Submitted by John Kaminski on the 2024 Winter CIEG program in Dubai …
Week 3
After an exciting last two weeks, my 3rd week in Dubai continued to impress. We began this week with a group desert safari excursion, where we traveled deep into the Dubai sand dunes. During this excursion we got the opportunity to ride ATV’s and Camels around the desert as well as watch a traditional Middle Eastern belly dance and fire breathing performance. This excursion was especially cool for me due to the fact it was my first time in an actual desert. Our next excursion of the week took us to Dubai Green Planet, which is a massive indoor rainforest where the animals walk around right next to you. Another excursion that we went on this week was a boat trip in the Oman Fjords, which was by far my favorite excursion of the trip so far. The views that we experienced on the boat trip were absolutely breathtaking, plus we also got the opportunity to snorkel and see some of the local aquatic life, which was also extremely fun. The final group excursion that we took this week was another trip to the Burj Khalifa, but this time we actually got the opportunity to go up to the 124th floor observation deck. This experience really put into perspective how impressive the height of the Burj Khalifa actually is, absolutely towering over all of the buildings around us. This week was especially amazing, and I am looking forward to my next 2 weeks in Dubai. (Submitted on January 24, 2024)
Week 4
Finally home! It feels like it’s been a year since I’ve seen my friends and family back here, even though it’s only been a month. To be honest, at first I was nervous about going on this study abroad trip. I had never been away from my family for that long, and I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to handle it. But after seeing the things I saw, going to the places I went, and doing the things I did, I can safely say that registering for this program has been one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. I’ve had more “firsts” on this trip than any other. I made new friends, ate amazing local foods, and had the opportunity to experience different cultures in their purest forms.
As part of the trip, we overnighted in not just Porto, but also Lisbon, Geneva, Paris, Barcelona, and Milan. And while we didn’t stay overnight there, while we were in Italy, we also went to Como and even Venice. If someone were to ask me my favorite city we went to, I would probably say Barcelona; the city was drop-dead gorgeous and I had so much fun while I was there. That’s not to say that those places like Paris and Venice weren’t amazing; I also had a lot of fun while I was in those cities, going to places like the Eiffel Tower and St. Mark’s Square in Venice. Unfortunately, however, both Paris and Venice were foggy when we went there, so we were unable to see them in their full beauty. That being said, I still had a lot of fun.
Not to mention the personal growth I went through while I was over there; before the trip, I was shy, and unsure about how to make new friends. But after the trip, I can say that my social skills have noticeably improved, to the point that I have walked away with a few new friends.
I would highly recommend this study abroad program to anyone in a heartbeat, not just engineering and physics majors; through the program I was able to visit places and do things that I might have never been able to otherwise. Depending on what’s available, I would definitely be open to doing another study abroad in the future. (Submitted on February 2, 2024)
Week 5
With our flight scheduled to depart at 8am Thursday morning, I used this week to finish up my final class assignments and accomplish any last objectives. One of the final things that I wanted to accomplish was a trip to Expo 2020, which was the site where Dubai hosted the 2020 World Expo. This site featured some beautiful architecture showcased from different countries around the world, and also displayed a massive lightshow at night. My final trip in Dubai was an adventure to Kite Beach. This beach was especially beautiful due to its crystal clear water, and amazing views of the downtown Dubai skyline. To close out our trip to Dubai, we had our group farewell dinner at an Iranian restaurant. This meal was an absolute feast, and by far one of my favorite meals of the trip, featuring some of the most delicious fish, lamb and chicken that I’ve ever had. While I am very sad that the trip is coming to an end, this trip to Dubai was by far one of the best months of my life. I would like to thank Dr. Siddiqui and UD study abroad for making this trip possible. (Submitted on February 5, 2024)
