I moved from Dubai to New York: things I miss

• I grew up in Dubai but moved to New York for college in 2022.
• New York and Dubai are bustling metropolitan cities, and surprisingly, they have a lot in common.
• But I miss my friends and family, my favorite places to eat and the beaches.

When most people think of Dubai, they imagine towering skyscrapers, bright lights and people dressed in designer clothes. While this is true to an extent, for me the city has always been about community meetings, roadside shawarma chats and weekends at the beach.

I was born in India but moved to Dubai when I was 4 and have called it home ever since. In the late 20th century, as the city launched several transformative construction projects, South Asian construction workers and other skilled expats moved to the region. As of 2023, the Dubai Statistics Center reported that 3.3 million expatriates live in Dubai.

Some people might think it’s strange to consider a place you’re not a citizen of as home. However, many expats – like me – who live there or have lived there consider this city home simply because of the way it embraces you, even as a foreigner. For each year my family renewed our lease, the feeling that living there was temporary faded a little.

That was until 2022 when I moved to New York City for my Masters. I had never been to the US before, but I had a vague idea of ​​what life in New York would be like from the TV shows I watched growing up. And when I landed in August 2022, three suitcases in tow, the city was every bit as dreamy as it looked on Netflix…but only for a moment.

At first, decorating my apartment, navigating the subway system, meeting new people, and attending classes kept me busy and distracted.

But as the days turned into weeks, the excitement of living in a new place began to fade and the boredom of routine replaced it.

After two years, I’ve come to love New York City and its many quirks. It might not have shawarma shops where I can hang out late at night with friends, and the nearest beach is an hour away by train, but it has the most beautiful parks and pier.

Eventually, like 1.5 million other international students who left their countries to study here, I found a new home on this 2-mile island. For now, I exist between missing parts of Dubai — especially during the festive season — and loving parts of New York.

Here are five things I miss about Dubai and five things I love about New York.