The Sweet Goodbye: Cherishing Holiday Memories as Life Resumes

So far it's been a memorable holiday for me. I have got the opportunity to enjoy the break with my family, relatives, and old friends and even got the chance to reflect on this year. The 1st day of January 2025 is about to unfold just in a few hours from now, and the question "When does my holiday end? is being raised.

The truth is that most of us love holidays so dearly, but there's time for everything. Life ought to resume its usual pace—work schedules, after the holiday break. There are school routines and daily responsibilities we need to face and keep grinding in the coming year. I guess that's how our life is designed: a moment for work and other activities and a moment to go for a break, recharge, and return back to work with renewed energy, experience some necessary connections and bonding with our loved ones, and even get some inspiration that will carry us through the new year. For some people, they extend their holidays while craving more of these experiences, but for me, my holiday is officially ending on the 5th of January.

My grandma, myself and my mom

It's been a lot of fun this holiday, and transitioning back to my daily routine might seem challenging, but it has to begin with my mind now! For the remaining few days of my holiday, the preparation to return back to work has been well structured in my mind, setting priorities so I don't see it as a bittersweet experience, hehehe.

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I am going to miss all the holiday meals over here in my hometown. I am going to miss the family gist and all the crazy things we have been doing together catching up with each other. I am going to miss the fresh fruits I have been plucking from Grandma's farm always.

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Lots of memories have been created so far, something I have been craving for, but it's all for good. After all, a holiday cannot be forever, but it's sincerely hard to leave all these experiences behind.

You see, I took my time planning to come back home for the holiday experience, and now it's just over? So it means that no matter how much we want to have this kind of pleasure, the experience can't last forever, but the memories created stay within our minds and, upon reflection, bring joy and laughter to our faces. Last night, I was so exhausted after all the family celebration we had with many of our relatives. I couldn't write a post yesterday, but with my tired body, I grabbed my phone, scrolling through the many pictures and videos I captured. My cheeks were wide open, smiling uncontrollably 😃. What a unique memory indeed.

I have started packing my bags gradually in preparation to return back to Lagos City come January 5th, planning ahead and organizing my thoughts to embrace my set goals and dreams for the coming year. The amazing part of this my holiday experience, is that I got some inspirations that will carry me through the next year. It's a win-win and indeed a memorable experience so far.

Here is wishing everyone in this space a happy new year in advance as we wrap up with our holiday season while looking forward to a fruitful new year ahead.

This post is in response to the #HiveLearners community contest on the topic titled, When Does Your Holiday End?

All images are proudly mine.