Migrating isn’t easy. You have to leave behind an entire community of friends, neighbours and schoolmates. Just as you thought you were happy in life, you have to move somewhere else and restart it from phase one. Making new friends isn’t easy, especially for a teenager! While you are mourning the loss of your old friends, you are forced to make new ones with different societal expectations. Of course, you can’t blame them!

We migrated to England in December 2019, from Qatar to England. Frankly, I was excited to move to the UK, mainly since when anyone talks about England, they talk with an air of authority about the “amazing” country. Moreover, in my 10-year-old mind, to have anything to do with England made you “cool”.

Packing to move was tough. I had to see my mother sell more than half of my precious possessions, as we couldn’t bring them with us. I also had to watch her sell my bicycle and my beautiful butterfly scooter, both of which happened to be my Eid gifts that year. Although I did get a new one when we moved, it did not have the same feel to it as the one which was gifted to me for Eid.

I fondly remember the last few days in Qatar, when reality slapped me with ‘goodbyes’ amidst tears and hugs. Letting go of six years of bonding every day with friends was daunting. We promised to keep in touch. Although I did get gifts from many people in order to remember them, it was still tough to leave everyone behind and move on.

On the other hand, making community friends in the UK wasn’t easy. Personally, I felt like I just didn’t fit in. Everything was different, including the environment. My accent, sense of style and cultural differences drew an imaginary line between me and all the other youth. At every event we went to, for a few years, I had to tag along and always stay beside my mother, too scared to communicate, afraid that I wouldn’t fit in. I’m not afraid now as I’ve made some amazing friends.

We moved to England at a rather odd time, a few months after Covid started, and we were forced to go into an intensive lockdown. I feel as though the lockdown is what tainted my vision of the UK to this date. Being locked up in a house you just moved into with barely any friends to connect with wasn’t the easiest thing to deal with. Candidly, it felt like prison. We had just moved into the country, and we barely knew the city, yet now here we were locked up in our houses for a year with a deadly virus which killed most of the people who were contaminated. In short, it was one trying year.

The thing that I miss the most about Qatar is the Arabic food. They have bursts of flavour in every bite. The best of them, in my opinion, is the chicken shawarma, which has tenderly cooked chicken with vegetables in a wrap. Compared to English food, it is amazing.

Migration may not necessarily be exciting for everyone. The challenges can be overwhelming. However, for me, it has been an exhilarating experience. I’ve learned, grown, and had many opportunities to adjust myself to live with respect in harmony.