All right Dubai. I’m ready for you. I think!

It’s been exactly one year since I quit my corporate job in Hong Kong and took a ‘gap year’ at the ripe old age of 29, and now the las lap has come to an end. The idea of bumming around and travelling for a year is something that a lot of people dream of doing, and I was very fortunate to have been able to do it, because I think there are few opportunities in life when you are in the right place at the right time, and have enough money and the freedom to do it. But, I am glad that is is almost over, and that in two days I will arrive in my new home in Dubai to start living a normal life again. After a year of nomadic living, I am really looking forward to simple things, like sleeping in my own bed on my own pillow… having a fully stocked kitchen… waking up in the same place every day… and looking through a cupboard full of clothes instead of a suitcase!

I will however be incredibly sad to say farewell to France. The five weeks have passed by so quickly. I am sure going to miss the French approach to life: the ‘enjoy today, don’t worry about tomorrow’ mentality, the obligatory glass of wine at lunch, and the wonderful bliss of sinking into your bed for the mandatory afternoon siesta. After years of working in fast-paced non-stop Asian countries, spending a few weeks in France feels like life in slow motion. Moving to Dubai is going to be an adjustment!

So, since these are my last few days, I have been trying to make the most of it by just going out, walking around, and enjoying the town. Some days I sit in the square on a bench, and people watch. Some days I just wander around the tiny cobble stoned streets and take pictures. Some days I just meander around the markets, taking in the sights and smells, listening to people talking and laughing. If only there was some way to stay longer….

Here are some of the most recent pictures around town: