con on and the car constantly cool inside.
Most of the time, we have very hot and humid weather here.
Since moving to the UAE, we have had amazing travel adventures.
We’ve been to the Maldives, Ireland, Italy, Switzerland and the Seychelles – to name a few places.
Most of Europe can be reached in under seven hours via air, which makes travelling from here very easy.
We also try to visit South Africa at least twice a year to be with our family and friends, whom we hold dear.
Building a life in the UAE has many benefits and has given us a lot of opportunities. You get to meet incredible people, make friends who become your family and experience life from a different perspective.
Living in another country is an eyeopener and broadens your perspective. We are grateful for this opportunity, but we will always miss our home.
The nature in South Africa is beautiful and unique, as are the seasons, cultures and traditions. Even though the UAE also boasts beauty, it is what you would call a “concrete jungle”, where we have 40˚C+ weather for roughly six months of the year. It is an amazing experience to live abroad, and it offers so many wonderful opportunities.
I will forever be thankful for choosing to build a new life, especially now that I have my own child, but we can’t wait to return home one day soon.
There is nothing in this world as beautiful as an African sunset. South Africa will always be our Home. ●