From Loud Celebrations to Quiet Reflections: My Holiday Transition

My Christmas and New Year were kind of weird, and honestly, I’m not entirely sure why. Maybe it was because it didn’t follow the usual transition I was used to. Normally, my Christmas begins with traveling back to Lagos since I study in Uyo. Reuniting with my family in Lagos and linking up with old friends—friends who have practically become brothers over the years—is always the highlight of the season. We usually visit different places, have fun, and indulge in games like snooker and other exciting activities like going to concerts.

Christmas in Lagos is always loud, with events happening everywhere every day. I guess that’s what made this past Christmas feel so strange—it lacked that typical buzz and excitement I was used to.

For Christmas 2024, things were really quiet. I spent most of my time indoors. I did manage to visit my sister, who prepared some amazing delicacies—the classic Christmas menu: rice, stew, chicken, salad, you name it. But apart from that, I found myself stuck in a repetitive loop: wake up, wash up, eat, fiddle with my phone, and sleep. The worst part? This loop was on shuffle with no particular order! Am I proud of it? No. But do I regret it? Definitely not.

In my defense, this wouldn’t have happened if I had spent Christmas in Lagos. My phone would have been buzzing with texts from friends suggesting places to hang out. But this time, I embraced the calm.

The transition into the New Year was more reflective. I had quiet moments to think about where I went wrong in 2024 and what I could have done differently to achieve better results. I reflected on habits I need to let go of and new ones I should adopt. Of course, this reflection came after spending the night of December 31st in church, which marked both the end of 2024 and the beginning of 2025. You could say I ended last year and started this one with God.

There’s a saying:

blockquote
You can’t keep doing things the same way and expect different results.”

This year, I’m determined to approach my daily routine and challenges with a fresh perspective, aiming for outcomes that are different—and better—than those of previous years.

The overall best experience of this holiday, however, was overcoming 80% of my fear of felines, thanks to the cute cat I spent a few days with at my granny's place. I named her "Puss in Boots" because she reminded me of the cat character from the movie "Shrek". 😂 Now, I’m even considering getting a cat as a pet!.

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