Good Bye NYC…
Over Halloween, I was lucky enough to travel to Dubai! A dear friend of mine, Sylvio Maestro, who designed my RHONY reunion outfit, was invited to show his fabulous collection at the firstArab Fashion Week.
The Arab Fashion Council, invited me to be Sylivo’s guest at this incredible event. How could I say no to such an amazing opportunity?!? I was sad to miss Halloween with my kids, but I booked a spray tan, put on my big girl pants and headed to Dubai.
I had never been to Dubai but heard so many wonderful things about the city. Dubai is located in the United Arab Emirates and is known for it’s incredible architecture, luxury shopping, and ultramodern skyline, filled with spectacular skyscrapers. Dubai is home to the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world. The sky is literally the limit when it comes to the unbelievable architecture seen throughout the city! Abu-Dhabi is the capital city of the United Arab Emirates and it’s about an hour drive from Dubai.
I brought along my good friend, Sasha. She is my fashion guru so I was so happy and excited that I was able to share this experience with her. For a fashion getaway, you need to bring a fashionable friend!
PS: did you know there was a spa in JFK? Only bummer-they didn’t have Pop of Color! Note to self, next time I’ll spend less time picking magazines and more time getting a massage 🙂
Pre-kids, I used to travel all the time! I have to admit, it was amazing to be on an airplane without children. Preparing to go away for four days was a lot of work, so the moment I step foot on the plane, it was like a breath of fresh air. I plopped down on the seat, ordered a mini wine and binge-watched Downton Abbey, which I had never seen before. (I was SO excited to get back on the plane to come home, just so I could keep watching).
I can’t say enough good things about my experience with Emirates. Let’s start with the stewardesses. Have you ever seen chicer outfits? It’s a total throwback to Jackie O and Mad Men. Obsessed! We decided to fly Economy to Dubai and it was spectacular! Emirates’s Economy is like First Class compared to any other airline. I remember watching thecommercial with Jennifer Aniston and thinking to myself, I need to take an Emirates flight at least once in my life. And here we are!
The airplane accommodations were amazing! Each seat had plenty of legroom with personal T.V’s, a cute travel kit that included an eye mask, toothbrush/toothpaste and other travel essentials. The bathrooms were by far the nicest ones I have ever seen on an airplane. I would even go as far as saying that they are nicer than my mom’s bathrooms at home. Shhh, don’t tell her! 😉
I am not one to shy away from a meal (even if it’s airplane food). Let me tell you, the meals served on Emirates were delicious! The food and snacks were great but the dessert was even better. Hands down, the best chocolate soufflé I have ever tasted!
The flight from JFK to Dubai was about 12 hours and 14 on the way back. It was definitely hard falling asleep on the way there… we were too excited! However, coming home was a different story… I slept for 10 hours straight. We were going, going, going the entire time we were in Dubai, so it was definitely nice to catch up on some zzz’s on the way home. Stay tuned for more info on my trip to Dubai!
J. Crew- Turtleneck Tissue Tee
Peserico- Drawstring Pants Similar Style Found (Here)
J.Crew- Blazer
Nike- Flyknit Sneakers
Louis Vuitton- Tote
J.Crew- Long Sleeve T-shirt
Celine- Phantom Luggage Bag
David Lerner- Basic Black Leggings
Steve Madden- Platform Sneakers
Rimowa Carry-on – Suitcase
Duty free time!! Woohoo! One of the best parts about traveling internationally is shopping at the duty free airport stores! Sasha and I arrived at the airport extra early and shopped till we dropped. I decided to buy Aqua di Gio by Armani – (smells so light and delicious) and I also bought Eisenburg Paris for Josh. Sasha bought Si by Georgia Armani as well as Eden by Cacharel and Balmain Homme cologne. I guess you can say we did some early Christmas shopping! These perfumes/colognes are perfect gifts for the holidays!
My travel must-have items! Before I had kids, I used to travel with everything but the kitchen sink. Now that I have kids, I travel with the kitchen sink plus everything else to meet their needs. NOTHING for me! This trip to Dubai was completely different; it was all about me and my travel must-haves! Seeing that it’s flu season, I did my best to stay clean and healthy during our long flight. Years ago, a stewardess told me to use saline nose spray during a flight in order to avoid getting sick (one spray before take off, and a few more sprays during the flight).
My skin gets extremely dry while flying, so I make sure to use Evian spray throughout the flight to hydrate my skin, as well as Nivea hand cream. Hand sanitizer is another item I always keep with me. When traveling, make sure to stay hydrated, fresh and clean! I’m always freezing during flights, so I make sure to bring a cozy pashmina to warm me up. I never leave my house without a Betty Lou nut bar- they are high in protein and delicious! A great snack during a long flight !
Happy and safe travels to everyone this holiday season!
