What can a 3,000 km Road Trip through the Middle East teach you? One of the things in my life that truly energizes me to feel lively is meeting people from around the world. 🌍 My friends like to call this “Travel like Treena.” I love learning every aspect of how people live their lives. What makes them vibrant? What do they do for fun? What is their spirituality? What are their favorite family recipes? Where do they hang out? What do they think about the rest of the world—their traditions, their cultures, local interests, stories, work, and home life? You can imagine, my questions and curiosities are endless! I love taking these insights and reflecting on how I can add these little gems to my life, to my way of living and being. And I love sharing these discoveries with you. 🧡 Many of you have been following my recent adventure through instagram in the Middle East, where I explored the UAE (United Arab Emirates) and clocked over 3,000 km in my rental car. Oh yeah—road trip stuff! I now have what feels like chapters and chapters of stories, insights, and drawings from this remarkable part of the world. Here are my top three “aha” moments: • Not just sand and desert: The country offers rocky, colorful mountains, blue water dams, savannahs filled with giraffes and white sand coastlines that could easily compete with the beaches in Hawaii. But the desert steals the show, with golden, soft sands in an array of magical shapes and sunsets that will knock your socks off. Picture the movie Dune (which was filmed in this desert), and you’ve got your visual. • Finding locals was surprisingly hard: Why? Because 80–90% of the population is from around the world. This country welcomes the world with endless opportunities—as long as you want to work, they are happy to host you. I met people from India, Pakistan, Bali, Thailand, Myanmar, South Africa, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Russia, Ukraine, and North America. And those are just the people I met! People are coming here due to the country’s progressive nature and endless possibilities, plus paying 0% income tax is pretty darn appealing. • A melting pot of traditions: The locals welcome the world even as they work hard to preserve their own traditions and culture. The country is made up of various Emirates (like states or provinces), and each has its own unique community and way of life—from diverse foods and revenue sources (like oil, tourism, or fishing) to distinctive dress styles. 🎉 Fun fact: The country takes supporting its locals seriously—providing free housing and land. And when I say housing, I mean giant palace-mansion-type housing. It’s common to see clusters of these gorgeous palace mansions all throughout the country—a sightseeing adventure in itself. So, what is the secret sauce of living vibrantly in this country for the locals? I have one word: Gathering. Yes, gathering. Road tripping through the country, I saw gathering after gathering—families and friends coming together for picnics, desert camps, and multi-generational get-togethers. All over the country, from cities like Abu Dhabi that create purposeful picnic green spaces to the mountains where clusters of people set up their blankets and chairs at the base of the rocks. I could deeply feel the spirit and connection of these gatherings. While enjoying a local tea called Karak Chai with a local woman, I asked, “Why all the gathering?” She explained how gathering is an important part of their history and culture—a way to connect with friends and family, pass on traditions, and strengthen intergenerational ties. If you want a deeper dive into the significance of the culture of UAE gathering, check out this article: Social Life. I recently wrote about gathering myself, sharing research on improved well-being and health benefits: Squishy Picnic Tables. Thank you, UAE, for sharing your unique and remarkable part of the world with all of us, and for inspiring us to gather. Yours in living lively spirit, Treena |