Beyond the Rockies

Hi! My name is Dakota and I recently moved across the world from the small town of Laramie, WY to Al Ain, UAE! I moved here with my partner to teach at an international school and to use as a hub to travel as much as possible.

This is where I will document my experiences in the Arab world and beyond.

I grew up taking road trips.

My father is a budget traveler, so each year my family would drive to visit my grandparents. Every spring we drove from our Denver home to Mesa, AZ and every summer we took the long trek to Cape Cod. By the age of 25 I had visited 40 states, but never owned a passport.

When my partner spent a year overseas in Al Ain, UAE that had to change. We took a two-week trip through Europe for a brief respite from our prolonged long distance and we were immediately impacted by the experience. By the time my partner returned to our home in little Laramie, WY he had visited 11 countries. Living overseas not only provided him the opportunity to live in a culture much different from his own, but also gave him more opportunities for international travel. After a few months back in the US, my partner longed for the UAE.

I really envied the experiences that he had in Al Ain, so I was delighted when we were presented with an opportunity to move there — together this time! While I know that I will have days where I long for the Rocky Mountains and the wide-open prairies of Wyoming, I am thrilled as I build a new life in the desert.