how did i end up here?
this was my most asked question of 2023- how did I end up traveling as much as I did?
I felt somewhat guilty telling my friends... it just happened. I hadn’t planned to have traveled most of East Africa within the first quarter of 2023... it truly just unfolded! Opportunities presented themselves, and instead of hesitating, I embraced them with a resounding YES! Why not? Fortunately, I had the means and flexibility to travel extensively (thank God for remote work).
For those new here, my journey started in Kenya, then extended to Rwanda, Uganda, Tanzania, Zanzibar, back to Kenya, then the US, Nigeria, back to the US, and finally Kenya again. And within the US, of course, I had to move around... I can't stay in the Midwest for too long, haha. I know it may seem overwhelming, but I am immensely grateful for the opportunity to have traveled this much last year!
From my traveling experiences, I've gained invaluable insights and lessons that I hold close to my heart, and I hope you will too <3
I am incredibly grateful for the chance to visit my mom’s country and see parts of myself reflected in family members who came before me.
knowing where you come from matters & helps shape your future.
Ever since deciding to carve my own path and heed advice from family, friends, and even strangers, I've been on a journey to discover my own voice, desires, and identity independent of external influences. If you're a first-generation American, you know exactly what I'm talking about. Traveling to Uganda has taught me so much!
During the 8 years Idi Amin ruled over Uganda, I learned about the resilience of my great-uncles, aunts, great-grandparents, and grandparents. Despite many of them losing their lives standing up for their beliefs and resisting the dictator's ruthless and ungodly behavior, I realized that my stubbornness and unfiltered nature started way before me.
This realization has empowered me to consider how I want to utilize these traits, knowing they serve a greater purpose beyond myself and not “tanu being tanu” as my family calls it. While I haven't fully unraveled the deeper meaning, I can go to my Maker and ask Him how he wants to use this trait, that has been within my veins longer than my existence.
i’ve got a dash of Buganda (large tribe in Uganda) in me & it was a wonderful experience to visit the Palace of Buganda. there were artifacts, gravesites & buildings as early as the 1400’s still standing!
2. always share information/ past experiences.
There's a stigma in African households that when someone messes up or doesn’t have the answers or doesn’t want to discuss something, they stay silent.
I've learned that this silence holds people back, and the truth always finds its way out, whether you're present or not. So, you might as well be the narrator of your own story. I made a lot of mistakes in 2023, some known and others unknown (we'll save those stories for another day), but I've learned the importance of owning up to them and being in control of the narrative rather than letting others fill in the blanks. In doing so, I also encourage you to embrace your messy past, learn from it, and share your experiences when the time is right :)
my last night in Uganda, my grandmother’s sister took me out to the “disco” to dance the night away before my red-eye flight back to Kenya!
3. life is a party & worth celebrating at every moment
some might call me extra- I call it living life to the fullest!
My grandaunties party every chance they get, and they are WELL into their seventies! It was my last night, and I thought I'd finish work, have dinner with family, and head to bed around 10 PM. Well, I was mistaken! By 10 PM, we were at a lounge having dinner and dancing the night away! In that moment, I realized that celebrating even the smallest victories brings immense joy and fulfillment. It helped me recognize that celebrating is just a part of who I am, and I need not apologize or suppress it by not celebrating.
I hope you enjoyed hearing a few lessons from my trip to Uganda and that you can find time to talk to, or even better, visit, the elders of your family. Ask them the tough questions, ask them the questions you've been asking yourself; you might be surprised to find that the answers you've been seeking lie within them.
1- one of the first Anglican churches in Kampala, 2. we went to the market to buy some fresh groundnut & lentils, 3. at the Ugandan National Museum where these drums are used for sacrifice & religious reasons (for men only tho lol)
-xoxo
Mutanu
