Year Two

Well, here we are, back in Doha for another year. It's amazing how different year two is from year one. My initial reaction upon returning to Doha was this: it is so nice not to be new.

I listen to the discussions the newcomers have on the bus and it's like déjà vu. They're finding their way around the city, exploring the neighbourhood, setting up their apartments, adjusting to the climate, learning the ins and outs of their new jobs, dealing with residency bureaucracy….

For them, coming to Doha was embarking on a new adventure. For me this year, it was coming home.

Home is good. Home is comforting. Home is familiar. But home is not necessarily exciting. That's the biggest difference I've noticed; things aren't 'new' anymore, and as a result, small things lose some of their appeal.

This is a trade-off I'm willing to make. I'm happy to give up a bit of excitement for a bit of familiarity, at least right now. But already I anticipate the pull to go somewhere else, starting over in a new environment. Settling somewhere completely new is incredibly stressful, but also incredibly satisfying.

But for now we're here in Doha, living our lives in this familiarly foreign environment.