Welcome to Doha Diaries! Join me on this personal journey as I navigate my first year in Doha, balancing life as an expat mom, business owner, and woman over 40 while staying focused on well-being and growth. Letās thrive together, one day at a time.
Why Doha, Qatar?
Hereās a bit of our story:
In 2016, I moved from the U.S. to London for love. Fast-forward to today, and my husband and I are celebrating 8 years of marriage with our two daughters, Mia (7) and Elise (6). Like every parent, we want to provide our kids with the best experiences and create opportunities we never had.
In January, my husband received an offer to work in Doha with a tax-free salary that was too good to pass up. Iāll admit I wasnāt thrilled about moving to the Middle East. I never imagined visiting, let alone living here. But the benefits were undeniable, and we decided to leap.
After months of back-and-forth on whether this move was happening, we finally landed in Doha on August 15th. And just like that, everything changed. I had spent 3 years building a life I loved in Londonāa thriving business, a supportive community, and a lifestyle that felt just right. Now, it was time to start over.
Highlights of Our First 7 Days in Doha
Before we left, Mia told me, āI know you want us to have a better life, but my lifeās not that bad now.ā That broke my heart. Still, we packed up our lives in London and flew 6.5 hours to Doha to begin this new chapter.
One of the most significant adjustments has been the culture. From separate waiting rooms for men and women at the hospital to designated entrances by gender at government offices, itās been an eye-opener. And then thereās the matter of my legal profession status hereāIām listed as a āhousewifeā on paper, which feels like a slap in the face after building a business that brought me so much freedom and autonomy.
Living in Doha is different, to say the least. At the airport, I noticed that many families have nannies who handle all the childcare duties while the parents chill. It made me realize how much Iāve been doing alone and how exhausted Iāve felt juggling it all.
Despite the initial shock and adjustments, weāre slowly finding our footing. The girls have been resilient, quickly adapting to the new environment. We are in corporate housing, figuring out where to settle, and getting around by Uber for now. I miss the freedom of having my own car.
Mentally, itās been tough for me. The first week was incredibly drainingāI slept a lot but never felt truly rested. It wasnāt until a whole week had passed that I started to regain some energy.
Friday (Day 1) was a lesson in Dohaās culture: we went to the mall at 11:30 AM, only to find everything closed for Friday prayers. I had some disappointed girls, when they saw the deflated bounce park. By Saturday, we were back at the mall, and the girls had a blast at the indoor bounce parkāwhere they even watched the kids while we shopped.
My priority has been settling the girls into their new routine. So I enrolled them in half-day trampoline camp for a week, and seeing their smiles reassured me that we made the right choice in moving here, even if the adjustment was challenging.
Food shopping was a surpriseāluxuries like ice cream and Oreos are pricey, and our first attempt at food delivery didnāt go as planned. Temu has become my new Amazon āitās not the same, but itās working for now.
The 95-degree heat didnāt deter us from a brief scooter ride, though Elise quickly noticed her tan after just 15 minutes outside! Weāve also started exploring like our recent visit to a Doha Beach Club on Friday (Day 7), where I met a Qatari mom who I was surprised to see was actively engaged with her kids. We even exchanged numbersāsomething my therapist would be proud of me!
The work week here is Sunday through Thursday, with the weekend on Friday and Saturday.Ā This will take some getting used to. As we prepare for the girls to start school, Iām reminded that weāre all adapting to this new life, one day at a time.