THE HOLIDAYS

 

life is an amazing journey, and time gives us a different perspective. It is fascinating when I look back and see that I started my blog in 2024, and I am still going.

I enjoy putting my ideas in writing, and various ideas about medicine and everyday life keep coming every day. Today is the first of January, and we are halfway through the holiday season.

It is a time of year that sometimes gives me a sense of FOMO (fear of missing out). The presence of social media makes things a bit worse.

I was born and raised in a Middle Eastern country. We do not do things like Santa, Christmas, easter, or even the tooth fairy!

there is no way that Middle Eastern parents11 would buy a gift for their kids, and give the credits to some fictional character!

But living abroad, and knowing the majority of people are celebrating Christmas, like setting up a tree, getting each other gifts, and having fancy Christmas food makes me feel empty,

because I am not doing any of it, and don't feel fully festive. 

There was a phase in my life when I was obsessed with my next holiday destination, and it would deplete my bank account because I couldn't afford any of them.

Today I am grateful that I can afford food and pay my bills, even though I am not on a tropical or exotic island resort right now.

Another category of people spend this time either on a fancy tropical island in the Caribbean or a ski resort. However, most people are currently battling with the economy.  

My in-laws visited us on the 22nd of December, and it has been quite nice to have them around. The city of Sligo is relatively small, and I am not very familiar with most of the interesting sites at the moment.

I have been asking around, trying to figure things out. The most popular places are at the beach, such as Ross’s Point or Strandhill.

We don't have a car, but it is nice to drive to different places and have fancy walks and hikes near the Benbulben mountain.

This one is probably not an option for me, who is on baby duty on weekends. I always pass the Glasshouse hotel in the city, and it looks very fancy, and I wish to dine in it on one of the weekends that I am out with the family.

My in-laws eat strictly halal food, so this is not an option for them either. Ireland has very wet and unpredictable weather, and does not have outdoor cafes like Italy or France.

People prefer to go to the warm and cozy bars and drink. I am not much of a drinker, so this would not suit me either. 

Sligo library is a nice and tranquil place that I visit on my free weekends, and it has a vibrant environment for my 3-year-old daughter to interact with the other kids, draw, and browse the vast collection of children’s books. 

one of my best moments of the holidays was taking long walks in the mornings, knowing my mother-in-law is home watching my child until I come home.

I had heard from one of the taxi drivers that there is a lake near where we stay, so on Saturday morning, after the Christmas holidays, I wandered and found this beautiful lake near the Hazelwood forest.

I watched the sunrise and felt very relaxed, spending time in nature. 

I am grateful for the holidays with family, and for another year. hoping for a year full of health and abundance for my family and me.

We don't need expensive gifts or fancy holidays to be happy. I am more mature and grounded these days, and it's funny that we now clean the house to the music we used to dance to in a club.