Middle Eastern Odyssey

Spring Break in the Middle East??? In a word: UNFORGETTABLE! When I told people in passing of our Spring Break plans, I was met with one of two expressions: “Wow- AWESOME!” OR “Why would you want to go there? Is it safe? You’re taking your KIDS there? Aren’t you worried about getting sick?” or similar well-intended but frankly misguided admonishments.

Leave your preconceived notions about this part of the world at the door. We weren’t visiting a war zone. We were visiting the Persian Gulf, specifically Dubai and Abu Dhabi in the UAE, Manama in Bahrain, and Doha in Qatar. No one got sick. No one’s safety was ever in question (in fact, these places are infinitely safer than Chicago). We spent less on our Emirates flight halfway around the world than many of my clients did to fly to Tampa. And the best part? Without sounding too preachy, we were able to expose our kids first-hand to a part of the world that is often misunderstood and misrepresented in the media, and they ATE IT UP. They were able to see people who, on the surface, look so different from the people in our neighborhood (i.e. their small milieu), but in truth, live their lives and have the same goals for their families and careers as we do. The cultural ROI on a trip like this is unmatchable…it will be hard to beat this trip in their eyes!

A highlight for everyone: riding camels into the arabian desert.

channeling t.e. lawrence…