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Live and let live
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Wanderlust – Africa
What are your top 10 travel destinations? If I had to pick my top ten travel destinations in Africa, these would be at the top of my list—and here’s why: Kenya – Known for its world-famous wildlife, breathtaking landscapes, and the chance to witness the Great Migration and vibrant local cultures. Rwanda – Experience the…
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Gratitude
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Respect is Reciprocal
What’s a skill you consider basic, that most people don’t actually know how to do? One of the most overlooked basic skills is respect. Many people mistake kindness for weakness and think that someone patient, generous, or forgiving can be taken for granted. True respect involves valuing others regardless of what they can do for…
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Rain or Reason
Do you think everything happens for a reason? Some moments come like gentle rain; others hit like lightning. We celebrate victories, mourn losses, and often ask ourselves the same quiet question: Did this happen for a reason? I want to think about this through a simple example: rain. When rain falls, it may seem like…
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My Concrete Jungle
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Traveling with Sunsets
What’s your biggest dream? My biggest dream is simple enough to fit inside a sentence, yet vast enough to outlive me: to travel the world and watch the sun set in every climate and nation. I don’t want to collect countries like stamps, but to gather evenings. To learn how the same sun speaks different…
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Around the World in Eighty Days & Passport of Mallam Ilia
What’s a movie or book that inspired you to travel? Around the World in Eighty Days made me believe the world was one giant invitation waiting to be accepted. Phileas Fogg hilariously raced across continents with his French valet as if delayed trains and missed connections were merely suggestions. Long before that, though, I had…
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Nature & Nurture
Do you think we’re shaped more by our experiences or by who we are? My answer: yes. I’ve always been curious, which is why I keep stumbling into adventures. My life has also gone through a lot of remodeling. Growing up in Nigeria taught me resilience. Moving across continents helped me develop adaptability. Graduate school…
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Big Cats
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The Go-Giver by Burg and Mann
Which book have you read more than any other? One book I often revisit is The Go-Giver by Bob Burg and John David Mann. Its main message is simple but powerful: meaningful relationships are formed when we focus on what we can give rather than what we can get. Whether in friendships, family, or romantic…
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Cactuses and Roadrunners
Are you a lifelong learner? Strange New Mexicans: Cactuses and Roadrunners Before I left for New Mexico, I feared I would be among the only a few people there. I imagined stretches of arid desert land, barren and dying of thirst. However, there were more people than I could count, along with wildlife encounters and…
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Green Spaces
If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be? If I could live anywhere, I’d choose a city where gardens are woven into daily life—where green spaces invite slow walks, quiet reflection, and a stronger connection with nature. But in the end, my heart hopes to return to Africa, where I’d love…
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Bloom Again (America)
What’s a lesson you’ve learned recently that shifted your perspective? I thoughtonce something stopped blooming,its story was over. Then a wildflowersmiled from dry, stubborn ground,and now my certainty softened. Tell meof the orchid on my windowsill—bare stems, silent months,nothing to admireexcept the patience, water,of care unrelenting. One morning,I saw a green promise. And today, it…
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Anchored
What’s the best way to deal with negative thoughts? This poetic piece below is a response to the blog prompt above. Good night. I do not wrestle every shadow. Some thoughts arrive like uninvited birds, landing briefly before taking flight. I have learned that not every visitor deserves a home. When fear whispers, I answer…
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Part of my Bargain
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The Spider: The Things We Almost Miss
What’s a piece of media (book, movie, song) that changed how you see the world? When I took this photo, I wasn’t trying to capture anything extraordinary. I was walking home from grocery shopping when this little guy caught my attention. It was just a small spider resting on a railing on the gate outside…
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Four Languages: The Good, the Better, the Bad, and the Ugly
Which languages do you speak and how did that impact your life? When people ask me how many languages I speak, I usually say four: English, Igbo, Nigerian Pidgin, and French. Before any French speakers get offended, let me clarify: I speak English reasonably well, Igbo proudly, Nigerian Pidgin enthusiastically, and French courageously. By “courageously,”…
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A Soul’s Garden
What’s a common misconception people have about happiness? They said happiness was somewhere out there—waiting in the distance,hidden behind achievements,recognition,and the things we hoped to one day possess. But I discovered a different truth: Happiness was a seedalready planted within me. A garden of the soul,watered by gratitude,nourished by love,and growing through purpose and faith.…
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Listening: The Skill I Wish I Could Instantly Master
If you could instantly master any skill, what would it be and why? If I could instantly learn any skill, it wouldn’t be speaking another language, writing a bestseller, or mastering an instrument. While those skills are valuable, I believe the skill I would choose is the ability to listen truly—to listen deeply, compassionately, and…
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What I’m Passionate About
What are you passionate about? “Your real education starts now, with friends you’ve made and friends you get to meet, with stunning successes and miserable defeats, and with a humble acceptance that your greatness comes from the mess around you, not despite it.” Conan O’Brien. People often ask what motivates my work. Central to my…
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Unmoved
If humans had taglines, what would yours be? It doesn’t matter what others think as long as you are doing the right thing and are at peace with yourself. Talking about peace: I was nominated for the Paul Bartlett Ré Peace Prize, administered by the University of New Mexico Foundation. I’m very grateful to the…
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When Stillness Calls
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Treasured Belongings
What personal belongings do you hold most dear? This is a response to the blog prompt Some of the personal belongings I cherish most are those that carry memories rather than monetary value. Photographs, old messages, handwritten notes, and gifts from loved ones mean the most to me because they remind me of different moments…
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Between Cold and Comfort
How do you feel about cold weather? This is a response to the prompt above. I’ve visited several American states, including Nevada, Georgia, New York, and Illinois, mostly during winter or spring, and it was always cold then. In this blog, I’ll focus on these three states known for their cold weather: Vermont, Oregon, and…
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Beyond Mentorship
Share a story about someone who had a positive impact on your life. One person who had a lasting positive impact on my life was a professor who believed in my potential long before I fully recognized it myself. Beyond the classroom, they took the time to mentor me, guide my academic growth, and open…
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Belonging
What do you do to be involved in the community? This is a response to the blog prompt above. Being involved in my community means showing up where I can be helpful—through teaching, mentorship, research, and service. As a scholar and researcher, I create spaces for learning and conversation, whether in the classroom, through workshops,…
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Faith in Christ
What gives you direction in life? By the waters that still my soul, my heart will trust in You! Hillsong What guides me in life is my faith in Jesus Christ. In a world filled with uncertainty, distractions, and shifting expectations, my faith keeps me grounded and reminds me that my life has purpose. When…
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Yurt Luck: Me and the Coyotes!
Have you ever been camping? Have I ever been camping? If sleeping in a circular tent in the middle of golden hills, surrounded by suspiciously confident insects and the kind of silence that makes you hear your own thoughts too loudly, counts—then yes. My camping debut at Blue Oak Ranch Reserve was less “survival expert”…
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Across the Ocean, Toward Myself
Describe a risk you took that you do not regret. This is a response to the topic above. One risk I took that I do not regret was crossing the ocean to pursue my studies in the United States. Leaving home meant stepping away from everything familiar—language, family presence, cultural comfort, and the everyday certainty…
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From Zimbabwe, with Love and Stories
Describe a random encounter with a stranger that stuck out positively to you. One morning, on the bus to school, I was fully prepared for my usual routine: sitting quietly in a corner, checking off items on UCLA’s student newspaper Sudoku column, staring out the window occasionally, and mentally debating whether I was awake enough…
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Frankie, Angel & the Six Musketeers
What animals make the best/worst pets? When people think about the best pets, they usually imagine dogs or cats—animals that bark, wag their tails, or demand walks at inconvenient times. My pets do none of those things. Instead, I live with Frankie the goldfish, Angel the freshwater angelfish, and six hardworking snails I call the musketeers. Together,…
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Laughter
What makes you laugh? This is a response to the prompt above. Laughter, for me, often begins in the small, unexpected moments that gently break through the seriousness of everyday life. A thoughtful joke shared at just the right moment, a friend’s playful honesty, or even recalling something slightly embarrassing can suddenly lift my spirits.…
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Whimsy
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Actually
What was the best compliment you’ve received? This is a reply to the prompt above. The best compliment I ever received wasn’t about my looks, eye color, my singing, my style, or even my cooking (which, for the record, deserves its own award). No—someone, or rather multiple people, always told me this. However, one time,…
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What is the last thing you learned?
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Before America: Musing of All Places I’ve Become
I want to share a part of a short story about not giving up. The longer version will come as we go along. There is a strange quiet that comes when recognition arrives late. Before America, before UC Berkeley and UCLA.Before the awards and recognitions: Mastercard Foundation Scholarship and Alumni Fund, International House Berkeley Awards,…
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A House I Built Within, Without a Map
Describe the most ambitious DIY project you’ve ever taken on. Myself as a Project The most ambitious DIY project I’ve ever undertaken wasn’t built with wood, nails, or power tools. It was built with reflection, discipline, and uncomfortable honesty. I decided to renovate myself. There was no blueprint or inherited map that fit exactly. Instead,…
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Becoming Time
How do significant life events or the passage of time influence your perspective on life? For a long time, I believed life moved in straight lines: effort leads to achievement, achievement leads to clarity, and clarity leads to peace. I thought of time as a neutral backdrop—something that simply passed while I did the real…
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Notes on Leisure
What do you enjoy doing most in your leisure time? This is a response to the prompt above. Leisure, for me, isn’t the opposite of work; it’s where I reconnect with myself. I enjoy unclaimed time—time that doesn’t require me to produce, justify, or perform. During these moments, thinking slows and becomes less goal-focused. I…
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Yosemite and Grand Canyon National Parks
Name an attraction or town close to home that you still haven’t got around to visiting. This is a response to the prompt above. I’ve always hoped to travel to Yosemite and the Grand Canyon National Parks in California and Arizona, respectively, to experience their vast, breathtaking landscapes, towering red rock formations, and intricate canyon…
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Less is More
Where can you reduce clutter in your life? For a long time, I believed clutter was just about possessions. Extra clothes, crowded desks, piles of books I intended to read. But I’ve realized that the most draining clutter isn’t always visible. It’s the kind that quietly builds up in attention, time, and thoughts. I first…
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My UCLA Study Space
You get to build your perfect space for reading and writing. What’s it like? This is a reply to the prompt above. I adore vibrant, lively spaces that ignite the energy of the world around us and set the perfect mood for reflection and studying. I pay special attention to lighting, preferring bright white bulbs…
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Life
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A Month-Long Stay in California’s Nature Reserve
Describe one of your favorite moments. One of my favorite experiences was my month-long stay at the Blue Oak Ranch Reserve in California, where I worked on ecological projects. The beauty of the ranch was captivating, and as a nature lover, I truly cherished my time spent alone. The highlight of my stay was befriending…
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Visionary
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Superstitions
Are you superstitious? I want to give a quick response to this topic. People often believe in many things that might not be true. These beliefs can be deeply rooted in social, religious, or political contexts. I want to share some common superstitions found in Southern Nigeria. Whistling at Night Growing up, we were always…
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Lions & Leopards
Which animal would you compare yourself to and why? From a young age, I have been captivated by the majestic presence of big cats—lions, leopards, tigers, jaguars, cheetahs, and more. There’s something undeniably awe-inspiring about these powerful creatures. Among them, I am especially drawn to the regal lions, their golden manes flowing like fiery crowns,…
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Muse: Be Curious
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Quote: Self-Care
