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I am currently being punished for my decision to sleep upon arrival to Dubai.

It is now 3am and I have been unable to sleep for the past two hours. I tossed and turned in bed thinking about things to do for the wedding, my plan of attack for my staff when I get to Kabul, etc, etc, etc, when I finally decided to get up and actually get done some of the items on my mind.

I am literally WIDE AWAKE and although I have a wakeup call in an hour for an early flight to Kabul, I can’t freaking sleep.

I’m going to be cursing myself yet again tomorrow when I am unable to function at 10am but I figured that as long as I’m awake, I might as well get some things done. Also, I was FAMISHED - it’s dinner time in Connecticut! - so I munched on my airplane Combos and a tiny bottle of apple juice from the minibar and I feel much better.

I have a feeling this is another bad mistake.

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Before I took off on my trip, I stopped into the library to grab a few books for my journey. In the past, I haven’t brought books (too heavy!) and have wasted way too much time in the evenings goofing around the internet. For this trip, I grabbed a couple health-related magazines, the last couple issues of The Economist, a few books on the history/politics/culture/etc of Central Asia and a couple lighter reads. I read this book, Altared, on the plane yesterday. When I plucked it off the library shelf, it looked like an interesting, funny compilation of essays about weddings that would be lighthearted and relevant to my wedding planning woes and joys. But as I delved into essay after essay, I started to dislike the book more. The stories were depressing - about women calling off their weddings, second-guessing their choice to marry, forgetting about their fiance in the midst of planning, thirty- and forty-something women who were single, divorced multiple times and bitter about weddings and marriage and love in general. Though I did finish the book (I can’t just NOT finish something!), it didn’t really make me laugh or get me excited about my own wedding or make me nod in agreement with the writers, like OMG ME TOO! No. It made me depressed and sad and thankful a million times over that I have a wonderful fiance and we both love each other and we’re planning the wedding of our dreams without a terrible amount of stress (so far). All in all, a disappointment.

Before I took off on my trip, I stopped into the library to grab a few books for my journey. In the past, I haven’t brought books (too heavy!) and have wasted way too much time in the evenings goofing around the internet.

For this trip, I grabbed a couple health-related magazines, the last couple issues of The Economist, a few books on the history/politics/culture/etc of Central Asia and a couple lighter reads.

I read this book, Altared, on the plane yesterday. When I plucked it off the library shelf, it looked like an interesting, funny compilation of essays about weddings that would be lighthearted and relevant to my wedding planning woes and joys.

But as I delved into essay after essay, I started to dislike the book more. The stories were depressing - about women calling off their weddings, second-guessing their choice to marry, forgetting about their fiance in the midst of planning, thirty- and forty-something women who were single, divorced multiple times and bitter about weddings and marriage and love in general.

Though I did finish the book (I can’t just NOT finish something!), it didn’t really make me laugh or get me excited about my own wedding or make me nod in agreement with the writers, like OMG ME TOO! No. It made me depressed and sad and thankful a million times over that I have a wonderful fiance and we both love each other and we’re planning the wedding of our dreams without a terrible amount of stress (so far).

All in all, a disappointment.

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This is what Google looks like in Dubai.

This is what Google looks like in Dubai.

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Yay for hotel upgrades! I think I broke a cardinal rule of jetlag this afternoon by promptly falling asleep for 5 hours - from 10:30am to 3:30pm local time - but there was absolutely no way I could function after not sleeping for 24 hours. I’m slightly sad that I only get to spend a day in this luxurious hotel with the amazing, gigantic bed. Tomorrow? On to Kabul and dust and destruction and a tiny guest house room and a little bitty twin bed and off-and-on hot water. Can’t wait.

Yay for hotel upgrades!

I think I broke a cardinal rule of jetlag this afternoon by promptly falling asleep for 5 hours - from 10:30am to 3:30pm local time - but there was absolutely no way I could function after not sleeping for 24 hours.

I’m slightly sad that I only get to spend a day in this luxurious hotel with the amazing, gigantic bed. Tomorrow? On to Kabul and dust and destruction and a tiny guest house room and a little bitty twin bed and off-and-on hot water.

Can’t wait.

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Emirates Air is known for their superb in-flight entertainment and it definitely didn’t disappoint. They had DOZENS of movies to choose from, many of which aren’t even out on video* in the States yet. My first selection was Julie and Julia. I hadn’t seen it yet - I was sort of waiting for it to be out on video and Mark to be out of town. The movie just solidifies again that I ADORE Meryl Streep. She was such a wonderful Julia Child, I couldn’t help but fall in love with her - Julia AND Meryl! The movie was incredibly charming. The love that Julia and her husband had for each other nearly brought me to tears multiple times and her sincerity and sweetness just made me want to be a nicer, better person! SO cheesy, and maybe I was a bit emotional after leaving Mark (and Ralphie!) this morning, but it’s true. *I don’t know the last time I watched a movie “on video” (as opposed to DVD) but I can’t seem to break myself of the 80s lingo.

Emirates Air is known for their superb in-flight entertainment and it definitely didn’t disappoint. They had DOZENS of movies to choose from, many of which aren’t even out on video* in the States yet.

My first selection was Julie and Julia. I hadn’t seen it yet - I was sort of waiting for it to be out on video and Mark to be out of town.

The movie just solidifies again that I ADORE Meryl Streep. She was such a wonderful Julia Child, I couldn’t help but fall in love with her - Julia AND Meryl! The movie was incredibly charming. The love that Julia and her husband had for each other nearly brought me to tears multiple times and her sincerity and sweetness just made me want to be a nicer, better person! SO cheesy, and maybe I was a bit emotional after leaving Mark (and Ralphie!) this morning, but it’s true.

*I don’t know the last time I watched a movie “on video” (as opposed to DVD) but I can’t seem to break myself of the 80s lingo.

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I just touched down in Dubai after a mildly excruciating 13 hour flight.

I got lucky and ended up in a window seat near the front of the plane, seated next to a small Asian woman who contorted herself into a tiny ball for the duration of the trip, so I didn’t have to worry about her hogging the armrest or spilling over onto my seat.

The food on Emirates was actually somewhat edible so I didn’t need my emergency stash of Combos I’d bought at JFK. I am, however, completely thrown off because my flight landed here in Dubai at 11pm NEW YORK time, but they served us scrambled eggs and croissants on the plane because it’s 8am here. It’s like I went to bed and then woke up, minus the sleeping. Or something.

I’m at my hotel in Dubai right now, but unfortunately my room is being cleaned and I’m stuck here in the lobby. I would go out and explore the sights, AKA the mall (not much else here…) but it’s a steamy 95 degrees out and I’m in a heavy sweatshirt from the frosty temperatures in New York this morning and I don’t love the idea of unpacking my suitcase in a hotel lobby.

After a short nap once I get settled into my room, I’m off to the gold souk for some treasures.

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“ You give me a gift? BAM! Thank you note. You invite me somewhere? POW! RSVP. You do me a favor? WHAM! Favor returned. Do not test my politeness. ”
—

Andy Bernard, The Office.

The Nard-Dog is BY FAR my favorite character on The Office.

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Sorry I snatched your red pen off the table while you were gone and chewed up the end of it, Mom. Really, I’m sorry. Ralphie rarely destroys anything of ours but we still take caution to pick up off the floor any items he might decide to explore/destroy if he gets bored or mad that we’ve left him. I left this morning to run a few last minute errands and when I got home, Ralphie was at the door, tail between his legs, head and ears down with a chewed up red pen in his mouth. Like, he knows he shouldn’t have snatched the pen and chewed it up, but that little voice inside his head just can’t take it and he feels like he must confess immediately! He makes it really, really hard to stay mad at him.

Sorry I snatched your red pen off the table while you were gone and chewed up the end of it, Mom. Really, I’m sorry.

Ralphie rarely destroys anything of ours but we still take caution to pick up off the floor any items he might decide to explore/destroy if he gets bored or mad that we’ve left him.

I left this morning to run a few last minute errands and when I got home, Ralphie was at the door, tail between his legs, head and ears down with a chewed up red pen in his mouth.

Like, he knows he shouldn’t have snatched the pen and chewed it up, but that little voice inside his head just can’t take it and he feels like he must confess immediately!

He makes it really, really hard to stay mad at him.

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How have I not discovered the gorgeousness that is Banana Republic accessories until now!? I would be happy wearing ANYTHING on that necklace page. Except, $198 for the necklace above? Seriously, BR?

How have I not discovered the gorgeousness that is Banana Republic accessories until now!?

I would be happy wearing ANYTHING on that necklace page.

Except, $198 for the necklace above? Seriously, BR?

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I'm leaving for Afghanistan by way of Dubai in less than 24 hours.

My modest tunics-that-cover-everything, linen pants and head scarves are clean, pressed and in the suitcase.

There’s still so much to do, but at least I’ll have appropriate clothing.