I'm a single mom, and my son was in Dubai with his nanny. I spent $2,500 to get back to him.

Nicky Lazou said she spent $2,500 to get back to her son in the UAE.

Nicky Lazou

• Nicky Lazou, a business owner based in Dubai, was in London for work when the Middle East crisis unfolded.
• Her five-year-old son was with his nanny when strikes hit parts of Dubai.
• She paid $2,500 to fly into Oman and cross the land border to the UAE to be with her son.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Nicky Lazou, 39, a Dubai-based beauty business owner and a single mother to her five-year-old son.