When we Dubai Expats pile home over the summer break, we often tend to focus on ourselves and what summer means to us. We look forward to the break from the relentless desert heat, and relish the thought of catching up with family and friends. Indeed I think many of us feel ‘hard done by’. The summer temperatures are unbearable, so unbearable that the kids dare not play outside between the hours of 9AM and 4PM. Re-hydration proves a losing battle. Sweating is the norm. Daily overheating is exhausting and increasing confinement induces cabin fever.

Oh how sorry we feel for ourselves!

Despite all of this, at the back of our minds we still have one eye on the ever nearing glorious winter temperatures that will usher in breakfasts on the beach, weekend bike rides and chilly swimming pools, leaving the locals in more likely than not, damp, drizzly goo in ever decreasing light…

However, what I can be guilty of forgetting is the impact my young family makes on our summer hosts:

– Thank you Nana for a delicious, warm, home cooked meal on the dinner table each night;
– Thank you Grandad for supervising the kids on the road when using their skateboards, bikes and other various transport-helmet-required methods;
– Thank you Nana for increasing your carbon footprint 5-fold by washing and drying machine loads of grubby clothes on a daily basis;
– Thank you Grandad for giving us a break by taking the munchkins to the park/relatives/beach/surprise locations;
– Thank you Nana for teaching DD how to replicate your amazing scones (DH is very happy!);
– Thank you Uncle J for allowing the kids’ cousin to come play with them as often as possible;
– Thank you Friends (you know who you are) for giving the kids so many ‘firsts’- sleepovers, dog walking, cliff walking, afternoons out, dinners, parties, shopping trips and the big ‘fave’ – getting all the kids together to play and have fun;
– Thank you Grandad for re-tracing my childhood steps with my bambinos;
– Thank you Nana for impressing upon DD the importance of regularly brushing long hair, and taking her for her first blowdry!
– Thank you Grandad for being a goalkeeper, striker, defender, darts’ player, golf player, skittles player;
– Thank you Nana for cooking the Top 5 dinners on loop!
– Thank you Nana and Grandad for opening up your home to us and making it feel like it is ours.

Precious

You make summer special. You make summer memorable. You help make summer what we think it should be.

Thank You. xx