Krisha

In the past, travelers may have visited dream destinations only when celebrating a milestone — an anniversary, big birthday or graduation. After living through two years of a pandemic, however, some feel there is no need to wait for a special occasion to go to a special place.

Vacation-starved travelers are clamoring to see corners of the world they’ve dreamed about for so long. One of those destinations is the Maldives in the Indian Ocean.

According to the World Bank, 1.3 million tourists visited the Maldives in 2021, doubling since the year before. Its first resort opened in 1972, and the Maldives quickly became a popular luxury destination. It reopened its borders in July 2020, following a rapid immunization campaign. Today, visitors don’t need proof of vaccination to enter the country.

The Maldives is attractive to visitors from all over the world, with the islands’ remote location, pristine waters, fantastic dive sites, white-sand beaches and eco-friendly resorts.

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Not known to shy away from a superlative, the glitzy city of Dubai prides itself on being home to the largest, tallest and greatest of most everything. This luxury stopover for travelers crisscrossing East and West already possesses the busiest airport in the world and will add to its traffic when they host World Expo 2020 [see sidebar]. This global event takes place every five years and invites all nations to showcase groundbreaking ideas and disruptive innovation. It is slated to attract nearly 30 million people in the 6-month span between October 2020 to April 2021 – the largest World Expo yet, of course.
Despite growth everywhere, Dubai doesn’t feel crowded. The city, with a population of 85 percent expats and cultures from around the world, runs on efficiency and sophisticated infrastructure. People aren’t loitering, and visitors aren’t confronted with trash or typical city smells. Everything looks pristine – even the metro stations with their silver bullet-shaped shells are designed with clean lines and clean floors. Every building has a distinct style – kind of like fashion on a runway. And the people who live here protect their reputation. No littering, no bag-snatching, heckling or road rage – and you’ll never see a person drunk in public.
Dubai is one of the safest cities in the world and quite modern compared to others in the Middle East. Women drive pink taxi cabs only patronized by other women or families. The Emirati pride themselves on being culturally sensitive and inclusive – hiring people with special needs and referring to them as “people with determination” and giving them visible jobs and positions in management – also not common throughout the Middle East.
We weren’t sure what to expect when stopping for a few days before returning home from India. We knew it would be an easier pace from the hustle of New Delhi where street smarts and the ability to zigzag through traffic are essential for getting anywhere. By contrast, Dubai is amazingly orderly and easy to navigate despite its incredible pace of growth. Every time you visit, there’s something that didn’t exist before. This is the vision of Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed, who is also the Emir of Dubai.
Islands are created out of sand in the sea – the latest in the shape of gigantic palm tree lined with mansions and large, luxurious malls. Protecting that enormous investment from waves and storms are seven million tons of mountain rock piled around the island to form a crescent-shaped breakwater.
We stayed at the Atlantis, the first resort on the man-made island known as the Palm Jumeirah. It is a replica of one in the Bahamas with a huge Dale Chihuly glass-blown sculpture in the lobby. My daughter loved the Ambassador Lagoon – a fish tank that could fill more than four Olympic-size swimming pools that, along with the adjacent aquarium, holds more than 250 species of fish. If you stay at the resort, you get free entry to Aquaventure, a waterpark and playground consisting of extraordinary rides, tidal waves and rapids.
The Atlantis boasts its own private beach facing the iconic Burj Al Arab (the sail hotel). That hotel is off limits unless you’re staying or dining there, and with room rates in excess of $1,000 per night, we chose to enjoy the view from the Atlantis. There we could see the Burj Al Arab, the famed Jumeirah Beach and Dubai cityscape without leaving the pool.
If you want to explore the city, being on The Palm doesn’t cut you off from all the excitement. A metro runs up the trunk of the Palm, collecting residents who live on the artificial island and whisks them to the center of the city for less than $4 – you can upgrade to gold class seats with free Wifi (Dubai always has VIP options for anyone who is willing to pay). Once in the city, you can hit the colossal Dubai Mall, the largest in the world, with 12 million square feet of shopping, restaurants, a separate town for kids called “Kidzania” and the world’s largest indoor aquarium. It even has an ice skating rink.
Adjacent to the mall is an outdoor promenade lined by more retail shops and restaurants. The entire complex encircles the 30-acre manmade Burj Khalifa Lake with a viewing bridge where you can look up 163 stories – more than 2,700 feet – to see the tallest skyscraper in the world, the Burj Khalifa. If heights make you queasy, save yourself the $160 ticket to the lounge at the top and book a reservation at Abd el Wahab terrace restaurant in the Souk Al Bahar. In the evening you can see the spectacular dancing fountains (think the Bellagio in Las Vegas) in front of the Burj Khalifa which has a music and light projection show on the side of the building beginning at sunset. There are more larger-than-life experiences to conquer such as The Global Village, a multicultural festival that lasts over 5 months, or Ski Dubai, an indoor ski resort with five runs including the world’s first indoor black diamond slope.
Outside the downtown commercial area you can explore the old-world Spice Market and Gold Souk by taking a boat from the Meena Bazaar and be dazzled by the endless rows of shops packed with 22 karat gold treasures. Or escape the concrete environment and book a camel safari to truly feel the natural elements of the Middle East. After all, beyond the glamour of the city, Dubai is still in the Arabian Desert – appropriately, the largest desert in Asia.

Krisha Chachra served eight years on the Blacksburg Town Council and has written for NRV Magazine for more than a decade. She is a community advocate & connector and runs an event production organization that hosts Up on the Roof. She writes the travel column for the magazine and occasional human-interest pieces. Kchachra@aol.com

Previously published at NRVMagazine

In October 2014, a group of inspired moms led by musician and budding social media entrepreneur Marci Craig circled around a table at Blacksburg’s Next Door Bake Shop. With coffee mugs in hands and big dreams in their heads, they talked about starting a ‘grassroots passion project’ that would initially build a community of business-savvy moms who would help each other pool resources and process and connect their ideas. They met several times over two years until Craig realized the group of moms – mainly parents of the students she taught music to – needed more than a space to share professional development insights, but needed to be part of a movement that motivated them to turn their gifts and passions into action. In early 2016, Craig formed an LLC and launched The Mama Movement – an online and in-person community organization where moms of any age find support in motherhood while still prioritizing themselves.
“Many moms are change-makers, business owners and creators,” says Craig. “If you are a powerhouse of ideas along with being a devoted mother and a purpose-driven woman, wouldn’t it be helpful to have encouraging support and a professional network of like-minded mothers sharing resources and keeping you accountable?”
Craig noticed that other mom’s groups tend to gravitate toward conversations about kids. “I wanted a space where I could rediscover me,” she relates. “It is important to find joy in you – to ‘pursue your passion and prioritize you’ – that is our mantra. Once you do that, you can bring that energy back to your family.”
The Mama Movement has grown to nearly 800 women online and 55 paying members. In addition to joining the Facebook page – a message board of upcoming events, resources and uplifting messages – there is a private discussion group page to address issues, ask others about parenting, and promote their businesses or interests. Previously there was a flat fee for members who desired a greater level of involvement, but The Mama Movement is transitioning to a subscription model where members receive monthly content highlighting featured experts on topics tailored to their interests. There will be more opportunities including workshops, annual picnics and in-person passion-seeker meetings.
The passion-seekers meetings are for members or guests of members only, and there is a waiting list to join. Craig explains that she wants to grow the organization but the in-person meetings benefit from an intimate size and high-quality content. “The Mama Movement has grown organically. Our leadership team is exploring how we expand and give all moms an opportunity to express themselves and step in the spotlight. We hope to grow our content nationally,” she says.
Alyssa Short joined before she gave birth to her daughter and serves on the leadership team. She shares Craig’s vision for expansion. “We want to have a strong online presence to help any mom in any place in her journey,” she says. “People join for many reasons, and the group gracefully combines a holistic picture of motherhood. There is the self-care piece, the creative piece and professional development.”
Part of the concept of The Mama Movement is to amplify each other’s accomplishments and spotlight members who have talents and expertise. For instance, Short holds a master’s degree from the Rhode Island School of Design in Art and Education with a certificate in Expression and Healing Arts. She has taught others to develop coping skills through art making. Craig herself is a multi-passion mama. She plays the classical guitar, piano and harp and teaches music theory and early childhood music at the Renaissance Music Academy. Her life as a musician, social entrepreneur and mother of three doesn’t look that different from moms in the New River Valley who find themselves juggling so many roles and struggling to find time for themselves. “So many of us have similar experiences, there is no reason to go it alone,” says Craig. “We each need to find joy in ourselves and help elevate one another to share our individual passions and collective message.”

www.themamamovement.com
Also on facebook.com

Originally published in NRVMagazine