02/09/2026
Two weeks today since we moved into our new home in Abu Dhabi.
And so far, life here feels surprisingly easy.
Our house is slowly starting to feel like home. Greenery everywhere, peace and quiet - with actual silent nights, a relief after a year of sleep deprivation in Toulouse.
Things just get done here - Curtains made and installed throughout the house in 4 days, a service for pretty much anything you might need…Somehow, this completely new and empty place already feels a bit like ours.
And then there’s that invaluable sense of peace that comes with feeling safe. Lost AirPods waiting for us at customer service, packages left untouched on the doorstep…Living without that constant high level of vigilance feels incredibly peaceful.
Of course, we’re still very much « work in progress ». Social life has yet to happen. And with 47°C outside and intense humidity, the city I’m desperate to explore will have to wait a little longer.
And then there’s photography.
Phones and selfie sticks are everywhere. But the second I pull out my camera, a security agent seems to magically appear, urging me to put it away : “no professional camera” !
I knew before moving here that photographing people without permission was a different story. What I hadn’t expected was that simply walking around with my camera and capturing everyday life would be so tricky. I still have a lot to understand about what is and isn’t possible - but street photography is clearly going to be a challenge !! A small detail for some, a real frustration when photography is my little escape…
And beyond that, there’s a business to rebuild. New city, new network, new clients, new rules. I’m excited and impatient to get started - while looking at the mountain ahead and wondering, can I really do this all over again ?
Watching my photographer friends back home still deep in wedding season, shooting the weddings and couples I love so much, stings a little I have to admit. Right now, that part of my life feels very far away…
But two weeks in and zero regrets.
After the intensity of the past months, there’s already this quiet feeling that getting here was definitely worth it ☀️
