Diary of a convert: 'I will cherish my first Ramadan for life'

Dubai - I am very proud of myself to have been able to have the opportunity to be part of Islam and to now having my first Ramadan experience almost under my belt.

Even as the holy month is drawing to a close with just a few days for Eid, I won't forget the first few days before the month started and how I felt on the first day of fasting. 
I remember having started an eye infection just two days prior to the first day of Ramadan (due to the sandstorms in Dubai this is usually the worst period of the year for my eyes). But miraculous as it may sound, somehow on the night of the second day of the holy month my eye infection completely disappeared. That was my first 'wow' moment when I comprehended how amazing fasting can be for the body.
So coming from a fine-dining restaurant background (as I was a junior hostess at a prestigious Michelin restaurant here in Dubai) and being someone who is very fond of having smoothies and juices, I remember the first day of Ramadan was quite a struggle. Especially going from normal all day every day eating habits to completely having to refrain from liquid and food for the whole day. But after the first day, things gradually became better even though the last hour of fasting feels like the equivalent of an additional six hours.
Apart from the centimetres that I have lost in weight which is amazing, I am very proud of myself to have been able to have the opportunity to be part of Islam and to now having my first Ramadan experience almost under my belt. One thing about the fasting experience that I still find strange and I will definitely do some research on it, is that I have a cough in my chest every morning that I wake up. I guess it has to do with my body trying to clean some of my internal filters in my chest and lungs. 
If someone asks me about the best thing about Ramadan 2018 then the number one reason, of course, would be my marriage in this holy month. I am glad I have my partner now to share all my complaints with when I crave water during the day or when I want to cry the last hour of the day because I know we are so close to opening the fast. Secondly, having gone to so many beautiful mosques during the day and on the weekends, especially having gone to the Grand Zayed Mosque this past Friday in Abu Dhabi for the Juma prayer, was really amazing. 
The hardest thing I can say would be craving water and sometimes in the mornings a feeling like 'I don't have energy', but all in all it is definitely an amazing experience which I will cherish forever, Subhanallah! 
Alhamdulillah, I can confidently say that I had no issues or hardship while fasting for the first time and hopefully will successfully complete my first Ramadan this last week comfortably as I consider myself a pro by now. I most definitely look forward to implementing more fasting during the rest of the year in preparation for next year's Ramadan.
saman@khaleejtimes.com 
(Laaiqah Carreno is a 30-year-old South African national who came to the UAE in 2011. She and her husband Luis Carreno embraced Islam in January 2018 at the Islamic Information Centre, Satwa)

• UAE
• Ramadan 2021
• Dubai