Admin- Jessika Roso Malic got a job as a flight attendant for Emirates in 2010.
- She moved from Phoenix to Dubai and worked there for six years.
- Malic said life in Dubai was glamorous, but she burned out at work and missed parts of Phoenix.
This as told-to essay is based on a conversation with Jessika Ros Malic, a former Emirates flight attendant from Phoenix, on living in Dubai. It has been edited for length and clarity.
Moving to Dubai was a whirlwind. In 2010 I heard that Emirates was hiring. After going through the interview process, they notified me of their acceptance in April, and in August I moved to Dubai with my life packed into two and a half suitcases.
It was my first time over the Atlantic Ocean.
There were so many international companies and restaurants that it almost felt like the entire world was in one city. That’s what I liked most about Dubai: the many different cultures in one place.
Living there was a crash course in global interactions. But I moved back to Phoenix permanently in 2017.
I had a glamorous life in Dubai and loved to travel
Upon arrival, Emirates housed me in an apartment. I had two and a half months of intense training before starting a hectic work schedule. My monthly schedule was only released at the end of each previous month. This meant I could only plan my life for a month at a time, and I was rarely in the city.
When I was home, I spent a lot of my time socializing. Working eleven-hour shifts was difficult, and at that time the only thing you could do in Dubai was party, go to bars and shop.
You can go anywhere and meet people from, say, ten countries who speak fifteen languages. It’s a fascinating city because only about 20% are local nationals, and 80% are a complete mix of expats of other nationalities. In terms of temperature, Dubai is similar to Phoenix, but Dubai is much more humid because of the ocean.
Every now and then we went into the desert.
Some things were better in Phoenix
I missed that there was much more to do in Phoenix besides nightlife, such as hiking, visiting nature reserves, camping, museums, festivals and more.
In Dubai I found it impossible to get anything done over the phone. There was also no address system at that time. I had no idea how their local postal system worked and never learned how to mail anything to anyone who lived there.
We took taxis everywhere because they were affordable, and the lack of addresses meant you had to know exactly where you were going. If it wasn’t a known location or destination, I often had to tell the driver to go to landmarks or tell him exactly where to go.
We are so spoiled in Phoenix. We live on a grid so you can get from one place to another with ease. In Dubai, it’s as if someone took a few crayons, spun them around on a page and said, “This is the highway system.”
My job gave me benefits, but the physical toll was too high
Luckily for me, there was housing for the Emirates crew members. Another benefit is the out-of-home allowance, an allowance for living away from home. Thanks to Emirates, Dubai was affordable for me.
At the same time, I was sick every month and got food poisoning at least three times a year. The physical toll made me tired of flying and I just wanted to go home. I met my husband in Dubai and got married in 2013. He was also ready to move, so we explored purchasing property in Phoenix.
Returning to Phoenix made me happy
We bought our first home while visiting Phoenix in 2015, although we didn’t move permanently until early 2017. It was located in South Phoenix in a new development and was a dream find.
Our house was 2,500 square feet, close to the highways, had a three-car garage, and had four bedrooms. We paid $187,000 in cash with the help of my husband’s parents. I loved that house, but we ended up selling it after we divorced this year.
I miss my glamorous days of traveling and living in Dubai, but I’m happy to be settled and close to friends and family in Phoenix. Today I work as a communications and events manager at a nonprofit organization, and the work is fulfilling.
If you moved from the US for a dream job and would like to tell your story, email Manseen Logan at mlogan@businessinsider.com.