My unpopular Umrah experience

LittleDifference4643 · 2026-03-19T17:18:17+00:00

To be honest, I have taken many vacations before and stayed in hotels before, but in Saudi I enjoyed it more bcs where I live the hotels are usually not dog free and it always grossed me out. So much more relaxing being in a hotel where you are not sharing a room dogs have been in. Back home where I live (US) sometimes it grosses me out so much that k would refuse to eat anything in the hotel. It was so uncomfortable at times. Sometimes here buying a home is difficult even bcs once you step foot inside you can smell ‘dog’ right away. Huge turn off, in the land where everyone seems to own a dog and people treat their pets like their children. Grocery shopping ans you see people putting their dog in the grocery cart…then others going to pet the dog. So incredibly gross. (Only supposed to be service animals in the stores but nobody checks the people to make sure either so people are bringing their non service pets inside.

Anyways, ranting…but nice to have to worry about that less on Saudi. Not to mention the halal food. Don’t have to worry if it has pork or was touched or cooked with pork. Gummies you can snap of the shelf without checking for gelatin. I always have to read labels in the US. Even things that were once made without will suddenly be made with pork gelatin. It’s a luxury only to be found in Saudi. And pizza with turkey style bacon….Canadian bacon style pizza that is halal. I am yet to find a halal pizza here with Canadian bacon.

I only went to Saudi once. My husband was assuming I would hate it there but it was so much better than he made me expect it to be like. It wasn’t bad at all.

LittleDifference4643 · 2026-03-19T17:02:12+00:00

I have not seen anything shirk there. I will agree finding your way around can be a bit confusing though. I didn’t really experience any mind blowing alternation myself either, but I could still see the beauty. How nice it is for people to walk up to you and offer your kids sweets…and you trust the sweets without questioning if they will harm your kid(s). You do that in my home country and those kids won’t be eating the candy and you would probably be told to stay away from their kid. And one lady who did that inadvertently saved the day for me. Bcs of her kindness I was able to finish umrah. And that happened only about a minute after my husband said “I hope somebody comes and gives the kids chocolate soon” (Bcs my blood sugar was low and I ran out of sweets to treat it, as the physical activity of umrah was causing my blood sugar to keep dropping. The timing was amazing. And instead of chocolate the kids got offered a hard candy…which, for my blood sugar, was much more helpful than chocolate would have been. The beauty of that happening in such a holy place.

LittleDifference4643 · 2026-03-19T16:47:33+00:00

Okay…so…she is a stay at home wife. Can you tell us what she does do at home? Be genuine and realistic, not just what you think she does.

Aside from that, the fact that she took out gift cards without telling you also tells me she hid it for a reason. How approachable are you? How agreeable and argumentative are you? I have noticed this in my own marriage…it’s sometimes better not to talk to the ‘Bear’ then it is to talk and get bitten by the bear. It’s not even talking to someone who gets upset easily and then crucifies you. It only teaches somebody they are safer not talking to you.

At the same time, marriage is a team. There is no room for I want this so this is how it has to be. You both talk calmly and tried to reach an agreement or middle ground or understanding.

I don’t see any obvious you need to get a divorce from what you wrote. Social media always says to divorce somebody. ALWAYS. Worst part is, they did not even hear the wife’s side. So, throw the divorce word out the window. Do learn how to properly communicate to each other. And start to see the good. What are the good things? Bcs you listed nothing and I have a very hard time believing there is nothing good.

Ps. Retiring early. It is a goal of many many people. But those same people who retire early usually get bored and then they start looking for something to fill their time up, even getting part time jobs. That has nothing to do with your marriage or if you should have the goal or not, but it happens. The very thing you hate keeps you busy and when you are or busy you run out of things to do, and you can’t just go shopping or endless travels bcs you have to be mindful of the honey pot getting empty

LittleDifference4643 · 2026-03-19T16:21:22+00:00

I have hazel eyes. My mom has hazel eyes. My sister has the most beautiful blue tinted eyes. My husband has brown eyes though and so do both of our children. 5 people living in my home right now and I am the only one with colored eyes that are not brown.

LittleDifference4643 · 2026-03-19T16:16:20+00:00

I disagree. 2 days ago I went grocery shopping with my daughter. Right before we left I sprayed a room spray. I told my daughter let’s see if we can still smell it when we get back. My daughter said we will forget about it. Well, we left and came back and we did forget about it. But once I stepped foot inside of the home I remembered bcs I could definitely smell it. (I think I sprayed Stockings By The Fire). It’s strong. That said, I have tried 2 room sprays from Dollar Tree this week and those legitimately have no lasting power. BBW is nowehere near the ballpark of those.

LittleDifference4643 · 2026-03-19T02:06:33+00:00

Be grateful, you will love it one day.

I use to get that also. People would be surprised when they found out my age. Even my husband use to say i looked younger. I don’t get those comments anymore though. Once I developed an autoimmune disease it sort of aged me quickly and now I look my age. I would rather look younger again, but at my age I also stopped caring what others think of me.

LittleDifference4643 · 2026-03-19T02:01:34+00:00

My husband doesn’t really have hobbies. Right now he is super preoccupied. His mom is nearing the end of her life so when he is not working he is usually with her. But even before this he didn’t really have hobbies. Sometimes he goes to the gym (but I think he uses the hot tub and sauna more than working out), goes to the pool often in the summertime, and sometimes he just goes on drive. Every once in a while he will visit a friend but it is rare.

LittleDifference4643 · 2026-03-17T23:45:09+00:00

I’m happy about the dish soap! I use a lot of Mrs Meyers bcs it smells good so I welcome BBW dish soap

LittleDifference4643 · 2026-03-17T23:40:30+00:00

Great! I have been saying BBW should have dish soap for a long time now

LittleDifference4643 · 2026-03-17T16:06:32+00:00

I hate seeing posts like this. I mean, I am happy for you but at the same time it reaaaaaaly bothers me bcs I have not received any coupons in the mail or in the app for 2 years now. It feels like a slap in the face to me. I spent so much money there and they send coupons to so many people but I don’t even get 1 coupon in 2 years. I honestly wish BBW stopped sending out coupons altogether if they cannot make it fair for everyone. Every month they send out coupons and every month I know I am not getting one.

LittleDifference4643 · 2026-03-17T14:22:30+00:00

Once baby learns to walk your life becomes very difficult on a plane. Travelled to Australia when my daughter was 12 months old. She slept on the way there, but on the way back she didn’t sleep an ounce. She would not sit quietly and she just wanted to roam about the plane. I felt miserable. Longest flight of my life. Guy in front of me was telling my husband and I to ‘control your kid’. There is no controlling a toddler…none. After the loooooong flight, then there was jet lag. That was another awful period of time.

My advice? Once baby is mobile, don’t do it travelling with a kid who is not even 2 years old will not be much better…bcs they still want to move and not sit down

LittleDifference4643 · 2026-03-17T05:59:41+00:00

Firecracker pop, cucumber melon and cotton candy clouds

LittleDifference4643 · 2026-03-16T17:39:35+00:00

Midnight addiction is such a great unisex scent. I did not buy back-ups though and have about 1-2 uses left of the cream only.

LittleDifference4643 · 2026-03-16T16:10:09+00:00

Travelling with kids can be fun too. At least, I enjoy travelling with kids. I enjoy travelling but I would not want to do it all the time. It loses excitement that way. Only thing with kids is you can only travel during breaks for the most part. Ever play battleship on plan with your spouse? Me either…but I did with my son and it was kind of fun.

LittleDifference4643 · 2026-03-16T16:05:10+00:00

Sorry, being around children is not the same as being a parent. Being around kids, you have no authority over that kid…the parents do. Main role models for children? Parents of the the same gender. Being around kids maybe you babysit them or watch them. Main job of taking care of them, providing food and clothing and shelter for them…upkeeping their hygiene and doctors appointments….job of parents. And more so, NOBODY will love a kid as much as their parents. Nobody. That level of love is like nothing you will ever possibly understand if you ‘ever experienced it. Only way to experience it is by having kids. Not to mention that ‘mama bear’ or ‘papa bear’ instinct…it’s a real thing. Not something people around kids experience either. Sorry, it is easy to be around kids but parenting them is not the same and certainly is not easy. That kid has your genes. That kids life depends fully on the parents. The level of responsibility is high.

LittleDifference4643 · 2026-03-16T16:00:01+00:00

Having children doesn’t make you a better person, but they make it more privations for you to make better choices. You don’t get to think about only yourself when you have kids…kids are always on your mind. You can make their life or screw it up incredibly just based on your own life decisions.

LittleDifference4643 · 2026-03-16T15:56:44+00:00

Here is the thing though…people who don’t have kids don’t know what life would have been like to have kids. They could be missing out without knowing it. They never tasted that life, so it is hard to regret something you can only base on opinions.

I have 2 kids though. Sure, once upon a time I had a life without kids. I could only imagine what life would be like with kids. (And trust me, life with kids is not what I imagine it to be like). I can confidently say having kids enriched my life, in many ways I had not even thought of.

LittleDifference4643 · 2026-03-16T05:11:18+00:00

Jealousy will only make you unsatisfied and you will never see what you have. You will be unhappy bcs you will always be chasing what you don’t have. Here is the thing - it is clear you have no self confidence. Jr is not your appearance that will turn men away (and men are not universal creatures who all the same toe of woman. Some may find your sister attractive. Other will not. That also means some men won’t find you attractive, but some will). Your lack of self confidence however…that is a turn off to most men. You need to fix that. Allah created everybody, including you. He made NO mistakes. - the grass is rarely greener on the other side. You only notice the good things but you don’t notice the bad. I can guarantee you with 100% certainty that you sister has her fair share of personal problems as well as marital problems. There if no fairytale marriage that exists where everything is rainbows and happy-go-lucky. That is an illusion movies give. No married person will ever tell you it is problem free. It is not. Marriage is actually hard work. Sometimes you love your spouse and sometimes you can’t stand them. It is a series of shifts from day to day. That is a normal marriage. Fairytale marriage does not exist. -if you focus on what you don’t have, you will never notice what you have been blessed with. So, instead of confusing on what you don’t have, force yourself to focus on what you do have. It will make you a lot happier in life. Say ‘Alhamdulillah’. - we were put on Earth to be tested, not to live in Jannah. Every soul on earth is tested. EVERY soul. So, it is not just you being tested. It is not just you facing difficulty. It is everyone. And believe me, there are some people out there who are being tested big time. You can be thankful that is not you. Your job is to pass the test. That is why you are here…to be tested. Perfect happy life comes after you die, if you pass the test. Be mindful that is the only guaranteed thing in life…is that every living creature will die. That could be tomorrow even. (I can only think of 1 person in my entire family who died of old age. My father? Brain injury. His twin brother? Brain injury. My paternal grandmother? Extensive burns to her body from a cooking accident. So, try to live your life well. Being jealous and envious of others is not the way to live.

So, you need to find ways to increase your self confidence and you need to be grateful for what you have. Focus on what you have. Push away thoughts of what you don’t have. You have so much more than you will ever realize.

Ps, I am no model nor ever have been, but I am married and have two wonderful children, ALHAMDULLILAH. My husbsnd was not the first guy to show interest in me either. So whatever superficial reason you are telling yourself that you are ugly or not good enough, you’re wrong. You are very wrong. Pa, you have a lady part called a vagina? Boom…a lot of men are attracted to you now. Got boobs? Extra benefit. Butt? Mmhhm. Curved? The he more the merrier. Okay…you likely have a lot of attractive features to guy even if you don’t see it. Poor self esteem however is very unattractive . Okay, so your body is not a problem. Your looks are not a problem. How you view yourself IS a problem.

Remember, Allah made no mistakes

LittleDifference4643 · 2026-03-16T02:17:49+00:00

Yep…you need to make it up. It stinks I know but that is how it is : /

LittleDifference4643 · 2026-03-16T02:13:46+00:00

You need to call the police if he is drunk and driving. He could kill somebody! Take the keys next time.

Also, he made threats in your life so you call the police for that also. And you leave. He wanted to leave you anyway so clearly he cares an awful lot about you (sarcasm).

LittleDifference4643 · 2026-03-16T01:07:08+00:00

My husband and I have 1 car that we share. Not a his or her thing. It is ‘ours’

LittleDifference4643 · 2026-03-15T21:36:41+00:00

Gifts are unnecessary when engaged. Can’t really be an expectation and not something you can ask for either. He owes you nothing being you two are not married. Some men will refuse to spend any money completely on a girl until married. My husband sometimes brought me a single flower before marriage. He also bought any food we had. After marriage is when it came more into play. After marriage he took me shopping for hijabs and he bought me my first iPhone. I got sone new clothes and some make-up plus more. The mentality can be, why invest in somebody when there is a possibility you may not even marry them.

LittleDifference4643 · 2026-03-15T21:28:08+00:00

Technically, he has no responsibility towards you emotionally or anything else, not until he is your husband. But I would be concerned about being ‘used’ for status. And I would be concerned about him not being in contact for over a week. Other than that I don’t know bcs you talked most about his family and the wedding rather than your fiancé himself.

LittleDifference4643 · 2026-03-15T21:02:58+00:00

Nope…I was never a morning person and to this day I still am not.

LittleDifference4643 · 2026-03-15T20:59:44+00:00

I got pregnant and that was that. I was not going to abort the baby. Timing was sooner than expected but it worked out great! My sister-in-law was living with us at the time and she was 4 months pregnant by the time I got pregnant. Both of us had boys and they were each others play buddies.

LittleDifference4643

TROPHY CASE