Before I moved to Dubai, I was working in Bangalore and living a life that, from the outside, probably looked settled. I had a job, a routine and a city I already understood. I knew how my days would begin, where I needed to go and what most weeks would look like.
But somewhere in the middle of that familiar life, one thought started appearing in my mind: What if I try?
Moving abroad had never been part of a carefully prepared five-year plan. I did not wake up one morning with everything arranged, a confirmed job waiting for me and complete confidence about what would happen next. It was more sudden than that. Dubai felt like a possibility, and I wanted to know what might happen if I gave that possibility a real chance.
That is how my journey from Bangalore to Dubai began, not with certainty, but with curiosity.
I started applying before I felt completely ready
Once the idea entered my mind, I began applying for jobs in Dubai regularly. I would search, apply and wait, then repeat the same process again the next day.
Anyone who has tried applying for jobs from another country will understand how strange that period can feel. You are making plans around a future that does not exist yet. Every application carries a little hope, but most days continue exactly as they did before.
I wanted to move, but I also did not want to book a ticket without having at least one genuine opportunity in hand. Going to Dubai without knowing what would happen was already a major risk for me. I needed one confirmed interview, one reason to believe the trip could lead somewhere.
So I made a rule for myself: I would not book my flight until an interview was scheduled.
Then, finally, it happened.
I received confirmation for an interview in Dubai. Until that moment, the move had existed mostly in applications, browser tabs and thoughts about the future. The moment the interview was confirmed, it became real.
I booked my ticket.
The excitement came with a lot of fear
People often speak about moving to Dubai as though it is one clean, glamorous decision. You pack your bags, take a flight and begin an exciting new chapter. But the emotions before leaving are much more complicated.
I was excited because I was finally doing something different. At the same time, I was leaving behind a life I understood for a city where I did not yet know how anything worked.
I did not have a perfect plan for what I would do if the interview did not work out. I did not know how long finding a job might take. I did not know whether I would adjust easily or immediately miss the comfort of Bangalore.
I only knew that I had one interview and that I had chosen to show up for it.
Sometimes courage does not feel like confidence. Sometimes it is simply making the booking while your mind is still listing every possible thing that could go wrong.
Arriving in Dubai on December 15
I landed in Dubai on December 15.
The first feeling was excitement. I was finally in the city I had spent so much time thinking about. But almost immediately, that excitement was mixed with the reality of being somewhere completely new.
Planning a move and actually arriving are two very different experiences. While planning, everything feels like a checklist: apply for jobs, confirm an interview, book a flight and pack. Once you land, the practical questions become real.
How would I get around? Would I understand the Metro? What if I took the wrong route? What if I got lost before the interview? Would I reach on time?
Public transport was one of my biggest fears. It may sound like a small detail, but when you are alone in a new city, small details can feel enormous. I was not only thinking about the interview. I was thinking about whether I could reach the interview without making a complete mess of the journey.
And the interview was the very next morning.
There was no long period to settle in, explore the city or slowly become comfortable. I had arrived on December 15, and on December 16 I needed to wake up, find my way through an unfamiliar place and walk into a professional conversation as though I had everything under control.
I definitely did not feel as though I had everything under control.
The night before everything changed
That first night in Dubai, I was somewhere between hope and panic.
One part of me was thinking about the opportunity ahead. Another part was rehearsing routes, timings and every possible mistake. I had come all the way from Bangalore for this interview, which made it feel far bigger than an ordinary meeting.
But beneath the nervousness, there was also a quiet sense of pride. I had considered a possibility, taken it seriously and brought myself all the way to Dubai. Whatever happened the next morning, I had already done something I once only wondered about.
I did not know whether the interview would lead to a job. I did not know that the next few days would move much faster than I could have imagined.
All I knew was that the next morning I had to step outside, take the Metro alone and find out whether this risk had been worth taking.