Mother and Daughter

“The special bond shared between a mother and daughter is the one place in all the world where hearts can be sure of each other. Like branches on a tree, we may grow in different directions, but our roots remain one. And through the fury of the storm or the calm of the rainbow, we depend on each other for understanding and compassion. We will always share these moments, sparkling, like a star in our hand...keeping memories we have gathered through the years close to our hearts.”

For approximately 5 years now, my mom and I have planned yearly trips to various destinations. We've been to Daytona Beach Florida, Phoenix, Arizona, Las Vegas, Nevada and Cancun, Mexico. These trips have allowed my mom and I to bond and to create ever-lasting memories. I am forever thankful.

This year, a last minute decision was made to fly my mom out to Dubai, UAE. This was not easy. Those who know my mom know that she hates planes and rarely travels on them alone. Considering the flight from Toronto to Dubai is around 13 hours, I knew it would take a lot of convincing before I got her to agree. Luckily, she did!

Mom was only here for a week, which really wasn't long enough, but we tried to make the best of it.

Here is a quick recap of what we did during her stay:

1. An Italian dinner in Mirdif City Centre

2. A breakfast at Shakespeare & Co. in Arabian Ranches

4. A dinner at The Meat Co. and an Abra tour around Madinat Jumeirah, where we got a good look at the Burj Al Arab

5. A brunch at Saladicious and a stroll around JBR

9. An Asian dinner at Saffron and a wander around the Atlantis Hotel on the Palm

10. A "surprise" 4 day road trip to the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Muscat, Oman where we got to visit the city with a tremendously informative cab driver, relax by the pool, walk on the beach and eat lots of food

11. A trip to Dubai Mall to see the ice rink, aquarium, dancing fountains, Burj Khalifa and to eat a great Lebanese lunch with Turkish Ice cream for dessert

13. A trip to Global Village to visit pavilions from different countries around the world

14. A nice relaxing dinner at the Els Club in Sports City

Mom, I hope enjoyed your stay! You deserve it!

Thank you for coming! I love you around the world and back again!

Comments

In a World Full of Noise, Let’s Show Understanding

“Not everyone processes uncertainty the same way, and that’s okay.” The past few days have been unexpected. What started as a normal Saturday - coaching at the gym, breakfast with a friend, catching up on work with the TV on in the background - quickly changed when I heard a loud “boom” coming from outside my apartment. At first, many of us in the community assumed it came from one of the many nearby construction sites. But, within the next few hours, the loud sounds came again and again, and word spread that these were missiles and drones being intercepted in the sky. I’ve always felt safe here in the UAE, and believe it or not, to a certain extent, I still do. Like many other residents here, I have a lot of trust in the country I’ve chosen to call home for over 11 years. I’ve seen it overcome challenges in the past, such as COVID and floods, and I’ve witnessed how much the leadership cares for the residents, particularly over the last few days. That said, it’s no secret that I a...

Momentum Reset

"Momentum doesn’t just return; you rebuild it, one choice at a time." Before summer began, I was feeling a little low. The tipping point came when I found out my HYROX competition partner’s visa had been denied, meaning we wouldn’t be able to compete at the HYROX World Championships in Chicago. Deep down, I knew it wasn’t the end of the world, but I was still pretty bummed. I thrive when I have a goal, something to work toward, and for nearly two months, I’d been all-in. That training gave me momentum, purpose and energy. When that goal disappeared, so did my drive. Suddenly, my energy shifted in the wrong direction. I slipped into autopilot, stuck in the routine of daily life, work, and thought patterns that were becoming more and more negative. Social media didn’t help. It felt like everyone else was out there doing so much, and I had nothing exciting happening. I would catch myself comparing and as my thoughts spiraled, my body started responding, and not in a good way. Th...

Living Out a Dream

“Have you ever stopped and thought: “Wow. I prayed for this. It’s here. It’s happening.”? I recently received a message from an old student from my very first school in Canada. It was a simple note, but it sparked reflection in me about where I’ve come from and everything that’s happened over the last 15–20 years. At my age, I often look around and see many of the people ( my age ) settling down; getting married, having kids, buying homes ( A dream for many, especially women. ). And sometimes, I can’t help but ask myself: what am I doing with my life? However, that message from my former student reminded me of something I often forget: I’ve already been living a dream. When I left my first teaching job in Canada, it was one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever made. I absolutely loved my students, and together we had built a really special bond. But at that time, I had a dream to travel the world; to immerse myself in different cultures and to learn from people whose li...

One Rising Star

Search This Blog