Let me take you on a little story. I am a Nurse. I finished my degree in 2007. In 2008 I started working in a Hospital in Lisbon in the area I loved - Emergency Medicine. That was not enough, and I began my Master's degree in Nursing. After a few long years, a thesis that felt like having a baby, some grey hairs growing, and a lot of unhappiness, I began looking for something else. I needed something different in life. Settling in and doing the norm was not my thing. In 2012 with all the paperwork complete and the disbelief of colleagues, but most importantly, with the support of my parents and family, I was finally ready to go. I had to cancel a lot of naysayers and a lot of internal doubts. I studied the country and culture, bought new clothes to fit in with the culture, an abaya, and got on a plane and went to Saudi Arabia. The plan was simple: to be a nurse in an emergency room at a military hospital in Riyadh. Of course, I was scared. In 2012 Saudi was not the Kingdom it is today.
But listen, it was the best thing I did in my life. The disruptive plan, the thought process, and the courage brought so much experience and growth. I grew in my career, pushed myself to do different things, learned Arabic (well, not perfectly, and only medical terms, but they understood me), and made friends from around the world. I experienced life in a completely different way. The woman I am today is profoundly rooted in that 28 y/0 girl who left everything behind, and that strength and knowledge are blessings.