You know when you spend weeks trying to write a post it ends up being a bit meaningless. So I am not attempting to rewrite it (on the 13th of June) and post it tomorrow!. Let’s see how that goes.
The last leg of our trip (almost) was the beach resort. The kind with pools, big beds, and actual walls. And WiFi. When I posted the below video on Snapchat, people who had been less enthusiastic about our more “adventurous” accommodations messaged me, saying, “Finally. This is where you should have taken the kids to begin with.”
The resort was beautiful, and the kids immediately spotted the massive waves at the beach and could not wait to run into them. We had a quick lunch, changed into swimsuits, and headed out. I tipped the lifeguard, even though, yes, it’s literally his job to guard lives, but I felt better having shown appreciation. To be fair, only Abdullah actually got in. The other two played chicken with the waves, running away every time they got close.
Eventually I convinced them to move to the pool, which I had dreaded. I imagined myself bored and anxious, sitting poolside while they splashed and bickered. But it was the complete opposite. I loved it. They loved it. And I realized no matter how big they get, they still yell, “Mama, look at this!”
That night, we ordered room service and watched the live-action Dora the Explorer movie. The TV kept cutting out, but we didn’t care. We laughed through it anyway. Thank you for watching.
A Little Bit of Everything
The next morning, we went straight back to the beach. I tipped the lifeguard again and pointed out my children like the crazy woman I am. There was a man selling shells, including a massive conch that made this incredibly loud sound when blown into. Bader begged me to buy it, “It’s only $100!” and I realized I could scratch off “being asked to buy something ridiculous” from our travel bingo card. He sulked the rest of the day, but the conch did not come home with us.
After lunch, We sat at the pool and there was unusual activity in Baders schools WhatsApp group asking about pickup times. Which was weird because school didn’t start for another week.. Right?
Wrong! The older boys school starts next week. Baders started today. I downloaded everything I could from his homework sheets and printed them out. Then we went back to the room for homework time. I made the two older boys sit in the other room and “pretend study” so Bader wouldn’t feel alone.
To his credit, he was great. Every time he finished a page, I snapped a photo and uploaded it. That night, as the kids showered, I found myself ironing three outfits and decided I was not doing this again. I hadn’t packed the steamer because I thought it would take up too much space. Terrible decision. Steamer over iron. Always. Also, new life rule: everyone irons their own clothes. Except Bader. Maybe.
Surf School, Storms, and a Questionable Dog
Our last full day. The boys wanted to go surfing, so we booked a late afternoon lesson and spent the day swimming, eating, and relaxing. When it was time, we jumped into tuk-tuks, two per vehicle, and drove off to a quieter beach.
It was the three of them and a little Russian boy who’d already taken lessons. And I have to say, this was the most fun I had watching them the entire trip. They were so excited, determined, and goofy. They surfed non-stop for an hour—until a storm rolled in and shut everything down.
As I was sitting on the beach watching them, a dog came and sat down at my feet. Actually, not at my foot, on my foot. And I thought: Ok… thats a confident dog. Something about the way he didn’t even look at me and just flopped down made me uneasy. I generally don’t mind dogs, but something told me not to pet this one.
Sri Lanka is full of dogs. To say they are everywhere is an understatement. We would often step over them or walk around them to get in and out of anywhere. They are everywhere and they are free to roam. It didn’t look like people owned them but rather shared the space with them. Two men passed by and said, “This is a bad dog.” I said, “I didn’t ask him to sit here.” I stared at the men and they stared at me. Apparently, he’s known for being sweet and quiet and then randomly biting. They thankfully moved him along. Thank you, gentlemen.
When we got back to the hotel Bader did more homework and since he was doing so well I let him buy a shell. Not the 100 dollar one but the 25 dollar one.
That evening, we showered and dressed for dinner. But first, homework. Bader argued with me that dolphin is spelled “dolafin.” He was very sure but agreed to write it my way every tho his way was right. Then we headed to the hotel’s Japanese restaurant, which, to my surprise, was excellent.
Galle: A Place I’ll Come Back To
We woke early again, had breakfast, and the kids jumped into the pool for a couple of hours before we left. Then we drove to Galle, and if there’s one place on this trip I wish we had more time in, it’s this one.
Galle is a historic port city on the southwest coast of Sri Lanka. Once a major trading post and colonial stronghold, it was ruled by the Portuguese, Dutch, and British—and that history shows. The result is a city with architecture that’s unlike anywhere else in Sri Lanka: European facades with tropical charm, colorful shutters, cobbled streets, and ancient fort walls by the sea.
Also, can I just say again how safe and clean Sri Lanka is? I’ve traveled to plenty of places where hotel staff warn you to hold your bag tight or not to walk alone. Not here. We walked freely. We even joined a guided tour, but I found myself wishing we could just wander. Luckily, we did later on.
We stayed at a small, funky boutique hotel, sweet and full of personality. But when we walked past another hotel that everyone said was the place to stay, I had a moment of regret. So naturally, we booked dinner there.
We sat down for lunch and Bader immediately realized he forgot to pack his shell! That was a sad one to cross off the travel bingo but cross it off I did.
On our walk, we passed by Lanka Gallery owned by a local photographer who displayed abstract images he took around the city: paint splatters, cracked walls, strange pipes, potholes. Each photo had a name inspired by what the image evoked. My boys were fascinated, especially Bader, who asked so many questions and declared it his favorite gallery “ever.”
We wanted to bring back gifts, so Bader chose two prints for his grandmothers. We also found a local brand that made beautiful skincare and body products, soaps, creams, masks, and stocked up so thoroughly it was borderline embarrassing.
I kept passing shops selling linen dresses and promised myself I’d go back without feeling guilty. So the next day, I let Abdullah take his brothers to revisit the gallery while I went on my mini shopping spree. A tiny window of freedom, and it was glorious.
That night, I made Abdullah iron his own shirt. It was hilarious and took way longer than necessary, with him trying every excuse in the book. Life lesson learned… eventually. Dinner at the hotel I didn’t stay at was incredible, by far the best food of the trip. The hotel, while beautiful, was a bit stiff, so I was glad we stayed where we did.
Little Conversations, Last Moments
That night, before bed, Bader turned to me and said:
“You went through a lot of work with us in your tummy. Baba didn’t do that. So it’s way harder to be a parent when you’re doing that.”
“I think I have the kind of ADHD that makes me sensitive.”
“You couldn’t eat candy when we were in your stomach. You had to eat things that were good for us. Wait, where do we poo in there?”
Our final morning. I let them order whatever they wanted for breakfast, and it went exactly how you’d imagine. Bader promptly spilled an enormous mug of hot chocolate on the sofa and was absolutely mortified. The staff were gracious and moved us to another table. As we walked away, he pointed at the stain and said, “It’s like the photos from the artist!”
We went for a walk, got last-minute gifts, and returned to the gallery. Abdullah took his brothers while I got my dresses.
And then it was time.
We got into the car with Fayzan for the last time and drove to the airport.
I don’t know if I can say this was worth the wait. I am satisfied I finally posted the last post! I am going to go in and trim it more but I wanted to tell you what it’s like to reflect back on it three months down the line. It was the best decision I made. The time I spent with the boys was incredible. They get to do this with their father but rarely does it happen with me. So if you’re wondering if you should, you should!
I wanted to be more profound than that but that’s all I got for you folks and I feel like thats all you really need on this subject.
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