Two Years Later – Visiting Dubai!

Did You Know:  The Middle East is obsessed w tall buildings – “Dubai’s newest creation, The Tower,  aims to take the title of world’s tallest tower, which Burj Khalifa, also in Dubai, has held since 2010.  But it’s got competition. The Jeddah Tower, in Saudi Arabia, is also slated to finish in 2020. When completed, this gleaming vertical will be 236ft taller than Dubai’s creation.” (via)

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.

One thing that is incredibly opposite of my upbringing is the noise & amount of people Wafiq is used to being around.  The atmosphere is consistently loud & chaotic, which quickly overwhelms me. I don’t know when I fit into a conversation or how to start talking –  I’m used to “one person talking at a time“.  (Remember when teachers would say that in 1st grade?)  When there’s so many people, so many conversations, so much new – I find myself scattered.  But, in a way, I’m envious of an upbringing filled with SO much.  The energy & chaos is all love.  All the noise, all the people, all the chaos is like swarming tornados of love.  Everyone is simply trying hard to express it, the loudest. I’m sure people with big families or that are super popular can easily relate.  I was neither.

I knew going into the trip that I had to be prepared, and I was.

For someone who depends on quiet, and alone times – it’s EASY to get overwhelmed with this atmosphere.  This time, I set boundaries.  I want to be the best representation of myself and that means I need a little quiet & alone time to recharge, so I make room for myself when I need it & I don’t find reasons to defend myself.  No long explanation conversation required.  This attitude changed my trip.  The first few days were hard to do, getting used to carving away space for yourself in an environment that doesn’t necessarily have the same needs, is difficult.  But I’m glad I listened to my gut with alone time, because I really believe it changed the whole trip for me.

Introverts, you got this!

Making time for yourself might sound small but it’s a huge difference maker that easily gets overlooked. Especially for particular personalities, like myself.  For the 2 years I lived in Dubai I couldn’t put that puzzle piece together.  Which is why I thought this element to my trip was important to share.  While there’s pretty pictures & fun adventures – there are other areas to manage a successful vacation as well.

Alright!  I’m sitting down today to go through pictures & posts of the trip.  What I wore, what people wear, what we did, what I recommend, fav places, ect.  Let me know if theres anything you want me to write about & I’ll make sure to include!

Have a great weekend, and be thoughtful

Xx

++ 6 months living as an expat: HERE

++ Safety & being a woman in Dubai: HERE

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