Hello KDH readers!

Thought I’d share another update from my trip to Abu Dhabi. The weather here is pretty much perfect~ sunshine, blue skies, and in the 70’s. Do you have a case of wanderlust, too? Here’s a little bit about Abu Dhabi [Father of the Gazelle].

Abu Dhabi is the largest of the seven emirates which make up the United Arab Emirates- one of the youngest nations born of a truly ancient past. To look at the city now~ it is incredulous to imagine that less than a century ago Abu Dhabi was little more than a fishing and pearling station sprinkled with palm covered huts. Since the discovery of oil here 45 years ago, Abu Dhabi has now grown into a cosmopolitan city with sweeping beaches, towering glass skyscrapers, five star hotels & restaurants, lush tree-lined parks, a Louvre and Guggenheim under construction,  and much more underway~ it’s almost inconceivable that so much has been accomplished in such a short amount of time!

Because my sister lives here, I get to experience the city from an insider’s perspective which is really neat. I love to just tag along with Kim for her daily routine. There is a very large community of ex-pats living here from around the world. You might be surprised to see that amongst this incredibly exotic backdrop, a day here can still resemble one at home in the Hamptons~ well, I said almost….!

Check out my KDH Abu Dhabi Photo Diary: This is what a “typical day” looks like here!

1. The day started with a walk on the beach at my at my sister’s club, Emirates Palace. Followed by a morning coffee [Gahwah]. Gahwah is a ritual within Abu Dhabi tradition, and a hallmark of Arabian hospitality. Our host roasts his coffee beans in his iron skillet spoon, then grinds the beans in a bowl and adds them to his metal coffee pot with boiling water and a touch of cardamom, clove or even saffron to deliver a distinctive aroma and taste which has changed little over the centuries. Polite coffee drinkers are expected to drink three cups to show their satisfaction, but we could only handle one!

2. Next up, we head to the grocery store. The produce here is unbelievable, offering fruits and vegetables I have never even heard of before which are so fun to try. Also surprising, is that you can pretty much find most common things like we have at home mixed in like cereals, snacks, and beauty products etc. Strangely enough the grocery store sold Life & Style magazine!

3. In the afternoon, we head over to a Will & Bates birthday party for their 2-year old son, Shep.

4. After the party my sister and I went shopping~ at the souk. I’m on a caftan quest….scored big! Can’t wait to bring some home for my girlfriends. Also found some great flats for summer and gorgeous prayer beads that I will wear as necklaces.

5. We head home to the villa for a swim, dinner [burgers!], ice cream and bath time.

*So now that you can see what a “normal” day is like here, stay tuned~ because tomorrow I will be sharing with you some of the wilder side of Abu Dhabi….xo xo Kelli