KSA...... Flashbacks

I wrote the following note two years ago :

"Taking a look at the old pictures from my last visit to Makkah and Madinah in summer 2012 ............. 

I miss going there so much.

I miss having chit chats with people that I've never met before. I miss grabbing a bite with them. I miss breaking my fasting trying different kinds of snacks from different cuisines offered by the ladies setting next to me.

I remember a Moroccan lady givng me something sweet to try ...... I Loved it!

I miss thefeeling of being amongst aone big family there. I miss all of those Turkish ladies thinking that we are Turkish cause of how our lovely mom looks like  & greeting us with Eid with lots of  hugs & kisses! ..... my Grandma used to have the same awkward moment too.

I miss the typical scene that I got used to see in Makkah of a Saudi gentleman with his sons offering pilgrims food to break their fasting & everyone of the boys would have a task. one would hold a tea pot, another holding a coffee pot, one offering people dates, one offering them some yoghurt, another one offering them bottles of water, one holding a box full of tissues so that people can wipe their hands after finishing their meals. Finally the man & his children hold big  plastic bags to collect the garbage to keep the place clean.

I miss waiting to pray Eid prayer with millions of people in Makkah and calling my best friend to greet her & tell her to guess where I am!

I miss seeing people of Makkah celebrating in their own beautiful & energetic way.

I miss seeing a Pakistani lady offering everyone sweets cause it's Eid!  & everybody saying Eid Mubarak & smiling at one another.

I miss praying dawn ( Fajr) prayer out in the open air at the plaza of the Prophet's mosque in Madinah & having not just a smile on my face but also my heart was smiling.

I miss taking a walk in Makkah & Madinah with my dad to buy something for dinner......  & I miss dinner from Al Baik! heart emoticon

I miss our father telling us to get dressed quickly not to miss the prayer at the mosque.

I miss that crazy young Yemeni taxi driver who drove us from Jeddah to Makkkah and having my sister bursting in laughter cause of him.

I miss all of those strong Yemeni & Saudi teens helping me out with pushing my mom's wheelchair without even having me asking for any help! <3

I miss the generosity, warmth in the air there!

I miss drinking the sweet  & refreshing cold Zamzam water.

I miss Pakistani ladies talking to me in Urdu cause they think that I'm a Pakistani!! :D <3

I still remember that Moroccan pilgrim that fell asleep at the airport's mosque & when I woke her up not to miss her plane....... with full confidence " You're Pakistani right?!"

I felt like " for God's sake woman!..... I'm talking to you in Arabic!!!! :D

I miss KSA!......I miss how I used to go there to take a break from all of the stress here.... I miss our Indian neighbours, I miss our Filipino friends,  I miss the nature there, I miss the family picnics, I miss Indian food yum!

I miss airports, I miss the goosebumps, the laughter, the travelling anxiety sometimes. I miss thinking of my loved ones while being on a plane. I miss praying for them while watching the breathtaking sunset.

I miss shedding happy tears & sad ones. I miss the family hugs once we reunite.

I miss my black abaya & headscarf. I miss the smells of coffee,spices, Oud & musk that hit me once I set a foot in Saudi Arabia & I still remember the very first breeze that filled up my senses on my very first visit to the country 9 years ago!

I miss high school there. I miss my teachers & my colleagues. I miss our discussions. I miss my classmate who used to crack the whole class up.

I miss praying together in the lunch break. I remember our teachers there who used to offer us cups of water and coffee and also dates & chocolate. while taking our exams.I remember my last day at school.

I miss our nice & respectable Saudi bus driver who used to drive us to school &  how  the school rules said that his wife should accompany him & how sweet his wife was & how bubbly was their 4 year old boy.

I remember thanking all of them on our the last day of exams for giving us such an amazing & safe rides to and from the school. so they kept on praying for me & wished me to do well when I go back to Egypt for college. I hugged the lady before I left and it was such a touchy moment.

I miss travelling in general & I miss KSA in particular, I miss everything & everyone there.

Travelling is just healthy.

living for sometime in Libya then KSA made me dislike living in my own homeland for a long time without travelling at least once every two years. cause life here can be boring sometimes :D

I need to come across some new languages, accents, cuisines here please...... I need some diversity please."


Thank God my dream came true and I traveled in  the winter of 2016.