Have you ever taken a drive without really knowing why? Missed a turn and didn’t rush to fix it? Kept going because, for once, you didn’t feel like explaining anything — to yourself or to anyone else?

That space on the road, when your phone is quiet, and your thoughts finally slow down. The landscape passing by the window. Music playing. You are just driving, with no clear destination. Or maybe you are heading somewhere you have always wanted to go.

That is exactly where Karim Abillama found himself. A Dubai-based architectural designer who missed an exit and ended up on a drive that changed a lot. This is his story.

Disclaimer: This material was first published in the special print issue of The Sandy Times Newspaper, created for House of Porsche. This digital version has been adapted for online publication.

I moved to Dubai from Spain three years ago. There, life followed a certain rhythm. During the week, I rode my motorbike around Barcelona. On weekends, I escaped to the mountains or coastal towns. Riding through the chicanes of Montserrat was my way of clearing my mind. Life was slower, more balanced. Coming to Dubai changed everything.

Here, everything moved fast. Construction life is intense, 24/7. Even when you are home, your mind keeps working — deadlines, people, progress. I didn’t fully realise how much that pace was affecting me.

One Saturday morning, I was driving to a site meeting in Nad Al Sheba, about twenty minutes from home. I was on the phone with my engineers, discussing the usual site matters. At some point, I missed the exit. In Dubai, that usually means ending up somewhere completely different.

But instead of turning back, I kept driving.

I wasn’t checking the map. I didn’t question it. My body was driving, but my mind was somewhere else. So I let it happen.

The city slowly disappeared. The towers and the noise were gone. The only thing I saw was sand and trees. I reached Al Qudra. I kept driving until I saw a sign for a nature reserve and turned toward what is now known as Al Qudra Lakes.

I parked the car and sat there alone for four hours. That moment became a turning point.

For the first time since leaving Spain, I stopped. I realised how suddenly I had moved, how quickly I had thrown myself into work and responsibility without giving myself time to process the change. I was running nonstop, heading toward burnout.

Sitting by the lake, I reflected on my life, the decisions I had made, and what I truly wanted going forward. I understood that I didn’t want to stay only in engineering. I wanted to reconnect with design, creativity, and landscape architecture — the work that originally defined me.

On the drive back, I felt something rare: a sense of clarity. Like my mind and body had finally aligned.

That drive taught me something important: you can’t keep running forever. You have to trust your instincts, trust the process. Without consciously deciding anything, I followed where my mind led me, and it changed how I live.

Since then, I return to Al Qudra whenever I can. It is a sacred place for me. A reminder to stay grounded.