Our move from Yas Island to Al Reef was smooth and within only a few days we got the apartment cleaned up, furnished the way we want it, got internet set up and running and the place looking and feeling like our family home.

Never underestimate the power of fresh linens!!

Within a few days of settling in, I began to feel an internal nagging that told me I needed to do a little bit more research on my travel visa status here in the UAE. I had talked to people from other countries about the number of days they were allowed to stay in the country before having to go for a Visa run and the general consensus was 30 days, but for some reason I felt that I had read that I had 90 days (Americans tend to be quite privileged in our allowance of time to travel compared to other countries). By the time I actually got around to looking into it, I had four days before my status here would expire! I had done two visa runs in the past when I was living in Mexico, so the process wasn’t new to me; just the location. It was time to buckle down and do some research. Where would I go!?

I consulted with a few friends I’ve made here who have done plenty of these runs themselves, and decided that since I was limited on my planning time, making plane tickets a little too expensive for my budget, that I would instead look into renting a car and going somewhere that is a reasonable driving distance. I had heard about the city of Al Ain, an Oasis in the desert, and I had wanted to check it out, so I figured, now is the best time to make that trip!

Technically Al Ain is on the border of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and the country of Oman. As I began to look up where to stay in Oman, I was coming up mostly empty handed for anything in the city of Al Ain. There were very few hotels on that side of the border to begin with, and the ones that were there were expensive and would require almost an hours drive to all the places I wanted to see in Al Ain. I decided to change my course of action. I would stay in the city of Al Ain on the UAE side, and cross into the country of Oman for a day trip to get my necessary stamp.

I began the hotel search again. In this search I found beautiful resorts with elaborate pools and high-end bars and night clubs. While it all was quite tempting, my pocketbook wasn’t trying to have a fancy vacation, it was trying to get my passport a fresh stamp to allow me another 30 days in the UAE.

So, I signed up for Airbnb.

Okay okay okay…. I know!! I have heard all the bad things too about how Airbnb is taking over cities and making it harder for locals to find homes in these said cities. I also recall being in Nola and reading int he newspaper that they had just made Airbnb illegal in the French Quarter because it had become such a disturbance to the residents of the neighborhood.

I wasn’t keen on supporting their community and network, but I was getting a little desperate and thought it would be a good idea to at least see what they had to offer.

I signed up, typed in Al Ain and the dates of my travel, July 18-July 20; JACKPOT!

I found a studio style room that had a queen size bed, fridge, microwave, work desk, couch and private bathroom in the center of the city hosted by two women who ONLY host solo female travelers and married couples!! Safe, clean, convenient… and cheap!

I booked it.

Then I called up the car rental to arrange for me to pick up a car. That was an entire process on its own because the country of Oman requires special insurance to drive in their country. When it comes to having a rental car, you also need a letter and the registration of the car and all these documents that require extra steps to show that you are, indeed, allowed to drive that car across the border (apparently the cars GPS systems don’t work once they’re crossed into Oman and there were a number of cars “rented” that were never returned to the UAE so most car rental companies here don’t allow you to cross the border).

After about two hours (research and booking combined), my trip was booked to go to Al Ain and I could now breath a little easier and start creating my itinerary for when I get there.

Crisis averted.

Be well. Be happy.