If this truly was our last trip to the Middle East, we wanted to make the most of it — to see the places that had been calling to us for years. Saudi Arabia, and the chance to hop over to India with just a three-hour flight, felt like the right way to end this chapter of our travels.

In late November 2023, we set off to see our daughter Julianna in Dubai and to explore Saudi Arabia and India. Riyadh surprised me; the woman in me had a few hesitations, but they turned out to be unwarranted. And AlUla… that magical landscape is something I still carry with me.

India was a different kind of leap. I had long worried about food safety and cleanliness and knew the chaos might stretch me. But everyone encouraged us to go, so I finally agreed to the “magic circle” — India in five days. Not our usual style at all, but it opened my eyes in ways I didn’t expect. Delhi, especially Old Delhi, captured me completely. Wandering its narrow streets, watching daily life unfold under a canopy of monkeys in the trees, I couldn’t pull myself away from my camera.

This page is simply the beginning — a glimpse into the journey. What follows are the stories behind these moments: the surprises, the challenges, and the beauty that stayed with us long after we returned home.