Abu Hurairah reported that the Prophet ﷺ said: “Travel is a piece of hardship; it prevents one of you from his food, drink, and sleep. When he fulfills his purpose, let him return quickly to his family.”
I always dreamed of learning languages, starting with English. As a kid, I repeated words and memorized meanings early, and I could see pride on my father’s face every time I answered questions in gatherings. That curiosity pushed me to learn on my own, even if I got things wrong at first, just to reach the correct result.
I watched the second TV channel constantly, trying to understand what they were saying. It grew from words into long sentences, and that curiosity became my real motivation to learn the language at any cost.
With time, I became the “top student” in English among my peers, and even the teacher sometimes asked me to explain the lesson to my classmates.
Then came the next shift. After using a computer for the first time, I was obsessed. Curiosity returned, and I started learning everything about it: design, video editing, audio engineering, web development, programming, and SEO. Day by day, I became more attached to it.
The pivotal moment was choosing a university major. I was in the UK for an English course after high school when my father called and asked what I wanted to study. I thought I could specialize in either and learn the other through courses. But life had its plan. Applications for computer science had already closed, and I was accepted into English.
My passion for computers and the internet did not fade. In fact, it grew because I used English as the key to learn everything I wanted. The references were richer in English, while Arabic content was still limited. My skills improved through language, and my language improved through study.
Then I graduated and got a government job as an English teacher. It was not my first job, but it had a purpose: help students change how they see the language, because language can change everything. At that time, I still did not know where I would be assigned.
The assignment was in a region about 800 km from Makkah. By coincidence, it was the same region where my father’s first assignment was 39 years earlier. I convinced myself I would be transferred after the first year or through special circumstances, because I met all the conditions.
I could not wait. I started traveling weekly. For the first three months I drove, then switched to flying every week. I would finish work, head to the airport, and return the following week.
My focus collapsed. I was either traveling or at work most of the day. I lived about 80 km away from the school. I was exhausted, or traveling on weekends just to spend a short break with family.
My special transfer request was rejected. Now I wait for what God has written for me.
I ask God to reunite me with my family soon and ease the distance.
I wrote these lines simply to relieve what weighs on my chest. Apologies for any mistakes.
💡Update 2024 It took 10 years for me to finally settle in Jeddah.