Epic.  What does an epic vacation mean to me? To date, I've visited 172 cities in 23 countries and I still have a long list of places I want to see.  When I look back, the closest to a grand adventure I've ever been in was the trip to Peru and Bolivia.  That was a backpacking experience where I, together with my husband and father-in-law went beyond our comfort zones in an environment so eerily authentic that I have to shake off the notion that I'm not staring at a photograph in a historical book but I was actually there.  Many things happened during that trip, yet I still long for more. 

My idea of a Grand Adventure is a trip that would satisfy all facets of my being. It took me a long time to research and figure out the perfect place where I can experience it. Finally it hit me. Guess where? It doesn't fall away from home. It's in the Philippines!

It's that time of year for Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon .  For the last several years, I was present as a spectator, patiently waiting at the finish line, cheering as I watched my husband successfully cross it beating his record the previous year. 

We're celebrating a long weekend in the United Arab Emirates.  Today is a religious non-working holiday, Prophet Mohammed's birthday. It's going to be a long weekend.  For those stuck at home craving for adventure with no idea how to spend their Friday tomorrow, try Wadi Driving.

Wadi is an Arabic term, meaning valley. Wadi is a dry riverbed that becomes a stream during heavy rains. January is the best time to try off-road driving.  Explore the rocky paths in between large boulders and mountains during cold season  in a big group of 4X4s.  We drove close to the UAE-Oman border.