Just like that, a year came and went.
An idea evolved into a journey of storytelling, cultivating, and curating. A year spent navigating the winding roads of a terribly exciting and unfamiliar new world. No map in hand, no local guide, and no real destination. Who knew it would all pass so quickly?
An adventure filled with passion, sacrifice, and relentless hard work; three hundred and sixty five days have never felt so fulfilling.
This one is not the story of a girl who has lived a glamorous, picture perfect life. I hope you won't be misled by the rose colored glasses that can sometimes develop when viewing another's life through the skewed lens of the Internet. This is instead the testimony of a once insecure girl that has since shed those old skins and grown into her own.
Filled with an overwhelming sense of gratitude, there was much to celebrate. Keen on keeping it intimate, I gathered a few close friends and family for a garden supper to commemorate the one-year mark and publishing ninety stories (!!!) to date.
To celebrate, I knew I wanted to create an effervescent vibe for all those in attendance and infuse components of some of my favorite things like Cameroonian food, great wines, and a ridiculous amount of cheese. An evening filled with love, laughter, and libations so to speak. And while I carefully planned and curated each detail from the rose gold flatware to the dark oak furniture by myself, I had a lot of assistance from my friends and family who all went above and beyond to help bring my vision to life - namely my Mom who flew in from Cameroon (with my favorite wines in tow), cooked most of the food the night prior, and still managed to look fabulous while suffering through some major jet lag.
Her goddess level is clearly on a hundred thousand trillion, to which I greatly aspire.
I’m not sure what exactly I expected to happen after I launched this space last year, but I have been moved by the overwhelmingly positive response since. It has been a joy to meet and connect with some of the most inspiring individuals I have ever had the good fortune to interact with this past year. What a magical feeling it’s been to be in the company of so many dynamic storytellers that also strive to inspire, inform, and enrich the lives of others by sharing their own unique experiences. It's not something I'll ever get used to.
This space has gifted me many things: confidence, purpose, and a renewed sense of direction being the top three. So a million thank you's and cyber hugs to each and every one of you for being on this journey with me. I'm not sure what is next, but I am filled with a feverish excitement for all that's to come.
Here's to many more years of travel, stories, and inspiration together.
At the risk of giving my version of an extended Oscar speech only to get rudely interrupted by loud music, I’d like to give a few extra special thanks to Nicepackage.co, Leena & Rashaun, George & Alexa, and my beloved family. I couldn't have pulled this off without you, thank you.
Creative & Art Direction by Lee Litumbe
Photography by House of Evbuomwan
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