Today's the day we relocate from England to Dubai.
We're moving out of what was meant to be our forever home. Into a three-bed apartment we furnished five weeks ago. And the boys still don't know they have their own rooms.
The Goodbye
Sara wanted me nowhere near the packing. My job: take apart the gaming PC, then get out of the house.
Mum and my brother drove us to Heathrow. Stayed overnight. And then came the moment I didn't expect.
The Emotion Hit
I've been called a "tin man" throughout this process. Dead inside, apparently. No tears, no anxiety – just business as usual.
Until saying goodbye to Mum.
"It's no different to me being in Cornwall with heavy traffic. That's how far away I am."
That's what I told her. But the tears came anyway.
Sara's Different Experience
For me, I'm back in September for work. For Sara? It felt more final.
The Leaving Party
A week before we left, we had everyone round. Friends. Family. That's when it hit.
"Up until that point, it was pure excitement. I hadn't really thought about leaving people or not seeing them. Then saying goodbye to everyone – it kind of hit me hard."
The Moment with the Grandparents
Sara's grandparents were at the leaving party. She'd never seen them cry before.
"Going through my head was... am I going to see you alive again? I know it sounds morbid, but that was going through my head. They gave me a proper squeeze. I tried to hold it together for them."
First time seeing them cry. Different emotion to anything before.
The Boys' Reaction
We upgraded to business class using Amex points. Riley was looking forward to "champagne" (he's 10).
Arriving at the Apartment
The boys hadn't seen it furnished. They didn't know they each had their own room.
We walked through. Showed them the bathroom. The "office"...
"Wait, why is there a bed? This is not the office. What?! Riley, this is your bedroom!"
Happy tears. Proper happy tears.
"I'm on a suite now! You guys worked so hard. Thank you. Happy home."
That moment made everything worth it.
First Night: 2AM Leak
Unpacking started at 2am. Then we heard it.
"We've got a leak!"
The aircon unit hadn't been on for 4 weeks. Water everywhere in one of the bathrooms.
I went to reception at 2am, expecting to log it for the morning. Instead:
Two people arrived within 5 minutes. Found the problem. Fixed it. Left.
Unbelievable service. That's Dubai.
The Honest Conversation
24 hours in, we sat down to talk about how we actually feel.
The "Dead Inside" Comment
Sara called Riley "dead inside" because he didn't cry leaving school.
"Mummy calls me dead inside. She literally said that when we weren't crying when we left."
Riley's response: "Friends and family. That was hard. I had tears in my eyes."
He felt it. He just showed it differently.
Two Different Mindsets
Adam's view: This is a two-way door. An adventure. We can go back. We can go anywhere.
Sara's view: It felt more final. Saying goodbye not knowing when you'll see people again hits different.
"When you define it as 'we're here for good' – that makes it feel really heavy."
The Doubt Moment
Sara had a moment watching Reggie cry about leaving his friends:
"This is a big move. Are we doing the right thing for them?"
But taking the emotion out and asking "why are we doing this?" – all the original reasons were still true:
- Better quality of life
- Education
- Safety
- Weather
- Adventure
It just hurts leaving loved ones. That's the bit that hits hardest.
The Difference in Approach
Some people think about moving abroad and immediately go: "But I won't be close to Mum. I won't see my friends." That's enough to never explore it.
We did it the other way:
- Work out if it's right for us as a family
- Trust that friends and family will support us if it is
- Deal with the emotional goodbye when it comes
All of that emotion came at the back end – not the front.
What We'd Tell You
If you're thinking about moving:
"Know that emotional rollercoaster is coming. Fear, uncertainty, doubt – it's natural. Coming to the other side and settling in? I'm extremely excited. The boys are happy. We're happy. We went through that emotion and came out the other side."
The week before leaving is hard. The goodbye is hard. But it doesn't mean you've made the wrong decision.
The Little Details
Packing Chaos
4 suitcases turned into 7. We didn't know each bag had a 32kg limit (not averaged across all bags). Lesson learned.
The Heat
"It's not as hot as I thought it was going to be."
I'm going to regret saying that on camera.
The Table Mats
Reggie saw the custom table mats we'd bought and asked: "Mummy, did you make these?"
How cute is that?
It's Not Goodbye, It's See You Soon
To everyone back home: We love you. We miss you. We're starting a new chapter.
Dubai to UK is just Cornwall with heavy traffic.
See you in September. 🇬🇧✈️🇦🇪
Thinking About Making the Move?
- Take the neighbourhood quiz – Find your ideal area
- What happened in week one
- Work with Sara – We've been through all of this
The goodbye is hard. But the adventure is worth it.