ONCE UPON A TIME IN DUBAI

THIS IS ONLY THE SECOND year in two decades when a ‘big’ holiday didn’t feature in my calendar until August. This time, a global pandemic was to blame. The last time was a personal crisis, my life’s lowest point. It involved an ugly divorce, a near-empty bank account, and a ridiculously uncertain future. Caught up in all the unpleasantness, the summer passed by me. Realising that I had to do something to take control, I did what only an insane person would do: I bought three tickets, packed up the kids, and ran away for a holiday to Dubai.

I look back on that reckless, feckless, impulsive trip as an important ! moment in