Two Years On

On the 1st November 2013, I waved goodbye to my dad and brother at Heathrow and boarded a flight to Qatar. It was the first flight that I had ever purchased on a one-way ticket. It was the first time I had made the leap to live anywhere other than the UK. I was terrified.

Despite the comforting thought that Mr Sunshine (then simply 'my boyfriend') was waiting for me at the gate on the other side, I wasn't entirely comfortable with the decision I'd just made. I'd left a successful job in London, my beloved flat in Clapham and all of my family and friends behind, to pursue...what? Mr S and I had only been together for a year at this point, and I was gambling everything on the strong suspicion that he could be 'the one' to move to a city I knew very little about.

Now, two years after I said I would only stay for a year, tops, I am still in Qatar and embracing expat life. The gamble paid off in abundance. Within minutes of arriving, all doubt was cast aside. I knew that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with this man. Within days, I had my first interview for what transpired to be the best job I have ever had. Within months, I had established my blog and was beginning to build up a small but dedicated following. Within a year, the man I had moved to the other side of the world for had asked whether I might consider becoming his Mrs Sunshine. Within two, we were married, and now we are expecting our first child.

But I am not writing this to gloat at how brilliantly my life turned out. I am writing this to urge you to do the same. Whatever that thing is that terrifies you, whatever gamble you're holding back rolling the dice on, whatever cliff edge you are stuck at...just go for it. Take the leap, and don't look back. As with any leap of faith, things will change and may be confusing for a while, but it will nearly always pay off in the end. A very good friend told me once that you only regret the things you don't do. Don't leave yourself with any regrets in life, for they have a terrible habit of lingering on forever.

What brave decision are you going to make today? You never know, it could change your life forever!

2 years ago today I finished packing my suitcase, handed my keys over to my flatmates and jumped on a plane to Qatar to follow my heart. Little did I know it would be the best decision I ever made. 2 years down the line I have a successful blog, wonderful job, I am married to the man of my dreams and we're expecting our first child. Moral of the story? Always do what you are afraid to do! The scariest moves in life often turn out to be the greatest adventures #Doha #Qatar #expat #expatlife #life #inspiration #inspo #thoughtoftheday #anniversary #happy #happiness #city #travel #lbloggers #followyoursunshine

A photo posted by Follow Your Sunshine (@polbag) on Oct 30, 2015 at 11:44pm PDT