Summer vacations are always special and exciting for me. Heck, anyone would agree. School’s out, no homework or tests, no gross cafeteria food. We all love a good summer vacation. A lot of us are always anticipating the beach trips, travelling with family, or simply catching up on some missed sleep. We all have our summer plans. Mine are almost always the same – travelling to Lebanon.
I consider this extra special. What’s so special about travelling to the same country every summer, you might ask? Half of my family lives there! Several of my amazing aunts and uncles, my super cool cousins that I consider siblings, and of course, my adorable grandparents are all in Lebanon. I only have the opportunity to see them during the summer. And my lovely Lebanese family makes sure that we have the time of our lives before we head back to Canada. Here are some of the things that I love doing during my time in Lebanon.
The Park Hotel
This is a hotel (obviously) that my cousins, brother, and I often go to during our free time for a swim. So I’ll be honest, the Park Hotel is full of loud kids who probably do more than just swim in the pool if you catch my drift. It’s a little annoying and gross. So why is this one of my favourite pastimes in Lebanon? Well, we’ve been going to the Park Hotel since we were tiny. It holds a lot of great memories for me – my brother throwing us in the pool, all of us racing from one end of the pool to the other, simply chilling by the side of the pool and gossiping, quality family time under the sun. I’d say that my memories of this hotel outweigh the annoying cries of surrounding children!
Saturday Dinners
I think this tradition is pretty self-explanatory. Every Saturday, my grandmother invites the family over for a delicious home-cooked meal. Now here’s something about the Lebanese (or maybe just Middle Eastern people in general): we tend to over-serve. For dinner, we’ll obviously be serving a lot of food since we’re a big family. But afterwards when we’re all sitting down and making lovely conversation? Fruits, chocolate, tea, desserts, you name it, all served in one breath. What’s funny is that most of the time, guests will only eat one or two things. But it’s never a bother! Lebanese people are very hospitable! Plus, these Saturday dinners are just a nice way to get the family together. And my grandma’s an amazing cook. Added bonus!
The Cedar Trees
As you may have noticed, the symbol on the Lebanese flag is a cedar tree. Now, going to see them isn’t something we do as often as I’d like, but whenever we do, it’s always uplifting. Sightseeing in Lebanon requires a lot of long drives up the mountains. It can be very exhausting and even a little dizzying (we have very bumpy and winding roads). However, once we reach the top of the mountains and see the cedar trees, it’s all worth it. I think the cedar trees are beautiful, and the weather up on the mountains feels so refreshing. The trees range from newborn and fresh to old and wise. It’s a really enjoyable learning experience. Plus, it’s more time with family that I only get to see for one month during the summer. Can’t say no to that!
Night Life
Now that me, my brother, and my cousins have all grown older, we’ve all started to enjoy the night life in Lebanon. I’m very introverted, so I wouldn’t say that the night life is necessarily for me. However, it’s a great way to spend more time with my cousins and invite a bunch of their friends out who always become our friends by the end of the night. If you’re an extrovert who enjoys a night out, then you should definitely travel to Lebanon and enjoy the night life in Beirut. The city is hot but so very worth it. As someone as introverted as I am, I really enjoy it! We dance a lot, we eat great food, and we just have a lot of fun. The Lebanese know how to party!
Movie Night
As fun as a night out in Beirut is, it doesn’t change the fact that I’m very introverted. So when my cousins suggest staying in to have a movie night? You best bet I’m all in. We usually watch comedies or action movies while curled up in our pajamas, and we eat whatever’s in the fridge. And honestly, I enjoy that more than being out of the house at night. I love it when it’s just me, my brother, and my cousins (even though I have fun with our friends too).
I’m someone who gets really homesick and misses her old home in Canada. However, even then, it’s always heartbreaking to have to say goodbye to my family and to Lebanon once our month is up. It’s the downside of having an extra-special summer vacation – it eventually ends. But it always starts up again! And every summer, I’m always a ball of excitement to see my family again.