I spent New Year’s with my colleagues on Hanimaadhoo Island. Honestly, I wasn’t too excited about it at first. I’m not great with big groups of people—they drain my energy, especially when I feel out of place. I had really hoped to spend New Year’s alone, in solitude. Maybe it sounds ungrateful, but that’s just how I felt.

For years, I’ve always spent Christmas and New Year’s alone. There’s something comforting about the solitude. But sometimes, I wish I could celebrat
e these occasions with my family somewhere special. I miss my mom’s cooking, the dishes I grew up with—my comfort food that brings back childhood memories. Those memories feel like a different lifetime, a time when everything seemed unchanging. It’s strange to think about how much life has shifted since then.

I suppose being this sentimental is forgivable, just this once.

Labels: island, maldives, thoughts