Aladdin Vibes in Abu Dhabi.

I never thought I’d ever set foot on soil in the United Emirates. But when a girl dreams, she dreams. “Girl, you going places”, my grandma reminded me ever since I was a little girl. And here I was, in Abu Dhabi.

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You are not the author of your story. God has written every chapter in your book. I keep telling myself, relax and trust those in-between chapters. You don’t need to know what your next chapter is or how your story is going to end. After all, the author always knows how the story is going to end before the characters do. Trust the Author and Finisher of your story. Your future is bright✨

A post shared by LaShay Mamuya (@lashay.mamuya) on Nov 12, 2018 at 8:59am PST

Last August, I spent 24 hours in Abu Dhabi, the hottest time of the year. I completely underestimated how hot it would be. It was over 102 degrees. No one was outdoors.

My husband’s white shirt became transparent, and I was a hot mess! Immediately upon arrival, we decided since it would be hot to go to Corniche Beach. Surprisingly, once we got there, we were elated to see the water, but horrified at how empty the beach was and how HOT it was! This wasn’t a normal hot, this was, if you stay outside longer than 30 minutes, you’re dead kind of hot. In that case, we needed to have a plan B. Because I really wanted to see the grand mosque–the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, we immediately hailed a taxi and left Corniche Beach. That was unfortunate.

However, once we got to the mosque, we realized we weren’t allowed on the premises just yet, because it was time for worship. We needed to wait until evening to visit the beautiful attraction. So wait, we did. But not outdoors.

We went to the mall instead since it was unbearably hot outside. NO ONE was outside. We made that mistake the first time by going to the beach. Once inside, we found comfortable couches and literally fell asleep. The heat really sucked all of our energy. A few hours later we woke up but still had an hour to kill. So we decided to explore the mall. There were very few things in it that I could afford, I felt really poor. It was no different than shopping on fifth avenue in New York. But it was nice to see brands I was familiar with like Michael Kors and Coach.

I also caught myself frequently people watching. I appreciated the culture. I tried my best to keep my shoulders covered, but it was so hot, and immediately I kept thinking to myself, how do people stay covered from head to toe in this heat? This is crazy!

Finally, we make it back to the mosque and immediately I had to put on a robe and cover my hair. As I started to tour the building, I became overwhelmed by all the details. It was magnificent. It was different. It was respected. I took my time, and I walked with patience, on my bare feet. I kept silent, and only took pictures when I felt I needed too. I really wanted to cherish this moment because I was thousands and thousands of miles away from home and I never thought in a million years that I would be walking the Grand Mosque all the way in Abu Dhabi. It was a blessing.

I spent the entire evening at the Grand Mosque. It was breathtaking and the vibes were all things Aladdin–you know the movie that made you feel like you could go anywhere? I didn’t want to leave that dreamy feeling. But once I did, I had so many memories to hang onto.

Now it’s your turn. Plan a trip to the Emirates and swing by Abu Dhabi. It is well worth a visit!