Here you are, well into your mid-twenties, far from being independent and realize that there’s nothing major going on in your life. You decide to move out of your parents’ house, and venture in life solo! Since you’ve mostly been dependent on your folks, you start practicing your new solo life while you’re still living at your parents’ place. In the West, moving out seems so easy and straightforward, but the struggle is real for us Eastern mummy’s boys and girls!
- You start calculating your finances
You might not entirely rely on your parents financially, but once you decide never, ever, to take money from them, you notice how hard it really is! The fact that you don’t have a backup will always make you panic. And panicking makes you spend money. And spending money screws up your financial plans!
- You start giving heads up to your parents
You start to subtly let them know that you might be leaving them soon. You think you made it very clear, but they’re still not getting the hints!
- You start looking for a place
What’s a better way to look for new homes than the internet? Facebook is full of rental pages, and you’ve been lurking around these groups for a while.
- You realize the prices are WAY higher than you thought
LE3000 for an apartment in Zamalek seem like a pretty sweet deal. But when your salary is under LE3000, it’s not that feasible anymore!
- You start looking for flatmates
Many of your friends have been blubbering about moving out, but when you ask them to share a flat, somehow they all say “la2 ya 3am ana ba7eb akl mama.”
- You start looking for any roommates
Egypt roommates Facebook group? Awesome! There are over 30 posts on this group daily, I must be able to locate something good.
- You realize that you have to be a foreigner to live in your own country
Why are all the tenants looking for foreigners only? It’s my own country, damn it!
- Out of all the foreigners-only posts, you find something that might suite you
Finally, a place that would accept me in my own country. I have not met these roommates, but I love them already!!
- You tell your parents you’re moving out
You drop the “moving out bomb”, and they’re both screaming at you! They start asking all these weird random questions, especially if you’re a girl. “Akly msh 3agbek? Enty msh bet7ebeena? Enty modmena? Matetgwezy w tero7y bait gozek? El nas hat2ol eh?”
- You’re done with your family; now it’s time to see your new apartment and meet your roommates!
You finally meet thinking you’ll be signing the contract and moving in tomorrow. As soon as you start finalizing the papers, you hear the dreaded words of “Eh da, la2 ma3lesh de le el aganeb bas.”
- You get angry at the sound of the word ‘foreigner’ and start hating them all
DAMN YOU RANDOM WHITE PERSON WITH BLOND HAIR TAKING OVER MY OWN COUNTRY!!
- You give up and stay with your parents…
“Mama 7ata beta3mel wara2 3enab 3azeem!”