8 things to consider when moving out if you live in Arab countries

For non-Arabic speaking friends, this video Moved out, is about young people who left their family’s houses and moved out.

I felt the urge to comment on this because it is always an argumentative subject here at home.

So let me first summarize the video for you and then I’ll explain why I felt the urge to comment about it.

Video Summary:

1. The reasons behind leaving the house: the reasons could never be gathered in one list however, what was said above was age, urge of independent life (its about time) problems at home with one of the parents or even worse, both!
2. How did your parents digested it: so its a spectrum of acceptance, from none to the totally supportive.
3. How do you handle it on your on: Again a spectrum of bohemian life style to the well-managed home.  
4. What do you miss the most: HOMEMADE FOOD. 
5. What do you not miss the most: arguments, comments on your life style.
6. What do you love the most about it: Freedom, independence, privacy, Oh and walking around naked.
7. What do you hate the most: Paying the bills. 
8. How people around you look at you (I’ll explain why this was asked later): people and the door guy never get it, how come young man/girl live alone or even in a shared studio? Odd!

* Big deep sigh *

Let us start the story with an introduction to where we live. I live in Egypt ( Arab world in general ) well these places have developed a norm based, i guess, on cultural and later economical reasons that you can only leave your parents house when you get married. Never before. And specially if you are a girl. It’s like forbidden, no matter what your religion is. However, its not I checked. So basically religion is not the reference when it comes to norms, it is the culture, the people around you, what will they say?! well to hell with them.

Here is why I felt the urge of commenting on this video:

1. To show the infinite love & support to these people. BRAVO!
2. It is a regular conversation here at my parents house, trying to convince them that it is the right thing to do, preparing them that I might do it one day when I am ready financially, which something that I am currently working on.

I can bet that 95% of the elderly in our society won’t ever get the idea. And it kinda make sense, they were born and raised on this, its hard to change.

How I see it, It is my present, it is my future and I should have the saying in it, nobody else should.

Why do I see it a must the whole experience of moving out, living alone, on your own completely until you are ready to partner with someone:

#Personal space:

BREATHE! you have your own space where you can just go home, relax, meditate do whatever you wanna do without people around, interfering, making a background noise. You have a plenty of ” me time ” and you are in control of the rest. You are free to invite whoever you want to share your time with. Unlike what happens at the parents house, people are imposed on your life. And don’t get me wrong, I love my parents and my brother and thankfully we are not a troublesome family, we live in peace we know how to co-exist most of the time. But still the introvert in me is just dying to leave.

#Independence:

How on earth will you ever feel entirely independent if you are still living in your parents house? How will you build a strong, independent character (not the cliche).

#Freedom:

Pretty much summing the two points above, but what i needed to clarify is we don’t mean by freedom, the partying all day all night life style. We mean freedom of choice, of making decisions.

#Accountability:

LET US LEARN THE HARD WAY. We do understand that life is not easy, and that is why we need to learn and we won’t learn as long as we are feeling safe that someone ( parents ) have our backs.

#Get ready for the next:

let the next be marriage, let it be long distance travel, let it be what it be but let me be ready.

Let us take marriage for example, when you are living in your parents house, if you are a girl you are leaving the cooking, tidying and these stuff to the mother. Same for the boys, they know nothing about housework, bills, fixing broken stuff. Nothing.

And then you ask them out of the blue when they get married to be responsible on a whole house, their partner and themselves and you expect them to live happily ever after! how about some preparations. How about giving them the time and space to let them develop on their own, explore the world and explore themselves and then when they are mature enough they can then carry the responsibility of this partnership.

Why it is not that easy around here:

#1 If you referred back to number 8 above( video summary), people in our society are not ok because they are not used to it, its different, its new and its odd. so if your parent are 50% ok with you moving out, they will still not give in because they know that society is not accustomed to this. and they do care about what people say, unlike us.

#2 Financial reasons:

To buy or rent a house or even a studio here is inexplicably expensive in a way past the capabilities of most young people here due to the low wages we are stuck with. So you gotta be well prepared for it before you move out, you don’t wanna ask for help after one month ( ego issues ).