Life hasn’t been the same since we lost Cole. Our vibrant, curious, joy-filled little boy was just 8 years old when the world took him from us without warning. He loved travel the agenda, the movement, packing his suitcase, the stories in every strange place and somehow he always made the journey brighter. Now, every place we visit, we carry the weight of his absence. The cruel truth that this fucking world is unfair in ways no parent should ever know.
But we try. We still go. We hold onto each other and carry him with us because that’s what he would’ve wanted. And so, we booked our first trip to Dubai just the three of us: Mark, Lexi (just turned 13 and growing up too fast), and me.
Where Luxury Rises From the Sand
Dubai is… something else. A glittering dream pulled up from the desert, so pristine and intentional it almost feels like science fiction. It’s a city built by vision and massive wealth, clean, and futuristic. You don’t just visit Dubai, you experience it.
After a 13-hour flight in economy (honestly, not as awful as expected thanks to a lucky tailwind), we arrived to a welcome that felt like royalty. A Mercedes limo, chilled Pellegrino, fresh scented washcloths handed to us with tongs. The washcloth thing? Not a one-time thing. It became a daily ritual.
Atlantis, The Palm – Our Home in the Desert
We stayed at Atlantis, The Palm, and upgraded to the Imperial Club which was the best decision ever. Daily breakfast, happy hour with cocktails, front-row seats to Dubai sunsets it was beyond worth it. Just be sure you don’t get fooled by bidding for the upgrade prior to your arrival, you will pay substantially more.
Lexi found her first Dubai cat that first evening, because of course she did. Her love for animals is limitless. She fed it, pet it, named it. These cats live better than most city strays well-fed, loved by staff, and clearly adored by visiting kids.
Waterpark Wonders – Aquaventure
Monday was all about Aquaventure Waterpark, the biggest waterpark in the world, and conveniently part of our hotel. VIP access meant almost no lines (except for the coaster later in the day we learned to hit that one first next time).
When we got back to the room, a sandcastle-shaped cake was waiting for Lexi’s birthday. It looked so real it could have passed for an actual sand sculpture.
Dinner With a View (And Judgmental Fish)
That night, we Ubered to Dubai Mall, the biggest shopping center on Earth. Everything is bigger in Dubai this place has an aquarium, ice rink, indoor waterfalls. We had dinner at Trove, overlooking the Dubai Fountain. Watching water dance to music with the Burj Khalifa glowing behind it? Unreal.
Lexi capped the night with a rich Dubai chocolate dessert, because how could she not?
But the real dinner experience came later in the week at Ossiano, a Michelin-starred underwater restaurant. Beautifully plated dishes, elevated flavors… and a wall of massive fish swimming past your table while you eat seafood. I swear the fish were judging me. Staring. Like, “That was my cousin.” It was delicious, but deeply morally confusing.
Jet Lag, Stray Cats, and Searching for Camels
Jet lag finally caught us hard—we woke up at 12:45PM the next day (what?!). Mark and I are up at 6AM every day back home, so that was wild.
We rented a car that Wednesday. Almost went with a Ferrari or Lamborghini just for fun, but thankfully settled on a Nissan Sunny. Our plan? Visit Love Lake and find camels.
Love Lake was peaceful, scenic, filled with flamingos and gazelles. And, yes, another cat. This one looked a little rougher around the edges. Lexi wanted to stay forever. She would’ve adopted him if we let her.
Then came our camel-finding adventure. Between spotty internet and confusing GPS directions, we ended up lost in the desert, nearly stuck in sand. Thank God we didn’t rent the Lamborghini we’d still be out there.
Burj Khalifa & Museum of the Future
That afternoon, we visited 125th floor of the Burj Khalifa the world’s tallest building. Fun facts:
- 2,717 feet tall.
- Over 160 stories.
- Elevators move at 33 feet per second.
- Sparkles like a gem at night.
Then, on to the Museum of the Future. We snagged last-minute VIP tickets since the normal tickets were sold out (punishment of $400 for not buying a head of time) and skipped all the lines. The museum is a deep dive into what our world might look like 50 years from now climate tech, AI, space travel. Very cool. Lexi left with two chocolate Dubai bars and two keychains. Had to ensure we got our money worth and the VIP tickets included a $150AED credit at the gift shop.
Dubai Marina & TikTok Dreams
Friday, our last full day, we stayed poolside during the day cocktails, beach walks, naps. That evening we headed to Dubai Marina for dinner with a view. Surrounded by glittering yachts and skyscrapers, it felt like stepping into a movie.
Lexi had been dying to visit a little hidden gem she saw on TikTok called B’laban, and we made it our last stop. She finally got her Dubai cheese bomb basically gooey, cheesy, pistachio chocolate. Her face lit up. Total joy. I took one bite and you couldn’t pay me to steal a second, but she wasn’t the only one eating this so I’m sure I’m the crazy one no one else.
Homeward Bound
Saturday morning came fast. We left the hotel at 7AM and landed home around 5PM local time. We were wiped. But in awe. Of the city. The memories. The mix of heartache and happiness we carried the whole way.
Dubai was the most luxurious, cleanest, most surreal vacation we’ve ever had outside of Bora Bora, of course. And we will absolutely return someday hopefully with a little more peace in our hearts and Cole’s memory still guiding our every step.