My First Visit to Dubai

Jeff was working through a 3-month probationary period at his new job in Dubai, and we had been apart for a month or so before my first scheduled visit. The goal of the probationary period as well as my first visit would be for us to see the city, tour some homes and schools, and generally decide whether we could see our family fitting into the life we would have there. I was SO excited for my trip but also to finally see Jeff again. After the longest flight of my life so far (15 hours), I finally arrived in Dubai. I flew on Emirates Airlines, and as nice as the flight amenities were, it sure is tough to be on a plane that long! I was so happy to finally arrive and see Jeff at the airport. He even had these beautiful flowers waiting on me at his apartment.

Dubai is 9 hours ahead of the central time zone, so naturally I had a tough time adjusting and overcoming the jet lag. Jeff and I got up early the next morning to work out at the gym, and I couldn't believe the view from the treadmill. This city amazed me already!

Jeff and I had several days PACKED with activities, including sightseeing, home tours, school tours, and beach time. I was all smiles the entire time and in disbelief at times that we were planning to move to this fascinating city.

One of our first stops was the Dubai Mall and Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world. We had a VIP tour to the 148th floor. It was incredible! Walking out to the viewing deck was actually scary at first. The views were stunning!

I had multiple school tours lined up during my visit, and we decided to tour Dubai American Academy first. It was the school we were leaning towards based on what we knew about the curriculum and cost. We were so impressed by the tour that we cancelled the other two school tours later in the week. This school felt like a great fit and we knew the kids would love it.

When my jet lag was at its worst, we had a full day planned with the relocation company that Jeff's company had provided for us. One of their representatives spent 6 hours with us, driving from area to area, home to home, for us to get a good look at the neighborhoods that might fit what we wanted for our family. The villas were beautiful and stunning, but Jeff and I both fell in love with this townhouse community close to his office. We were hoping one would be available when the time was right.

The weather was still quite warm in Dubai in September, but it was similar to what I was used to in the Houston area. Jeff took me to this beautiful outdoor mall, known as a souk, where we did some shopping, picture-taking, and even Facetimed with the kids back home.

We ended up saving the best for last by going to the beach on my last full day in Dubai. After our full week of house and school tours, I was already feeling pretty confident about our decision to move the family to Dubai. But after a morning spent at Black Palace Beach, I was SOLD. It seemed like a dream to have the opportunity to spend a season of our lives in this amazing city with beachfront access to the beautiful Arabian Gulf. It was in these waters that Jeff and I both confirmed our decision to move.

We spent some time at the rooftop pool later that afternoon, and then we went back to Dubai Mall for a yummy dinner of PF Chang's for our last night together. It had been a whirlwind trip packed with fun, yet it was only the beginning of our adventures to come.