Mohamed’s Digital Nomad Era

Hi everybody! I’ve spent a semester in Munich, and I’d like to take a minute to introduce myself to those of you who don’t already know me. 

First of all, I’m from the United Arab Emirates. I spent my childhood and adolescence in Abu Dhabi, the largest emirate in the UAE. Growing up in the UAE, I was always surrounded by diversity. People travel from all over the world to live and work in the Emirates, so I grew up around every nationality you could imagine. Not only do I come from a diverse country, you could also say I come from a diverse family. My mother is French with Algerian origins , and my father is Emirati. I grew up in a multilingual household, speaking French, English, and Arabic, which has led me to being a bit of a polyglot. 

When it came time for me to choose my course of study in university, I had a tough decision before me. I could remain in the Emirates, an already diverse country, or I could turn my sights outward, to the world around me. First, I chose to stay in the Emirates. I studied for a while at a local university, although I felt stagnant in that environment. I eventually chose to study at Sorbonne Abu Dhabi, a satellite campus of the French university. I completed the first year of my studies at this university, and I enjoyed my time at Sorbonne Abu Dhabi, studying sociology and philosophy, but I began to feel like a big fish in a small pond. So, I turned my gaze to Europe. I decided to transfer to the Sorbonne in Paris, where I eventually decided to focus my studies on sociology. Now I am in my final year and decided that I will most certainly be taking a break from continuing education upon graduation and work for a year back home so i can find out what contribution I want to make to society through my professional life 🙂

After my second year at Sorbonne, and my first year at Sorbonne Paris, I decided to once again set my sights on bigger and better things. I made the difficult decision to leave behind the network and life that I had built in Paris, and move to Munich for a year of Erasmus. This was one of the most difficult decisions I have ever made. Like I said, I had a network and a life that I had built in Paris, and leaving that all behind me was such a challenge. However, I took a leap and began my Erasmus year in Germany.

Now, I’m actually completing my year through a virtual exchange due to multiple reasons, one of which being needing to be back in the U.A.E for Medical reasons. This means that I can take my Erasmus classes and interact with other Erasmus students from anywhere in the world. I have the freedom of mobility, along with the privilege of interacting with students from all over the world. I feel that this virtual exchange is the next step in my international journey, the next step in my already international life. I can’t wait to interact with all of you online but as well during our excursions (the ones I can attend prior to leaving to the emirates) , and I can’t wait to continue my global education.