Yesterday, my son and I took a simple Brooklyn and mommy day trip around the city. It reminded me of the many little excursions we used to take, especially the ones from two years ago when we went to the Philippines together. Out of all our fun trips, nothing would beat the craziness level of our New York adventure when his dad had to meet his brother and it was just the two of us wandering the city. He brought up how that day ended early because I suddenly had a stomach bug and we had to hurry back to our hotel in Queens. It was chaotic, funny in hindsight and definitely unforgettable.

Now he is almost a teenager and already taller than me, but in many ways he is still very much my baby. He accompanied me to my clinic appointment then we headed to the mall. It also ended up being his first metro ride in Riyadh. We started from the red train – STC Station and stopped at the Riyadh Convention Center station. It felt like a small milestone for both of us because I am used only to the blue line and this time we had to brave the red line together. Somehow, figuring it out with him made it feel less intimidating. Believe me, Riyadh stations can be pretty daunting especially for someone like me who only knew being a passenger in a car.

After the hospital visit, we went to Alhamra Mall for brunch and a bit of shopping. Later, we took the red train from Alhamra Station to Albilad Station near the Narcissus Hotel. From there, we booked an Uber to our next stop, Panorama Mall. We targeted going there because of the Virgin Store and Jarir Bookstore, but we found out that Virgin had already closed. The space is being prepared for a Steakhouse instead. At least Jarir was still open and Brooklyn enjoyed choosing something for himself.

It was not a big trip with fancy plans, but it felt nice to spend time with him in a way that reminds me of our old adventures. Moments like these make me appreciate that even as he grows up, he still chooses to spend his day with me.

My son has long straight hair, so I tried using AI to cartoonify him and it ended up generating a cartoon version of me instead. This photo was taken in front of El Faleh, one of the oldest sports stores in Riyadh (Olaya St.), right across Narcissus Hotel. You can also see the Faisaliah Tower in the background.