As the title suggests, I’ve been to Dubai twice, still here as I write, to be specific. Last year I came to this highly talked about city with a strong desire for adventure and exploration in a land that is so far from where I reside (the US). I was ready for a big, outward push. So this is how my experience went.

After spending some time in my hometown Milan, the flight to Dubai was just less than 6 hrs, so that encouraged me to go the extra mile and push my usual travels a bit further. My first impression of Dubai was, if Miami and Las Vegas had a baby, that was Dubai lol.

Dubai felt in some way known (a lot of what is built here is a copy of something seen somewhere else, like the Empire State Building, the Big Ben, the “Louvre museum” in Abu Dhabi, famous hotels, Beach Clubs, or the malls… just bigger and “better”, if that’s how you choose to see it. There are so many insane tall buildings of all shapes and forms, and their height is never before seen.

I was amazed by how well this city developed throughout the years, becoming one of the top destinations in the world ( Dubai was born as a small fishing village in the 18th century, becoming a regional trading hub in the early 20th century to then growing tremendously in the late 20th and early 21st centuries with a focus on tourism and luxury).

Dubai is extremely diverse, as a matter of fact, I don’t think I’ve seen so much diversity in culture, religion and language as here. So much so that even understanding English (the most spoken language here) is hard, because everyone has a different accent (the other day I was at dinner with a Malaysian, a Sri Lankan and a British). Unlike Miami where you definitely feel a strong prevalence of Latin culture, here is definitely still dominantly Arab but also there is so much of everything. Dubai feels a very promising and prosperous environment, yet surprisingly to this day I still consider it more affordable than Miami (depending on where you go, but just the fact that here there is no tipping mandatory or added taxes on bills makes it cheaper IMO, plus where do you get a cab ride anymore for 15 dirham/4$?).

So beside this twisted feeling of known and unknown, what struck me the most was the Arabic culture seeping everywhere. The mosques and the prayer times (prayers start on big speakers from mosques and are heard everywhere, I think about 5 times a day). The dress code of Islamic women is shocking at first (they are completely covered in black abaya or some even with a niqab, a veil covering their face as well so only the eyes are visible). Men wear this beautiful white uniform and sometimes a red turban or white headscarf with a black rope on it, I’m sorry if I’m not naming these items correctly, just describing them as I saw them. Both are very elegant outfits and makes you think how devoted these people are to their religion and traditions. Even though at first I felt the urge to judge such “strictness”, I respect it and I find myself wear less revealing clothes because of that.

What really got me obsessed the first time around was finding a place that felt familiar on some aspects (great hotels, restaurants, excellent customer service, gyms, malls so overwhelmingly big -Dubai mall is the biggest in the world – that not only they hold aquariums and all sort of entertainment to escape the terrible summer heat, but even a ski resort? Lmao check the Mall of Emirates; beaches, the Marina, the fresh energy you feel when visiting a new country, which reminded me how I felt when I visited the US the first time) and the mix of traditions (Old Dubai, the souks, the smell of spices), the locals, the mosques (I visited the stunning Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi) the expats telling you their experience, the local food, the immense beauty of the desert, just about an hour away from Dubai.

But of all the grandiosity, what made me come back was the people and connections I made. What I’m learning more and more is that traveling is the best if you make connections, either as friendships or for work (I was lucky to experience both). Last year I also made a special friend and visited Al Ain, also known as the garden city, which has its own hidden beauty and a water system that allows to collect rain water and promote the growth of lush green oasis.

I also visited a special place in the middle of nowhere just an hour outside Dubai (I won’t name it to keep its wilderness), where a small village was built for bedouins but later abandoned and “eaten” by the desert. One of the most incredible and eerie places I ever been to.

The first trip got me also motivated to learn Arabic, if you don’t know I’ve been taking classes for a year now (check out my flexibility tutorials in Arabic here!)

I was so in love with Dubai the first time around! I even thought, what if I moved here? Suddenly Miami didn’t feel so “cool” anymore. But one thing in particular held me back… you will never become a citizen of UAE or Dubai (you need to have your father to be a citizen) and that felt like… you’ll never belong. Granted, you don’t pay taxes (wohoooo!) but you’ll never have the rights of being a citizen and being both an Italian and American citizen myself, I feel that influences my choice on where I want to live in the future.

Now, let’s talk about why my experience was different this time around.

Well first off, it wasn’t new anymore. I love the expression “You can’t enter the same river twice”: it was quite impossible to top off the first trip, which I considered one of the best of my life.

There was still more to see, but I managed to do a lot last year so after being done with my workshop Intensive weekend during the first week I was like…maybe I’ll go to the Maldives lol. The weather wasn’t the greatest there so I didn’t go, but I think from now on, if I decide to come to Dubai, it’s smart to stay here and work one week, but for a longer stay it’s definitely worth it to stretch a bit further, either to the Maldives, Seychelles or even India. They are just a few hours away and offer a total different experience from Dubai.

I was really starting to miss Miami this time. I swear, every time I’m on a returning flight and I’m at the gate, I stare at the big screen in disbelief and think: “HOLY SHIT MIAMI IS MY HOME”. Still to this day, I feel beyond grateful.

On this trip I went back to some of my favorite places (Kite Beach, Burj Khalifa at night, the Palm Jumeirah, rooftop pools) and explored a few more spots like Business Bay and Downtown, local areas like Al Barsha, another Emirate (Umm Al Quwain) and its beaches. I got to work and catch up with friends, which like I said they do really make this place worth visiting. In the end I love solo traveling, it always makes me learn something new about where I go to but mostly about myself.

If the first trip was an extension, an outward stretch… this second trip is a lovely return: return to appreciating even more what I have, gratitude to be a citizen of the US, which allowed me the life I have today.

So I’m exited to go home and have different eyes, this is maybe the best part of traveling. It reminds me one of my favorite lines, by Marcel Proust:

“The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes.” 

Looking forward to diving back into training and starting Spring Courses online with my badass student crew, I’m also thrilled to be back on a regular routine of cooking home and self care.

I’m also considering a break from social media, nothing drastic but I feel the need to cut distractions for a while.

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