My Trip to Dubai - Recap with Photos!

Welcome to Thoughts for Thursday! This feature is our outlet to talk with you about whatever we currently have on our minds. It might be bookish, it might not! Now for this week's thought:

My Trip to Dubai - Recap with Photos!

For those who missed it, a little over a month ago I spent 17 days in the United Arab Emirates for an international immersion with my graduate school. Since I went as part of a program, in addition to all the fun cultural excursions, I attended lectures and visited businesses around the city to learn about Dubai, the UAE, and the Middle East. It was eye-opening and I learned more than I imagined possible. It is remarkable what can be done with a large influx of money, good governance, and the example of other countries to follow. Dubai is truly is a model of opportunity and a one-of-a-kind place. 

This experience was unforgettable as it was filled with firsts for me. Dubai is home to the world's tallest building - the Burj Khalifa, the world's richest hotel - the Burj Al-Arab, and the world's first man-made islands - the Palm Jumeirah, and I had the opportunity to see it all and more. I went snowboarding in a mall in the middle of the desert, bargained for one-too-many pashminas, rode a camel, saw a world-record-breaking firework display, had high tea at the Burj Al-Arab, got a henna tattoo, visited the Grand Mosque, rode the world's fastest roller coaster, watched a cricket game, went to the top of the world's tallest building, went dune bashing, visited the US Consulate, met some pretty important people and had an overall amazing time! I highly recommend visiting this area to fellow travel enthusiasts. It was wonderful and the hospitality was great. And without further ado, here are some photos of my trip: