Embracing the Unknown

 Après deux ans d'absence, je me suis retrouvée dans les rues familières de Lille pour commencer un nouveau travail. La ville a toujours eu une place particulière dans mon cœur et la perspective de redécouvrir ses charmes me remplit d'un mélange de nostalgie et d'excitation. Lille ma ville. (Lille ma ville) En descendant du train à la gare de Lille Flandres, une vague de familiarité m'a envahie. L'odeur des pâtisseries fraîchement sorties du four flottait dans l'air à la gare Lille Flandres, et le bruit des conversations animées emplissait les rues animées. J'avais l'impression de rentrer chez moi. En m'installant dans mon nouvel appartement, je n'ai pas pu m'empêcher de penser à tout ce qui avait changé depuis la dernière fois que j'ai habité à Lille. La ville a évolué, avec de nouveaux magasins, restaurants et espaces culturels qui ornent son paysage animé. Pourtant, au fond, Lille est restée la même ville accueillante et dynamique que ...

 Pendant mon séjour en France, j'ai appris à nager. J'avais déménagé brièvement dans le sud de la France, à Nice plus précisément.  Les eaux azurées de la Méditerranée m'attiraient tous les jours et je ne pouvais pas résister à l'attrait des vagues scintillantes. Mais il y avait un petit problème : je ne savais pas du tout nager. Je m'étais toujours contentée de faire des châteaux de sable, mais là, j'ai ressenti un profond désir de rejoindre mes amis lorsqu'ils s'éclaboussaient dans la mer. Je me suis inscrite dans une piscine proche de l'endroit où je logeais. L'excitation mêlée à la nervosité, je me suis approché du rivage. La mer s'étendait devant moi, une vaste étendue de mystère et d'aventure. Sans personne pour me tenir la main, j'ai marché d'un pas ferme dans l'océan, en restant prudemment dans la partie où mes jambes pouvaient sentir le fond de l'océan. Au fur et à mesure que je prenais de l'assurance, j'a...

A hobby I have learnt during my stay in France is learning how to swim. I had moved briefly to the South of France, Nice to be precise.  The azure waters of the Mediterranean Sea beckoned me every day, and I couldn't resist the allure of the glistening waves. But there was a small problem: I had no clue how to swim. I had always been content with building sandcastles, but now, I felt a deep longing to join my friends as they splashed in the sea. I registered at a swimming pool close to where I stayed. Excitement mixed with nervousness I approached the shoreline. The sea stretched out before me, a vast expanse of mystery and adventure. With no one to hold my hand I walked steadily into the ocean, staying cautiously at the section where my legs could feel the ocean floor. As I grew in confidence, I started to venture farther away.I hesitated, clutching my floaties tightly. My heart raced as I watched other people, both adults and children, swim and play fearlessly. I was determined t...

  The next morning was crisp, anticipation hummed in the air, my mum would be dropping me off at the airport, and we would be accompanied by my sister, her daughter and my aunt. The sun was just beginning to paint the sky with delicate shades of pink and orange and our immediate mission was to beat the traffic on the road and get to the airport on time.  We arrived in record time, and I came down immediately from the car as I felt I was running late, I didn’t have time to even say goodbye to the folks who escorted me to the airport, I didn’t get a chance to hug them goodbye, little did I know that was going to be the last time I would see my mum.  As I stood in line at the Nigerian immigration checkpoint, I clutched her passport and boarding pass tightly, my eyes scanning the vibrant surroundings of the airport. The murmur of travellers filled the air as I waited my turn. Passing through Nigerian immigration wasn't just a routine; it was a reminder of where I came from an...

In our new age world, brimming with opportunities and adventures. I slowly, but eventually came to the conclusion that my life was like a square. I was in a way, living by the rules made by the society I found myself in.  In Nigeria, just like in most societies to a certain degree, the daily life of a white collar, blue collar, pink collar or any colour collar jobs to be honest, revolved around mostly a predictable daily life routine.  As the sun cast long shadows on the pavement as I walked out of the office building for the last time, walking the street of Adeola Odeku, one of the famous streets in Victoria Island or like we fondly call it V.I, a city once habited by the British during the colonial era in Nigeria.  I barely had any belongings from the office, so no card boxes were necessary to pack my things. Except for my headphones, which for some reason seemed to match the heaviness in my heart.  I had just lost my job, and with it, a sense of stability and purp...