Vol 40 Abu Dhabi

I took a day off and drove to Abu Dhabi to meet my friend Brian, from Seattle, who was there on business. Got a bit of a late start when half an hour into the trip I realized I had forgotten my passport and road pass at home. A classic retarded Susan move which was quickly remedied by turning back.

No Mahfoodh with me this time which made the 5 hours of driving a bit tedious and the navigating a bit worrying. The highway that cuts across Oman and the UAE is different from the highway to Dubai. As with all trips west you must drive through the Hajar Mountains. Route 7, which took me through the mountains was narrow, winding and beautiful.

Then I had to go through the border post. Again it was 3 or 4 stops but quick and easy.

After crossing the border into the UAE the first city is Al Ain, the second largest city in Abu Dhabi Emirate. It looks to be quite a nice small city but I had no time to explore it as I was trying to reach Abu Dhabi around the same time Brian finished his business. There is a temperature gauge in the company SUV that I was driving and the temperature for this road trip up until Al Ain was around 47-48 degrees Celsius. Or 118 Fahrenheit. But after Al Ain I headed into desert dune country. And boy did it get hot. Even though the sun was not shining on it I couldn’t rest my arm against the car window- it was too hot. The hottest temperature I recorded was when I stopped for gas in the middle of the desert. It was 55 degrees. That’s 129! I got out to pee and I was pretty sure I was gonna die if I didn’t get back in the air conditioned car within 2 minutes or so.

I couldn’t get any good photos of the dunes because the roads have been lined with palm trees in an effort to beautify the landscape. I would have gotten out and walked beyond the palms to get a photo but again, I was pretty sure I would have died.

Then on to Abu Dhabi. It’s quite a modern city compared with Muscat. Both Abu Dhabi and Dubai are trying to attract visitors with magnificent hotels, museums, attractions etc. Muscat is not. Abu Dhabi and Dubai are all about architecturally interesting skyscrapers. Muscat is not. There are some older skyscrapers in the central business district of Muscat but they are pretty short and boring. In Muscat there is a shwarma stand on every corner. I didn’t see any in Abu Dhabi. It just feels like any other large city in the world. Except for the heat. And the humidity. It was definitely more humid than Muscat, too.

This last photo was taken with humidity on the lens.

Brian and I went out for a bit of shopping, then dinner and coffee.

We dined at the Palace Hotel, which has been appropriately named. This is a tiny glimpse of it's splendor.

The next day we went to the IKEA so I could pick up a few items I couldn’t get in Dubai last week. The IKEA is located in a large mall where I was able to find one pair of shoes to buy. Things are looking up in shoeland. Although these ones are not as practical as I would like, they are super cute Kenneth Coles.

The shoes from Dubai.

The shoes from Abu Dhabi. Pretend you care.

Then more shopping and dinner. Then I drove him to the airport and headed home.

This is Brian.

Regarding Brian. He reads this blog and so must know I am very open about my activities and feelings. Though I want to protect his privacy as best I can, I will say this: I have always considered myself to be a powerful manifestor but have come to understand that I, like most of us, put limitations on how much I allow myself to manifest. In recent years I have been working to break these patterns. I work on it and myself for a bit then I sort of take a break, allowing what I’ve learned to settle into my life. So meeting Brian last year was an excellent opportunity for me to affirm that the kind of man I am looking for exists. And I’ll admit that this trip to Abu Dhabi was for me, a check-in with him. Was he potentially the man for me? Well it appears the answer is no. He is seeing someone back home whom he seems to fancy quite a bit and he would not really even look me in the eye. And so, I’ll also admit that I had a little cry while driving home last night- a brief moment of grief. But I turned it around fairly quickly. I only want the best for everyone and so I am happy for him if he’s happy. Romance aside; he is still the kind of person I’m trying to attract into my life. A blend of kindness, humor, adventure, spirituality, naughtiness and love and so I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to hang out with him. He’s good company, even when exhausted from traveling and distracted by thoughts of returning home.

Anyway, I think it’s time for another growth spurt. Time to put into action some of the theories I’ve been spouting for years to other women and some of the theories that have been rattling around in my head for a while. I’m excited about it, I really am. The world is my oyster. I can have anything I can imagine and I’m getting ready to place my order. With arms wide open.

Feel yourself being quietly drawn by the deeper pull of what you truly love- Rumi

Another video for your viewing pleasure:

Whoops! Apparently I am experiencing technical difficulties. I got an error message when I tried to upload my video here. I have contacted blogspot as they requested and will post the video when and if I'm able. Bummer.