‘Being home feels like a big exhale’
For Amanda Ashworth, a Dubai-based mother who homeschools her children, the family’s return came just days ago and the relief was immediate. The Ashworths split their time between Goa and Dubai, and had been abroad when the conflict began. A brief trip back to collect belongings only deepened her sense of displacement.
“Dubai is our main home base, so it feels so nice to be properly home again,” she said.
The family’s flexible schooling arrangement helped soften the disruption. Her husband and their dogs had remained in Dubai throughout — a source of both comfort and sadness. “It was sad, especially with everything feeling so uncertain,” Ashworth recalled. The children were kept broadly aware of events, though the family’s focus remained on maintaining routine. Now reunited, the children are back in their rooms, back with their toys, and, perhaps most importantly, back with the dogs.
Looking ahead to the summer, Ashworth’s tone is one of quiet excitement. “It is a bit surreal, but we are really looking forward to spending the summer here.”