In The Beningin…

Photo by Ashley Ross

“In the beninging”* - Jacob Zuma’s voice

Right around this time last year, I binge-watched Visa on Arrival, a youtube series on Accelerate TV that features different stories of Nigerians’ experiences with immigration officers and workers as they are in the process of getting a visa to leave Nigeria.

I’m not really sure if watching this series prepared me for my own visa process, but it was funny & relatable. Also, one of my faves Taymesan is in it. Although I knew #510ToDa234 has been a journey meant to happen for me for a while, There was a moment I found myself questioning it. Little Miss Corona has really made me feel like our lives have been on pause for the past 2 years.

After 2 years of not getting covid, my village people found me at the airport in January this year. Y’all,  I tested positive for covid for the first time ever. lol, the moment the test center person told me I had covid, my symptoms went from 0 to 100 real quick. Imagine. Bags packed. Mind checked out of America. Journey prayers. All the positive energy sent my way only to be going back to be stuck in my room for 2 weeks. 

Anyways, I’m looking at all the obstacles that came up at the beginning of the year like “tooooo” as this journey will be happening & even better that I will get to travel with 5 amazing Black creatives based in the Bay Area.

I’m actually super excited I get to travel to Nigeria for 6 weeks to study and learn different Igbo practices, history, and traditional dances & music. 

I hope to keep writing about my experiences while I am in Nigeria. This will be like my travel journal entries, so expect typos, etc.

Thanks for reading today’s entry.

Uzo, Ebonie, Kanukai | Photo by Ashley Ross