half past nomad

I was supposed to be in Madina right now but due to the massive construction in Mecca, umrah visas are limited.

I was supposed to be living there for 10+ days but that hasn’t happened.

It’s very odd for me. After 3 years, my first Ramadan with the family. It’s not wrong, it’s just plain odd. I’m used to sleeping in the Masjid Nabawi, making sure my father is OK, biting my tongue, eating 1/8th the food I usually do (and feeling amazing at the same time), meeting incredibly magical new people and so much more.

This year, friends of mine got a private tour of the Masjid. They went to the spot where Umra R.A. died, they learnt about the history of the city. I know what that feels like. I remember the marble beneath my floors. The early morning smell inside the masjid. The sight of those giant domes silently opening and closing. I remember helping others drink zamzam moments before Fajr. The smiles of sharing tea inside the masjid. The superbly generous “average” Saudis.

I have often heard people make dua, asking Allah (SWT) to let them come to Mecca/Madina.
I just didn’t understand what it meant until this Ramadan. I need to go back.

The past month has been annoyingly interesting. Some months are sadly boring, some are brilliantly amazing.

Annoyingly interesting is a new one.

Here is what has happened to me:
I travelled half-way across the world, down.
I ate some squid.
I got to wear an old fav winter jacket.
I rode on a tram.
I avoided horses.
I almost jumped off a mountain or hill.
I learnt how to put on a bow-tie, poorly.
I ate seaweed.
I almost hopped onto a plane again.
I jumped into a jacuzzi at an airport.
I drank roughly 5% my usual caffeine intake.
I didn’t steal any hotel supplies.
I spent 4 hours cleaning up an explosion of liquid marshmallow in my suitcase.
I played with wet sand.
I discussed mexican chocolate molé sauce.

I saw possibly the most beautiful beaches of my life. I experienced the worst air pollution of my life. I had the most amazing corn ice-cream ever. Everywhere I went, my hands kept itching because I knew what I was missing. I missed my wife, my best friend, my partner, my co-adventurer, my life, my other. The adjectives don’t stop and if you know what I mean, you know what I mean and if you don’t know what I mean, then I understand your eyes rolling. You poor sap you, you don’t know what you are missing.

My previous month was annoyingly interesting and I hope it almost definitely almost never happens again.

Requests to start blogging have been murmuring again.

Today, Alhamdulilah, I have three kids and one wife. It’s important to specify that because otherwise people may ask how many kids I have. The wife is full-time, as are the kids. I know this because they are always there.

I can feel myself getting older. Little things are changing, nonchalantly, as if not to surprise me. My back hurts more when I do that. My knees are cracking when I pray at Fajr. And my office bag finally broke. Those things are meant to last yet.

I am still a geek, and I like being a geek. I get to goto geek conferences and nod my head passionately at the tiny achievements of other geeks. I tweeted, took photos, posed for photos, gave comments and had my hand shaken vigorously many times. Geeks love geeks.

I recently ate squid, corn ice cream, seaweed. I liked them all almost.

And thus years pass by and our smiles are the same. Alhamdulilah.