Celebrating Our Anniversary in the Maldives

M and I just celebrated our wedding anniversary, and we decided to take a family trip to the Maldives since it's much closer to Dubai than it would be if we were back home. Many friends of ours had travelled there and said it was one of the most memorable and romantic destinations of their lives, so it seemed an appropriate place to reminisce about our wedding and our many years of happiness together from dating to engagement to marriage to parenthood.

After about a four-hour flight, we landed in Malé, the capital of the Maldives. I was struck at the airport by the beautiful form of the Maldivian language, which I later looked up is called Dhivehi. Some of the shapes reminded me of Arabic, especially Arabic vowels, and I learned that it is heavily influenced with some saying over 25% of Dhivehi words coming from Arabic. (If you're interested in learning more about the language and some basic travel phrases, check out the Maldivian language primer on the Vacation to Maldives website.)

Once we passed through immigration, we connected with a representative from our resort, Sheraton Maldives Full Moon Resort and Spa, who escorted us to a speedboat just outside the airport. We picked the Sheraton resort because it was family friendly and close enough to the airport that we could travel by boat instead of seaplane, as I wasn't sure about taking S in a seaplane at his age. We were the only parents who brought our own life jacket for our kid, but I was so grateful we did. The life jackets provided wouldn't work in an emergency for anyone who couldn't already swim, and they were too big for S.

This was by far one of the most laid-back, relaxing vacations we've ever taken. We were upgraded to a private villa and were grateful for it as S threw a few toddler tantrums in the comfort and privacy of our temporary abode. M persuaded me not to jam-pack our schedule as I usually do and instead just to go with the flow. He was right; it was just what we needed!

Our first night, we enjoyed a Maldivian seafood buffet right on the beach. As we sat at our table adjacent to the gently lapping waves, watching the sun set, listening to live music, eating phenomenal grilled calamari and fresh-caught fish, I couldn't stop grinning. I feel so lucky to be with my family and able to share such special moments with them.

The next day, I got up early to do a meditation class on the beach provided by the resort. Because my New Year's Resolution this year is mindfulness, I've been working on picking up a more solid meditation habit. This was a good chance to practice mindfulness and learn more about the science and history of meditation from the expert who guided the session. After that, we all went to breakfast and then dropped S off at the Kids' Club for a few hours of babysitting while M and I went on a kayaking date. It was such a workout, but the beautiful weather and gorgeous views kept us paddling.

After that, I snuck away for my own massage treatment at the on-resort spa, which was on its own little island connected by a footbridge. (M has never liked massages, so I usually go alone and don't mind a bit.) I had a very soothing and healing massage that worked out some of the tension I always seem to carry around in my neck, shoulders, and back after flying on an airplane.

Afterwards, though, I had to rush from the spa back to our villa to shower, because that afternoon we booked a family photo session. These marketing experts are brilliant - they gave us a complimentary family photo session for 30 minutes where we could receive our favorite photo for free but would have to pay for any additional photos we wanted. M and I both knew from the moment I booked the photo session that there was no way I was going home with only one family photo from our session. I love every single one of the photos we decided to keep (and I know M and S do, too).

The next day was a combination of snorkeling, playing on the beach, and swimming until the evening. We played with Stephen at the kids' club for a little bit, made sure he was well fed, and then put him down to sleep in his inflatable toddler mattress in his Slumberpod (one of the greatest inventions of all time for traveling families if you ask me). Then, we booked a babysitter to simply sit in the room in case of emergency while he slept under the watchful eye of our babycam so we could for a romantic dinner at one of the nicest on-resort restaurants.

The next day we had to say goodbye and left the Maldives on a much rainier day than when we arrived. By the end of our trip, I felt rested and pampered and relaxed but also ready to come home and get back to normal life. The Maldives certainly lived up to its reputation of being very expensive but very special and serene. For us on this special occasion, it was definitely worth it.

Returning to Breathtaking Khareef in Oman for First Time in 12 Years

I was incredibly lucky to study abroad in Salalah, Oman as an undergraduate participant in the State Department-funded Critical Language Scholarship (CLS). I spent a summer there deeply immersed in Arabic language study, Omani culture, my first Ramadhan in a Muslim country, and the legendary khareef (خريف) monsoon season that transforms the Dhofar region in the south of Oman each year. My time in Salalah is one of my fondest and most beautiful memories. My study abroad pushed me beyond my comfort zone but also took me to new heights in my own resilience, commitment to my chosen field of international affairs, and my language abilities.

So I was thrilled to have the opportunity to finally show M and S a place that was so meaningful to me. (Also, fun fact for fellow members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church, also known as the Mormon Church to many): Salalah is widely considered by scholars to be the most likely location for Bountiful, referenced in the Book of Mormon.) Salalah is just a short flight from Dubai, and I booked the trip right at the start of khareef. Salalah is beautiful any time of year, but the khareef is very special because the monsoon rains take the temperature down immensely and contribute to a verdant, luscious scene of waterfalls, trees, and crashing waves that make the south of Oman the hottest (or coolest, if we're speaking literally) destination of the region that time of year.

My gamble to book our trip right at the start of khareef totally paid off, since there were no crowds where we went but the monsoon rains had just begun. This meant stunning nature views with gently cascading waterfalls, misty mountainscapes, and boat rides through flourishing green hills and valleys. It's a nature lover's dream!

I have to plug the most famous spot of all during khareef: Wadi Darbat. This was just as beautiful as I remembered it from 12 years ago, except that the infrastructure is much more built up with a nice, new stroller-friendly boardwalk by the water and periodic stations for family fun including tethered Zorb balls on the river for older kids, cafes with a view of the greenery, and many very inexpensive boat rides.

I was surprised to find that the boat ride vendors even accepted international credit cards; the last time I was there, it was Omani rials in cash only! S loved our family boat ride, and I was grateful we brought his infant life jacket. They provide life jackets on the boat, but I didn't find any with appropriate head support for a child as young as S who cannot swim.

We also visited a spot with some unique and impressive natural phenomena: Marneef Cave and blow holes, overlooking Al Mughsayl Beach. As the aggressive monsoon waves lapped up to the rocky cliffside, some of the water was forced through natural holes in the rock, spurting up in spectacular fashion through blow holes on the viewing platform. The caves themselves were also beautiful, with a range of colors and rock types that would appeal to anyone, regardless of your geology knowledge.

Jebel Samhan was another must-see on my list, so we drove up and enjoyed the rolling fog and edges of clouds over a red-clay, rocky landscape that looked like something straight out of a great science fiction movie. I had hoped to do a lot more hiking while we were there, but unfortunately some of us got a little sick from something we picked up at the hotel near the end of our trip. Since we weren't all feeling up to hiking, we did some scenic drives and relaxing days by the water instead. (Hiking is also a very different game with a small child, so trust me when I say nobody wants to go on a family hike when someone is too sick.)

I'm so grateful for the privilege of living in the Arab world and having the chance to visit Salalah again. I truly consider it one of the most special places on the planet, and I couldn't recommend it more to anyone lucky enough to travel there.

A Long Weekend in Abu Dhabi

I had a work event in Abu Dhabi and we decided to make a family weekend trip out of it since we hadn't been yet. (Abu Dhabi is the capital of the United Arab Emirates, or UAE, where we currently live. That's why we have an embassy in Abu Dhabi and a consulate in Dubai.) The event that brought me to Abu Dhabi was the Korean Film Festival, hosted by the Korean Embassy. I saw an amazing new Korean biographical movie called Road to Boston, about Korean athletes who participated in the Boston International Marathon in 1947. It was so powerful and moving, it gave me chills in the theatre.

After that, we got to enjoy our hip, artsy hotel: Aloft Abu Dhabi. Since summer in the UAE is blazing hot and a low season for tourism, we got plenty of deals for our family vacation including tickets to some of Abu Dhabi's biggest attractions included with our hotel booking.

We knew multiple sites required very modest dress and packed accordingly. I tried to plan multiple sites requiring conservative attire back-to-back so we could make sure we were appropriately dressed for all of them. However, I foolishly completely forgot to pack a scarf to cover my hair! I refused to buy a scarf from one the stands for forgetful or ignorant tourists, so I ended up improvising with a full dress wrapped around my head like a scarf. I think I did a decent enough job.

We went to Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, where admission is free, but we showed up too late for a private tour. It's still stunning to view on a self-guided path, though, which we did (and where I snapped the first photo of this post). After that, we went to Abrahamic Family House: a powerful interfaith symbol for the three Abrahamic faiths of Christianity, Islam, and Judaism with a fully serviceable corresponding church, mosque, and synagogue.

The next day, we visited my favorite stop of the trip: the Abu Dhabi Children's Library. I've been to so many libraries through the years, and this one was truly extraordinary. It was so thoughtfully designed with a variety of places for children of all ages to play, explore, and (of course) read. I wished we had a branch in Dubai, because although there are some libraries with offerings for children in Dubai they almost always exclude children as young as S. Visiting the Abu Dhabi Children's Library brought back so many fond memories of my mom taking my sister and me to the library almost every week when we were young, instilling in us a love for books and learning.

After that, we went to Qasr Al Watan, a gorgeous palace where nobody currently lives but that is used for official state functions. The opulence and grand scale of the palace was difficult to wrap our minds around as we explored its enormous halls. They also had several exhibits of impressive collections of artifacts from UAE royal families' private collections as well as official diplomatic gifts from around the world.

We ended the day with an excursion to the Louvre Abu Dhabi. (Did you know the Louvre is in Abu Dhabi, and not just Paris?) I'm normally not a big art gallery person, but there was a specific temporary exhibit on fables I was very interested in seeing called "From Kalila wa Dimna to La Fontaine - Travelling through Fables." I remember learning about Kalila wa Dimna in my Arabic classes as a young student, and I've always found myths and fables a fun way to learn about others' history and culture. It was a delightful exhibit, and S even picked out a bilingual fable book (The Monkey and the Turtle) at the gift shop to take home at the end. (Fun fact: I learned over the course of writing this blog post that there is a totally different folktale from the Philippines called The Monkey and the Turtle!)

I also had the opportunity to attend Sunday services at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) and quickly realized it was quite different in Abu Dhabi than it is in Dubai. I especially loved having a real meetinghouse to convene in instead of using a hotel conference space.

On our last day, we went to the National Aquarium, which was S's favorite stop. This was the best aquarium I've ever experienced in terms of actually varieties of fish and animals, including many I've never seen before. As someone who likes reading descriptions and displays, though, I feel like there could have been more opportunities to read and learn about what we were seeing without booking a formal tour. S, however, was in heaven. I could've kept him there for many hours and he would've been happy.

We loved the peaceful, quiet tone of Abu Dhabi. It was a major shift from the hustle and bustle of glitzy Dubai, even though it was glitzy in its own way. We had a great experience with the food, from the hotel to various restaurants including in the charming Mina Zayed (port) area. There are so many beautiful nature attractions in Abu Dhabi, as well, that we didn't get the chance to see this time since the weather was too hot. I'm sure we'll be back to see them in the not-too-distant future!

A Stunning Wedding Celebrating the Other N and M

It's taken me ages to blog about the wedding that was the main reason we travelled back home recently! Longtime readers will know that the other N and M are dear friends of ours, with whom we've spent many late karaoke nights and memorable trips together - particularly during our time in South Korea. I was honored N asked me to be a bridesmaid, and I was thrilled I made it back to the States for her bachelorette and wedding.

The other M is Kenyan American, and N and M did an awesome job of incorporating Kenyan traditions into their wedding weekend. The rehearsal dinner was a Kenyan feast where I got to eat kachumbari, nyama choma, sukuma wiki, and other Kenyan foods I've really missed since we lived in Nairobi. N and M wore a few sets of traditional clothes, and baby S was enchanted by N's final outfit (and especially the headpiece with gorgeous beads and face-framing chains, which he thankfully did not tear asunder with his adorable but destructive little hands).

Then, the night before the main wedding, I had a sleepover with N. We giggled late into the wee hours not because we were swapping stories and gossip but more because of a series of comic mishaps from a freezing room to uncomfortable sheets to loud, barn-style bathroom doors that didn't quite shut out all the light. Little did we know this was just an ominous taste of what was to come the next day. (Don't worry, the bride's face was spared. And mine eventually recovered... Keep reading if you're dying to know from what.)

N has fabulous and elegant taste, and combined with her eye for detail I knew the wedding would be stunning. N went a step further and even made the bridal suite special. From breathtaking views over the DC Waterfront in floor-to-ceiling windows to an Instagram ad-worthy pastry/fruit/champagne spread, we started off our morning on a lovely note.

Soon enough, the hair and makeup artists arrived and the styling rotation began. I was one of a few bridesmaids who had opted out of the hair and makeup. I had recently had my hair damaged by a salon when I had gotten it styled for the annual Marine Corps Ball. On top of that, I've found my fine hair and sensitive skin occasionally don't take kindly to the intense products and methods professional hair and makeup artists use - and I didn't want to take any chances.

I decided to do my own hair and makeup to play it safe. Thankfully, I used to wear makeup every day and I don't think I was too rusty on my skills with that and my chosen heatless curls (that I had simply slept in the night before). Surprisingly, that curling method seems to last longer than any other in my hair, and I wish I had known that technique for my own wedding, where my curls promptly fell flat about halfway through.

Unfortunately, right as the photographer arrived to start taking photos of our group getting ready together, we started panicking because the groom's bowtie was missing and there was a concern it might mistakenly be in one of the bags brought to the bridal suite. (By we I mean the bridesmaids because our bride was a queen and cool as a cucumber. From what I heard, the groom and groomsmen weren't particularly stressed, either.)

The worst part was I, clumsy woman that I am, frantically opened a closet door only to have an ill-balanced ironing board shoot out and peg me right in the face! I had just put the finishing touches on my makeup, so that was annoying, but it also was quite painful and my upper lip bled and became swollen. I was in distress and totally failed to hide it, but everyone was so sweet and promised me they could barely see the swelling. I dipped into the ice from one of our champagne buckets and iced my face until it went down and had just enough time to reapply my makeup before the photos. You can't even tell, right?

Thankfully later we (myself included) were all able to laugh about it. I'm so relieved it didn't derail N's special day! After we finished getting ready we went outside for some photos along the DC Waterfront. It was so much fun, and groups of people kept shouting and cheering for us since we were obviously a wedding party.

Once we finished pictures, we went inside to wait for the start of the ceremony. The ceremony was my favorite kind: personalized, sweet, and not too long. I almost cried when I saw N, radiant, float down the aisle in her gorgeous dress. Our friend S was the officiant and I almost cried again when he described what a lovely person N is so beautifully and perfectly. I was close enough to see her groom's thrilled face when he saw her walk down the aisle, and that filled me with so many tender memories of my own wedding almost 10 years ago now. (And yes, they did find him a bowtie!)

After the ceremony, we had cocktail hour where we could catch up with old friends while N and M took photos with their families. I was also excited to find they had zero-alcohol beer at the bar. Once we finished cocktail hour and had our wedding party entrance to the reception my accompanying groomsman and I decided to toast and clink beer bottles when we walked in, which we were happy to see entertained the crowd as we'd hoped.

The decorative details were extraordinary, from the fresh floral custom seating chart outside to the lush centerpieces and wicker-accented chairs perfectly matching the garden party theme inside. I sat at the wedding party table for a delicious seated dinner. It was so good, I could not believe it was wedding food! The elegant cake also tasted as good as it looked!

Once we were done with the meal, I hit the dance floor with the bridesmaids and danced most of the night away (with periodic breaks to sit with M and to take photos in the photo booth with friends). We went all the way until the event ended and even joined the afterparty. I could barely keep my eyes open but didn't want the night to end. I wished N and I could've had more time together (like that one time we took a girls' trip to Richmond), but I had to fly back to Dubai the very next day. I'd missed N so much, and I was so happy at least to be there with her on her wedding day.

I'm sure we'll be reunited with the other N and M again, whether that's back in Washington, DC or somewhere else in the world. We are so glad to welcome them to the married club and all the adventures married life brings. Congratulations to our dear, dear friends!

A Week in Denver, Colorado with Family

I'm finally catching up on posts from our multi-week trip back home to the United States for my friend N's wedding and to spend time with family. We spent a week in Colorado staying with my sister C and her husband A, and we had a blast. Colorado is such a beautiful state, and I love getting to know it better through my family visits since my sister and mom moved there.

Coincidentally, the first full day we had in Colorado happened to be the same day my friend Rachel Rueckert was doing a book event in Denver for her debut novel, If the Tide Turns! We went with C and A to an awesome local bookshop called Tattered Cover for the event, where we learned all sorts of pirate facts and got fun swag.

I highly recommend If the Tide Turns to anyone who enjoys historical fiction. It is well researched and beautifully written - I couldn't put it down! (I also recommend the vegan sushi restaurant a short walk from the Tattered Cover: Wellness Sushi! As a non-vegan sushi lover, I was skeptical but all of us loved it.)

S spent a lot of quality time with grandma, too, including a day we spent at the Denver Botanic Gardens with the whole family and my friend from college K who lives near my sister. My favorite part was the bonsai garden, with a range of bonsai trees that taught me that the art of bonsai is much more localized than I thought.

There were many bonsai using plants native to Colorado at different stages in their cultivation. All of them were beautiful in their own way. For the Nintendo gamers out there: doesn't the one in the photo above look just like it might be hiding a Korok?

We also encountered a few of these walls filled with twigs, fuzz, fur, and other things that local birds can come and take to use to build up their nests. It's such a cool concept and the first time I've seen anything like it.

The other stop that was an absolute hit was the Denver Zoo. S was in a state of pure delight for the many hours we were there and probably could've kept going if I wasn't so exhausted from so much walking. The zoo also included some aquarium exhibits, which were nice to enjoy without paying separately for an aquarium admission.

I can't believe how I got no pictures of any of the food we ate, but C and A are excellent hosts and wonderful cooks so we ate extremely well the whole time we were there. It was such a healing trip in so many ways, from the special family time to the refreshing and cool Colorado air (which also gives me the best hair and skin of my life while I'm there). It was hard to say goodbye at the end of our weeklong trip, but we're looking forward to the next time we can go back!