In February 2026, I found myself trading the familiar chill of winter for the warmth of Abu Dhabi. What began with a chance meeting over coffee at Yanar Dag in Azerbaijan grew into a week-long adventure across the Emirates. From the quiet beauty of Al Ain’s oasis to the vast silence of Liwa’s desert, and the towering ambition of Dubai, the trip was defined as much by the people I met as the landscapes I explored. Staying with a friend I had only known briefly brought a perspective on life abroad that rivalled any guidebook, while the open roads reminded me of the freedom of travel and the unexpected ways a journey can change you.
