April 2006


“Danielle, what do you think about moving to Dubai?”
“Where?”
When my husband Chris first introduced the idea of moving to Dubai for six months, I quickly consulted a map.
“The Middle East?!”
I was admittedly skeptical. Why on earth would we leave our beloved Charleston to live 90 miles from Iran? However, the opportunity for us both professionally and personally quickly overshadowed those three words I had for so long associated with war and unrest: The Middle East.
It was not long after our arrival that all of my preconceived notions of the area melted away in the desert heat. Chris and I enjoyed Dubai so much that we even convinced my parents, who had no particular interest in visiting the area, to come for a vacation. Their two week stay in April was the perfect amount of time to experience the beaches on the Arabian Gulf, the souks (markets), the over the top five star resorts, and even an overnight stay on a boat in Oman.
Pictures and stories of their adventures in the Middle East soon traveled across the Atlantic, and three others were persuaded to visit. Felice, Kathleen, and my good friend Natalie descended upon Dubai for a ten day visit filled with shopping, beaching, shopping, eating out, shopping, desert safaris, and shopping. The souks were practically empty when we left them, and we had made best friends with all of the shop owners. Kashmir paschminas, Moroccan lanterns, Syrian glasswork, and Indian tablecloths spilled out of their suitcases, and gold bracelets jingle jangled on their wrists. Pieces of Dubai now accent their homes and wardrobes and will hopefully turn other skeptics to believers. As we are returning to Dubai for a few more months this fall, we hope to see many more familiar faces cross our doorstep. My only advice is to bring an empty suitcase and a full wallet.
Danielle