Hi! I’m Elyana, and I’m 10 years old. I have a super funny little brother named Kareem—he’s 2 and says the cutest things. And my sister, Talia, is 7 and thinks she’s the boss of us all (but I’m the real boss because I’m the oldest ).

It’s the first day of Eid Al-Fitr, and Mama says, “Get ready! We’re going on a trip to Aqaba!” I’m so excited—I pack my swimsuit the night before!

We all jump into our shiny electric car. Kareem keeps shouting, “Sea! Sea!” even though we’re not there yet. We have snacks, music, and Mamoul. Baba plays our favorite songs, and Talia and I sing soooo loud—Kareem just claps along.

But halfway through the drive, the car beeps.
“We need to stop and charge,” Baba says.

We pull into a small station that looks like... wait... is that a SLIDE?!
It’s not just a gas station—it’s also a kids’ park! 

We zoom out of the car. Talia runs to the seesaw, I dash to the slide, and Kareem plops down in the sand, laughing and throwing it everywhere. Mama takes pictures while Baba sips coffee.

We play until the car is all charged up. My pants have sand in them, but I don’t care—it’s already turning into the best Eid ever!

After more driving and Kareem finally napping, we reach Aqaba just as the sky turns orange and pink. The Red Sea sparkles in the sunlight. It is sooo pretty!

But my tummy rumbles.
“Can we eat now?” I ask.

We find a cozy Arabian restaurant near the sea. The smell of grilled kebab and mansaf makes us all go mmmmmm . Baba orders a bunch of dishes. Kareem grabs a piece of bread and dips it into EVERYTHING.

After we eat, we walk by the water. Talia finds seashells, and Kareem tries to chase a seagull and almost falls in. Baba catches him just in time—phew!

The next morning, we wake up in our hotel. Our room has a balcony with a sea view! Mama says, “Let’s go to the pool!”

Even though it’s March and the wind is a bit cold, we all jump in.
Splash! Kareem wears his little floaties and keeps saying, “I fish! I fish!”

We swim for hours. Talia and I race across the pool (I win ). Mama wears her sunhat and watches us while sipping tea. It’s chilly, but fun!