Channeling Audrey

Hello!  After my brief hiatus, I am back.  For the past week I have been hanging out in airports, flying over continents, basking in the Dubai sunshine and sipping on hot spiced punch at the Christmas Markets of Vienna.  So, yeah, it has been a whirlwind week, and I am ready for a few days of downtime in Al Ain before the next adventures start! It will also give me a chance to catch y'all up on what we've been up to lately!

The UAE and I have a rather complicated relationship.  B and I moved here in August of 2011.  Things started off fine, but went downhill (which is why I am taking a year "off" in Japan).  There are a lot of things I am not crazy about, but let's not dwell on those...let's focus one of the things I really like about the UAE: Dubai!

I was pleasantly surprised at the airport to see a very short immigration line, and low and behold, as I approached the luggage carousel, there was my bag! (Definitely a good start!)  B was waiting to whisk me off to the hotel to get cleaned up before having a bite to eat and heading straight to Dubai Mall.


We spent the day wandering around and window shopping (yes, believe it or not only window shopping!) stopping for lots of coffees and a long leisurely dim sum lunch at Ping Pong.



Of course we had to go outside to take yet another photo of the Burj Khalifa and a stroll around the adjacent Souk Al Bahar.  We also happened upon the Palace Hotel...can we please stay here next time?!?


The Burj Khalifa is nearly impossible to get into one photo!  It takes some artistic angles.


 Now this is a grand entrance to a hotel!

I must say, it is so nice to be wearing t-shirts in December again (seriously, who needs winter?!)

Don't worry, all my travels are to be continued...