Dubai is a metropolitan city, located in the Middle East, and the most populous city in the United Arab Emirates. Growing up, I spent 14 years in Dubai, and I’ve seen it change drastically. Several world attractions have recently emerged such as the world’s tallest building, Burj Khalifa, and a 7-star hotel, Burj Al Arab.

In the 1970s, Dubai was nothing more than a couple buildings in the middle of a desert. Now, it is an emirate state where money and opulence reign supreme. Dubai's unfathomably high skyscrapers, reaching into the clouds, are matched only in size by its vast, sprawling shopping malls and its residents' bulging bank balances. Dubai has risen to prominence over the past 15 or so years. In the past decade alone, the Road and Transportation Authority (RTA) in Dubai has introduced the Dubai metro, and tram services which connect almost every major part of the city. Apart from the construction of transportation services and buildings, Dubai has also seen an increase in the number of outdoor parks and running tracks in an effort to keep its residents fit and physically active. Apart from its amazing infrastructure, Dubai is also the host to various annual events such as the Dubai Tennis Championship, which has attracted big stars like Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Venus Williams, and Sania Mirza. It is also the host to the Dubai Desert Classic which has attracted Rory Mcllory and Tiger Woods among others. These are just a few things about Dubai that make it a world attraction and living there is a very different experience than living in Davis.

Davis, a college town, has no world attractions, apart from the university that essentially makes up the town. It has no multistory buildings (apart from university buildings), let alone high-rise buildings. Also, majority of the Davis population is affiliated with the university in one way or another, and the college students make up more than half of the entire population. But these aren’t bad things. The setting of Davis, away from city life, makes it a quiet and beautiful place, and more reliant on natural beauty. Because it isn’t a crowded city, Davis has very little air pollution, and this makes the skies crystal clear. The sunrise, sunsets, and starry nights are absolutely breathtaking. Apart from this, the fruits and vegetables are grown locally on the farms, and animals are bred locally too.

This is a change I truly welcome from the daily hustle and bustle of the Dubai life. Because it is so very populated, the pollution levels there are high and the night skies are always pitch black. Only a handful of stars can be seen, and even then not too frequently. Davis also has beautiful weather, and I can’t stress this enough. Temperatures in Dubai go as high as 120 degrees Fahrenheit in the summer and come to the mid-50s in the winters. Rain isn’t very common and occurs maybe 7-10 days a year. Compared to the weather in Dubai, Davis feels like paradise. The weather in Dubai is basically nine months of summer and three months of winter, but Davis has a good mix of all four seasons. These are just a few of the prominent changes that have made me love my time in Davis so far.

Coming to America has been a terrific experience, and I have certainly loved the change.