We all experience new and exciting things for the first time in life and consider ourselves lucky when the first time turns out to be the best.  Well, this has definitely happened to me 😉 After my first semester at the University of Limerick (which was awesome btw), I was finally free from exams and looking forward to a relaxing break followed by Christmas and New Year (my first time experiencing both occasions outside my home country).

I always fantasised about how Christmas in Europe would be with everyone giving and receiving presents including me 🙂 The very first Christmas celebration was in the University of Limerick where there were loads of Disney characters including Minnie and Mickey Mouse, two of my all-time favourites. There were stalls where we enjoyed hot chocolates and muffins as treats. Street performers were spinning hula hoops of fire and there were stilt walkers, it was very exciting. Finally, I met Santa Claus and we had a memorable photograph together.

I also volunteered for the New Year’s Eve festival in Limerick which was an exciting experience. We marched all over the city carrying floats. The floats were so heavy that I pulled my muscles and I was barely able to walk for two days but it was well worth it in the end when we gathered at the River Shannon to witness the mega New Year’s Eve fireworks in Limerick City! I was cheering through it all and jumping around like a child, trying to catch the sparkles. We attended the concert as well and I sang along with my loud whoops. It was so much fun 🙂

I also visited Dublin which alone has 20 beaches!! Did you know? So how can I go back to Pakistan without having visited some of those beaches? Going to the beach in Ireland in January was a brave decision though because the water in the Irish Sea is freezing!  I went to Dollymount Beach in Dublin. I got so excited to see it from far away and wanted so much to put my feet in the water. I took off my shoes and coat and even got my feet wet. OMG I screamed because it was so damn cold!!! The cold water washed all my tiredness away that’s for sure, it was invigorating. I jumped and ran in the water. I sang, I danced and just went crazy, it was so liberating. My friends came out of the water after less than a minute because it was so cold but I kept walking in the water, watching the waves coming towards me. It was a very beautiful sight and I really felt as one with nature.

And Ireland also had the proud honour of hosting my Birthday! Haha…

It was my first birthday away from family but now I have a family here too. We may not be blood relations but relations are not always by blood, some are by heart too. My friends surprised me after having lowered my expectations greatly. I was convinced that this birthday was not going to be a good one. I was feeling slightly heartbroken as I went to my friend’s house but when I went inside it was to the shouts of HAPPY BIRTHDAY WAJEEHA in the air. I was so overjoyed that I jumped and screamed to my heart’s content. You’re probably thinking that I scream a lot in my everyday life. Well, yes that’s my childhood
habit, I was born screaming after all 🙂

So happy New Year’s everyone!

Wajeeha Zaidi

UL International Student ambassador

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