We all know someone out there with itchy feet and a desire to travel the world.
And with so many adventurers from Northern Ireland packing up their back packs and heading out into the world, Belfast Live has decided it's time to catch up with some of them to find out just what's so great about where they are - and what they miss most about home.
First up - tell us a bit about the basics
I'm Anne-Marie Cottage, I’m 38 and I'm from the good old seaside town of Newcastle, Co Down.
Where are you now and what took you there?
I’m currently living in Riyadh, the capital city of Saudi Arabia. We came here in October 2017.
We were living in Abu Dhabi before this and my husband was offered a job in Riyadh.
We were hesitant at first as you hear so many stories but actually it’s been a great move for our family! I work at the British International School of Riyadh. My step son, Harry, attends the same school and my daughter, Orla, will start in September.
What do you love most about where you are now?
Riyadh is certainly not for everyone but we make the most of what the city offers and we love the Compound that we live on.
It has so much for the kids to do.
The weather is generally always good (apart from Summer when it’s too hot) so we spend a lot of time outside with family and friends.
Do you think Northern Ireland could learn much from Saudi?
The hospitality in Saudi is absolutely fantastic. Every restaurant and cafe welcomes families with open arms and a lot offer activities to keep the kids happy. Saudis are very friendly people, very like the Irish.
What do you miss most about home?
I miss my family and friends. I miss the change in the seasons and the cosy cold nights with the fire lit.
I miss waking up to a view of the Mourne Mountains and taking a walk up the promenade in Newcastle .
What don't you miss?
I don’t miss getting up in the dark and coming home from work in the dark - and I don’t miss the stampede in Primark!
Have you had many visitors to where you are now from Northern Ireland?
It’s not easy getting Tourist visas to Saudi so we have only managed to have my mum and Dad over to stay so far.
Hopefully in the future this will change and we can show what the country has to offer to lots of our family and friends.
What do they think of your new life?
My parents loved exploring Riyadh. They ate breakfast with the locals and enjoyed visiting the range of museums and forts across the city.
Are there any big differences in the language that you've come up against?
There are massive differences as they speak Arabic but we've managed not to have had much in the way of communication struggles and we manage to get by in the end. It’s all part of the fun and locals are very keen to learn and better their English.
What are the biggest differences in lifestyle, food, sports, TV?
Lifestyle is very family centred here. It’s all about quality family time. Food is fantastic although haven’t tried the camel burgers yet but I hear they’re good!
Do you come across many people from Northern Ireland?
I’m so lucky to have friends from Newry and Warrenpoint as well as Dublin. The amazing thing about being an expat is that you sit around the table with such a range of nationalities and you all share a common experience of life in Saudi.
And do you have any intention of moving home?
Not at the minute. We are loving life there at the minute and it works for our family so the plan is stay put while we can. The plan in the future would be to move back to Newcastle, after all, there’s no place like home.
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