Dubai (days 1-3)

Searching for cheap tickets online can get you to very interesting places. Luckily for me, that interesting place was Dubai!

I've wanted to go to the UAE for quite some time now. I don't know whether it was the allure of The Palm and The World (both man-made island chains), the unmistakable shape of the Burj Al Arab, or that I just liked the sound of "United Arab Emirates," but Dubai has been on my travel bucket list since I was 12. So when the opportunity arose to get there for roughly $120, I didn't think twice about it.


So right now, it is my 3rd day in Dubai. This is such a cool city! In the past 36 hours, I:

•  Figured out how to navigate the Dubai Metro (which was built in 18 months and goes through the whole city!). Once I got back to my hotel after a day of exploring, I couldn't help but beam with excitement and pride.
• Walked amidst the Dubai Marina skyscrapers, and enjoyed a Starbucks Caramel Frappuccino! (The $6 I paid for it reminded me of home, and the barista was nice enough to give me a stack of wifi cards!  Definitely worth it!)

• Watched the sun rise over the desert from the 124th floor of the Burj Khalifa!!! Definitely worth waking up at 4:30.
  
• Treated myself to a wonderful solo Valentine's Day dinner underneath the towering Burj Khalifa. Not only was the food ( a Croque Madame and an Apple Tart for dessert) absolutely
  delicious, but I managed to get a table that overlooked the fabulous Dubai Mall fountains. With a show every half-hour, I managed to see three different ones. Timed with music and lights, the show was one of the most overwhelmingly beautiful things I have ever seen. 
  
  
• Spent a day at the beach overlooking the Burj Al Arab--the tallest and only 7 star hotel in the world.
• Talked to locals and expats to find out what beach is free and had the view I was looking for.
• Swam in the Persian Gulf.
• Booked a day tour to Abu Dhabi (a neighboring emirate) with a Russian speaking group.  
• After trying to video chat with a friend for half an hour, I learned that FaceTime and Viber are both blocked in the UAE. (Skype still works though!) 
• Felt overwhelmed at a mall, but how can you not be when you can go skiing inside?!
• Have not been kidnapped! Yes, it is in fact, possible to go to a foreign country completely alone, as a female, not knowing the language, not having a set itinerary, and be completely fine. In fact, I'm more than fine; I can't stop smiling!  

I knew that at some point in my life, I would travel alone. I just wasn't expecting that to happen when I was 19, and in a country that shares borders with Oman, Qatar,  and Saudi Arabia. But as you can see, I'm having an amazing time.  Besides, everyone needs a little adventure in their lives!