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Late, but not forgetting – WASHINGTON DC Pictures!

I wasn’t going to write an entire post on Washington DC because we were there for ONE day, but it was arguably the best day of our trip so I wanted to share & explain why! Because – spread JOY.

As you may or may not know, Wafiq & I went to Charlottesville, Virginia for one of our friends wedding’s.  I’ll get more into the hidden gem that is Virginia & also my ruthlessly honest opinions on traditional weddings coming up next week.  Because, wow – do I have some thoughts to share.

But first, Washington DC.

If you’ve ever looked at the state of Texas on a map, you’ll notice it’s too big.  And I live in Austin, smack dab in the middle.  In order to get to another state & through desert, I either need a plane or an RV type situation.    When I looked up Charlottesville, VA on a map & noticed how close cool cities were, I got real envious.  These people are so lucky!  They can explore new places all the time!  I’m sure a lot of Europe is the same way, probably even other countries.  Central America, I’m looking at you!

We seized the opportunity because both Wafiq & I have never been to Washington DC & kind of nerd out on that secret political & CIA world.  Neither of us are very political & neither of us are lawyers of any kind – but we do watch Scandal.

The BEST suggestion I have if you go to the East Coast & decide to spend just one day in Washington DC, rent a bike a cruise around.  Although we didn’t have time for many of the museums, we were able to spend the entire day outside enjoying the weather & seeing the city.  Because there are incredibly iconic buildings & history in this area, just taking the bike around tickled our Washington Dc pickle – without overly exhausting us.

I researched the best & perfect things to do in 1 day.  Had a jam packed agenda, ready to execute.  But decided to ride around instead.  It was perfect.

Better late then never sharing all my favorite things of 2017.  We shall call this a mix up, because why limit ourselves to one category of favorites?  These products were not all created in 2017, rather things I used through 2017.   Weird but true, I typically don’t like something right when I get it.  I put it down.  Stare at it.  And on one random day pick it up & use it consistently after that… or throw it out.

CHANEL Soleil Tan De Chanel

The obvious.  Bronze anything will make my list, just be happy I’m not talking about my at home spray tan.  I try not to wear a lot of makeup most days & bronzer is one of the few products I need daily.  I ditched powder bronzer most of the year for this cream bronzer.  I take a medium sized brush & blend it on my cheekbones to look alive everyday.  Because it’s creamy I don’t feel like it drys me out & I like how it blends into my skin.  I’ve had this one jar of bronzer for 45 years, used it every single day & am just now at the point where I need to repurchase.

ColourPop Echo Park Satin Lip

I’ve had this lip color for a long time & used it almost every day in 2017.  I realized using a natural color on your lips, even without anything else on your face, makes you look like you’re trying.  It’s such a cheat to looking ready, that or a nice lip gloss.  (My fav: here)  This one in particular keeps my lips super moisturized which is hard to do, and doesn’t rub off in 1 mili second.  I put the smallest amount on my lips in the morning after I apply chapstick, and then use my finger to smudge it around.  Au naturel.

I would argue one of the best things about Dubai, if not the best, is how much you can explore & simply see.  Without having to pay anything or work very hard.  Not without effort, Dubai sets records & created a visual piece of artwork.  You can fill your entire trip just driving around exploring the different landscapes – for FREE.  Sometimes paying for the view, isn’t as good as actually searching for it yourself.

I wanted to show you how to make a trip adventurous without spending a ton of money!  I feel like I’m a master at going on budget friendly trips, including Dubai.  Food & drink is expensive, but there’s SO much to do for free, or nearly free – if you can just get yourself there.  You wouldn’t even be able to finish this list in one trip!  And if you do, I can add to it 🙂

This is MY checklist when I go back – things to go stare at.  And they never get old.  Even when I lived there, going to stare at the items on this list was one of my favorite things to do.  And a way to ensure I won’t waste my precious money.

1-  Burj Khalifa
This twinkly building still takes my breathe away.  Because it’s right outside the Dubai Mall there’s plenty of space to go walk around the building & look at it yourself – without paying a dime.  Get yourself to the Dubai Mall & walk outside.  You can eat near it, shop near it, walk near it, or just sit down & stare at it.  The fountain show that plays outside the building at night will also take your breathe away.  Go check it out during the day & at night for completely different views.  Until Dubai builds their next world record setting building, this is the top spot for me.  And you absolutely need a GoPro to fit the whole damn thing in a photo, OR spend $$$$ to have a tourey sales man take one measly photo for you…

There are 3 questions I get asked all the time: how I was treated as a woman in the middle east, did I feel safe AND “did you have to cover up the whole time”.

I hope I’ve done a good job clarifying, go to this post to see my answers to all 3 of those questions if you haven’t already.  (We went to the public beach on this trip & there were girls in thong bikinis & topless tanning, so I think people are comfortable doing whatever they please.)

For me, I wanted to fit in.  I wanted to act like I’ve been there before & I know what the fuck I’m doing.  There’s something powerful in that.  Also, for any destination, isn’t it fun to fit in?  Wear what they wear.  I think it makes you appear well traveled, like you know what you’re doing in you life.  So that was my goal this trip.  I stuck to coverage.  When I was living there, I pushed this boundary w my cut off shorts & dresses all the time, because I was bored of being covered & it was HOT AF.  Being that I was just visiting, I had a different approach this time.

The theme:  BLACK BLACK BLACK.  If this is the color of your wardrobe, you’re in luck!  I like bright colors, florals, sparkles, drama – so I had to go shopping.  An abaya & burka are black, so that’s the colors you’ll see a lot of when you’re out.  I asked someone why black?  Why not beautiful colors + design on the abaya?  I was told the original purpose of the abaya was to avoid attention.  Bright florals & colors will do the opposite, drawing attention to the people wearing them.  So black is the theme!

The saying “time flies when you’re having fun” is terrible & true isn’t it?  I remember miserable days/years in different jobs, & man did time drag.  But, of course, when you’re having fun & enjoying all the parts of your life, time goes quick!  So, would you rather a boring yet long life or short yet exciting life? Ha!  Nothing like that awful question to wake you up on a Thursday morning.

I’m back from Dubai! Long story short, it was fun & it went fast.  Which in this case is better than the alternative.

Everyone that followed along on my Instagram Stories, thank you! That was fun to create.  If you missed it, I left a lot of the stories in my “highlights” section.  Click on my Instagram profile & right below the bio you’ll see the circle for Dubai & Bahrain with the stories while I was there.

If you’ve been reading for awhile you likely know this trip was a big step for me.  Last time I was in Dubai I left in a rush & didn’t exactly leave every relationship in it’s best place.  And that feeling strengthened even while I was back in the States, especially when Wafiq decided he was going to stay & begin the immigration process.  Needless to say my relationships weren’t in tip top shape across the pond.

Last year, I decided to skip the trip Wafiq took home for that very reason,  I wasn’t ready to walk back into my past OR the lions den.

This year I was ready.  Wafiq & I are both comfortable & confident in the choices we’ve made in the past & knowing we’re in control of the choices were going to make in the future – I felt like there was nothing to fear anymore.  No judgment or conversation or threat or whatever was going to hurt me.  And I don’t mean to paint the picture as if everyone was going to do just that, but when you’re struggling & feeling weak & not confident with yourself – it’s hard to defend decisions in front of anyone.  And we lived in that space for awhile so I had to protect myself.  But this time I was ready.

Right when we arrived, I felt like I was living in Dubai yesterday, but better.  And more comfortable.   Everyone was excited to see us.  The first days were filled with food.  Family. Friends. Kids.  And Food.  I definitely did not have a chance to pick up my phone & document anything.  But because those first days were easy, I immediately knew the rest of the trip would be too.

Books + Podcasts + Music are the three things I need.  I use them to help my mind take a break.   I want to disclose, I’m all over the place when it comes to reading.  I go through phases where I want to read about drug addiction, then Jesus Christ, then marketing, and sometimes a good fiction of a girl trapped in the woods.  The variety keeps me from getting bored & I highly recommend opening your genre preferences.

I’m SO happy we experienced this now, while we’re in Texas & have the opportunity.  We felt like we were in an old Western movie.  I’m desperately searching for Western belt buckles & cowboy hats for both Wafiq & I.  There truly is nothing sexier than a Cowboy.   Take a trip to the Houston Rodeo & you’ll get it.

When I read this poem it made sense to me.  I was always moving, moving, moving, & going, going, going… I swear even if other people didn’t see it, all they had to do was be in my mind.  FULL of plans & what’s next, constantly.  So afraid of stillness because it meant being stuck.

Last weekend we were walking around when it was rainy and cold, all the streets downtown were bustling with people & we both immediately felt like we were in another city.  So alive & streets filled with people, not to mention the cooler weather & rain made us feel like we were on vacation… Yes, rain and cold weather makes us feel like we’re on vacation, lived too many years in desert weather!

This list is quick & to the point!  But I highly recommend anything you can get checked off, whether you’re visiting now or in the future this list will work.

The best way I can describe the night was being flooded with emotion, in a way that stuck with me for a few days.  I looked at the bachelor’s around me & you could see a sparkle in their eyes throughout the evening as well, you literally couldn’t help feeling a deep love throughout the entire wedding.

Did You Know? “In Colombia and Peru, some believe in throwing three potatoes underneath the bed on New Years Eve: one unpeeled, one half peeled, and one completely peeled (“pelado”). Without…