Yep, this post is 20 days too late to the party, I know, you would think I’m talking about my New Year that will happen in less than 15 days already. But hey, better later than never right? Plus, a little party never killed nobody!

I welcomed 2018 in the extreme cold ( at least to me ) and now I’m here in a hot night, impatiently waiting for 2019 to come. Talking about what can happen in a year? I really thought 2018 wanted to kill me. It’s the year I shattered into million pieces and it’s the year that I look back and my heart aches. I’m so ready to save the file 2018 in a folder that I won’t open for a long long time and ready to put some of the shattered pieces back together in the coming year, with hope.

My friends booked a table and that brought me to DIFC and the universe brought me fate. Julia, a dear friend of mine is all about astrology and stuff like that, I often roll my eyes when she does that. But the last day of 2018 converted me into her too, I am utterly thankful for what the universe brought to me and I can’t think of a better way to start a new year!

Champagne and fireworks, hugs and laughter, music and dance, glitters and chocolate cake. I like to celebrate things in a big way and I need all these essentials. At one point of the night, I thought I was somewhere over the rainbow. Okay maybe I was dancing on the table, but it got me there.

DIFC is such a wonderful place, I spent a large amount of time reading under the trees or in a cafe when I lived here. The galleries and auction house, different restaurants. I might have a few glasses of drinks, but I was so surprised to see Chinese artist Zhuang Hongyi’s works showing in Opera gallery. Art really has no borders and it can bring us together.

I left Dubai in early 2014, shortly after the new year. I danced in LPM with all my girlfriends to celebrate that new year. Maybe because I know I was leaving, I hugged everyone a bit harder and laughed a bit louder. It was an epic night, so is this one. I have to catch the flight back home in 4 hours. I have my luggage packed in Marina’s car, and we headed to the beach after picking up some shawarmas from Zaroob of course.

There’s something about a big body of water that calms your soul. It was so quiet and peaceful. And the new moon is up there, with us. It’s always this kind of spontaneous trips that stay in your mind and excites your nerves right? The short 16 hours I spent in Zurich, the weekend at the Nai Harn Beach. And now another epic new year memory.

I wish when I’m old and grey, I can still remember those days and remind of myself what a wonderful journey life has been, and because I don’t want to disappoint my future, I will keep wandering, keep moving, keep believing, keep loving.

Where to next, my heart?

Photos by Marina Qureshi and me shot in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.