There was more than a little panic the day my awesome travel companion and I were scheduled to depart. Thoughts like "What the heck was I thinking?" and "Why didn't I just decide to go to Europe like everyone else?" flew through my head as I struggled to cram all my necessities into one 40-litre pack. It did not help that our flight was delayed by seven hours and we would be getting into Dubai at three in the morning. Luckily, we had the foresight to buy travel delay insurance, the $150 of which got us sufficiently liquored up and on a first-name basis with our wonderful bartender at SFO.

After the initial delay, we were off. From the moment I stepped on the plane, I realized that I would never again set foot on another international flight that wasn't Emirates. The service was awesome, the alcohol was flowing (and free!), and they had the newest Canto releases on personalized touch screens. I mean, what more could a girl ask for? Oh yes, a super attractive flight attendant, which I would get on the second leg of this journey. But I digress…