The year I moved from Dubai to New York was the hardest year of my life. I was leaving everything I had behind, my friends, my school, and my house. I had lived in Dubai for the entirety of my life before moving, and it was the most painful experience I could’ve ever felt. I had never been able to experience moving, so going from the middle east to New York City felt unreal. Knowing that soon I would see everything I grew up with for the very last time was terrible. Towards the end of my last school year living there, we had a field trip to a place in Dubai called the Souk. The Souk was a marketplace where small vendors would sell items like gold, spices, fruits, and gifts in small stands. During this field trip, my best friend who I grew up with since I was a 1-year-old managed to bargain with one of the vendors and ended up buying two of these bottles of sand arts for the price of one, and gave me one of the two he purchased. The sand inside of the bottle shows a Dubai desert, and the word “Dubai” is written inside of it. I have kept this with me ever since I moved, and it always brings me back to when I used to live there. It reminds me of all of the great memories I had living there and living in a giant sandbox. Also, on top of that, it is a beautiful piece of art.  

– A

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