A few interesting facts...

We  have been super busy preparing for our departure in 3 days!!!  We fly out Wednesday for a 26 hour trip with connections in Chicago and Istanbul, Turkey before arriving in Abu Dhabi at 1:45 a.m. Friday morning.

I wanted to share some general information about Abu Dhabi and the United Arab Emirates, as it is an amazing country

• Abu Dhabi is the capital and the second largest city (Dubai is the largest) in the UAE and is the center of the country's political, economic, and cultural activity
• They declared their independence in 1971 from Great Britain and celebrate 'National Day' on December 2nd 
• The country is made up of seven different emirates with Abu Dhabi being the largest
• The UAE contains the world's 7th largest oil reserve 
• As much of the area is desert, temperatures can reach over 120 degrees in the summer and is hot and sunny year round
• In 2010, the estimated population was 8,264,070, with only 13% being Emirate nationals
• Islam is the major religion, although the government follows a policy of tolerance toward other religions
• Women have rights are not required to stay covered, although many Emirates follow traditional Muslim attire
• It is 8 hours ahead of US Eastern Standard Time
• It is a tax-free hub with no sales tax, income tax, or customs duty 

Here are some of the attractions I can't wait to see and experience:

Ski Dubai (indoor ski park)




Burj Khalifa aka the tallest building in the world




Ferrari World Amusement Park




Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque,



Camel Racing (Yes, those are robots jockeys)




I may be unavailable for the next week or so but promise to update as soon as I can.  See you on the other side of the pond!  :-)