I really recommend coming up to the top of Burj Khalifa if you’re going to appreciate the view. However, if you’re going up just to stare at your cell phone, save yourself the money and search it online.

The view was incredible, but I became very disheartened in listening to the conversations around me. It seemed that the most important thing to people was finding the best lighting for a photo of themselves. More people saw the view through the lens of a cellphone than from their two eyes.

The free WiFi at the top, my friend aptly pointed out, was so people could utilize social media.

Reading the story of the construction was amazing–from design to reality, the 830m building was completed in just over seven years. Over half of the world’s population lives within a five hour flight of Dubai, and this is the epitome of the emirate building itself into a hub of business and tourism.

Despite my cynicism, I was really overwhelmed with how cool the view was. This was like flying and getting to stay stationary at that perfect spot where you get to see how a city looks from above. If there had been seating and I hadn’t had other plans, I would have stayed up there all day.