After three long years staying close to home
Avoiding public transit like the plague
It’s time for me to push aside my angst
Take a deep breath, board a crowded plane
And once again fly the friendly skies
All thanks to a wedding invitation
Destination: Dubai!
Excitement grows at the thought of meeting
My school friends who will be attending
Some after 45 long years…
I decide to learn a few basic Arabic words while checking for tours online:
Low Samaht – please, Shukran – thank you!
Fortified with my bivalent booster shot
My to-do and to-pack lists grow by the day
Valid passport, airline and hotel reservations, travel medical insurance
Check, check, check, check!
I poke around closets looking for countless
Must-take-with-me items in my shrinking suitcase:
Clothes, shoes, toiletries, gifts, masks, rapid test kits, hand sanitizer
With water bottle, phone, charger, ear plugs to be in my carry-on
And valuables on my person
Then all that’s left for me is to pray
Pray for good weather on the day of my departure
Inshallah – God willing!
