HEATHER SHEMERY: Life has such a funny way of never being quite what you expected

Heather and Belma
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Author: Heather Shemery, USA-Saudi Arabia
Redactor: Belma Skopljaković, BiH

Life has such a funny way of never being quite what you expected. Finding myself in the Middle East is exactly one of those experiences that makes a person think, "wait, what is happening?" A year ago, I recently graduated with a master's degree and was working on moving past a really rough spot in my life and I was left wondering what was coming next. I was trying every option, applying to every job and opportunity that I could imagine. Fast forward past a lot of rejections and some surprise opportunities and I found myself asking my friends, "What if I accepted this job and just moved to Saudi Arabia?" I got some laughs, some concerns for my safety, and  just a few people saying "why not?" And that has been the echoing question for the past 6 months. 

I think the biggest motivation for me eagerly hopping on a plane to move to a new country was asking myself, why wouldn't I? Why wouldn't I do the scary thing and take the leap of faith? What's really stopping me? I am free. I am independent. I am capable of. Even more importantly, I have always had this desire to see and experience new things.

As a single woman who has always seen herself as fiercely independent, this is my biggest experiment in independence and tenacity. I must say, it has been quite the journey and learning experience but I am living with such freedom and I feel more confident in myself today than I did a year ago.

The culture of the Middle East - and especially Saudi Arabia - is unique and quite unlike America in a vast array of ways. I am learning so much about community and its strength and the relationships formed because of and within it. In my first long term move overseas, I am learning how important it is to really find what gives you joy and peace and happiness. For me, it has been focusing on my relationships and leaning on my faith in a really new way.

Saudi has had this peculiar way of teaching me both independence and community but I think learning how to blend the two is a beautiful art. I keep saying yes to new things and asking myself, "why not?"

My advice to any person - and especially fierce, single women - is to move boldly towards how you want the picture of your life to be and ask yourself, "why not?" Why not you? Why not that place? Why not now? And every excuse you find as an answer, be honest with yourself and if it is something you can just give up.

Here you can find and contact Heather:

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shemeryh
• Instagram: heathershem
• Blog: heathergoesplaces.wordpress.com