Au Revoir Dunedin

Goodbyes aren't easy. That's why I don't do goodbyes. I prefer to celebrate and cherish whatever precious time I have left with my loved ones instead. Last Saturday some my friends and I went to Brighton beach where we had a picnic and enjoyed the beautiful scenery. I’m going to miss the girls I met in Dunedin so much! They’re part of the equation that sums up who I am today. When I first moved to Dunedin I was so different. I was 16 and all I wanted to be was completely Western because ever since I was a kid I was surrounded by Western ideals. However, when I met these women, learned about their beautiful cultures and observed how they practiced Islam I saw a side of my faith that I hadn’t seen before. I realised that Islam was more than just rules and rituals. Islam became something that I wanted to understand and embrace instead of something I followed to conform with the Malaysian Muslim society. For the first time, Islam was interesting and I saw it as a beautiful and dignified way of life. SubhanAllah, the Muslim community in Dunedin has inspired me in so many ways.

Where we choose to live and whom we choose to surround yourselves with is so important. It really impacts who we become as a person. We are, as they say, a product of our environment. Sometimes I wonder what I would be like if I never moved to New Zealand and didn’t have the same opportunity to meet people from all over the world, be they Muslim or not. I doubt I would be who I am today. Dunedin holds many memories for me. Oh if you only knew! But some things are better left unsaid, they say. In hindsight I am happy that God has chosen this path for me and I feel incredibly blessed and fortunate for all the wonderful people He has sent my way and all the amazing and innumerable opportunities He has given me, alhamdulillah. I really feel that I’ve grown in the time that I’ve lived in Dunedin. I don't mean to sound cheesy but Miley Cyrus was right. It is all about the climb. And the people I've met in Dunedin have truly enriched my life by being a part of my journey.

Now I'm back in Malaysia for a good, long holiday and all I can say is I'm so excited to be back in Kuala Lumpur with my family and friends. It's going to be a very eventful year inshaAllah! See, this is the power of placing your trust in Him and believing that God has planned good things for you. Yes, even when things aren’t necessarily going the way you want them to. As it says in the Qur’an, "... But perhaps you hate a thing and it is good for you; and perhaps you love a thing and it is bad for you. And Allah Knows, while you know not." (2:216). Once you let go of your doubts about Him you will start to see the hikmah (wisdom) behind everything as His plan unravels right before your eyes.

You already know how I feel about goodbyes so instead I will say au revoir mes amies (until we meet again my friends). Au revoir Dunedin. 

p.s. Also think of this as an early Style Sunday post ;)