The trip of a lifetime: Nigeria diary 1
To know that my parents grew up in Nigeria and grow up with Nigerian culture all around me, and then to experience Nigeria in all of its glory (and corruption); it was truly the trip of a lifetime.
I’ve never done an ancestry test, but I know for at least three generations back, the majority of my family is Nigerian. I saw my grandfather’s house and the land he cultivated. I met great-uncles from my great-grandfather and learned family lore I would’ve never guessed. So many Black Americans will never get to have such a personal experience or connection to their heritage because of slavery, and after 2.5 weeks in Nigeria, that fact was made all the more devastating. Being Nigerian American, and being sure in that fact, is one of the greatest blessings of my life and I’m grateful to have experienced my culture in such an intimate way. Learning about the struggles of people in Nigeria from firsthand accounts of family members, or informational anecdotes from our drivers, who doubled as history guides, is an experience I’ll never forget. While I can wholeheartedly say that the people of Nigeria deserve much more than many corrupt politicians and pastors in the country will give them, the beauty of Nigeria and Nigerian culture still shined through.
I went on this trip with my mom, my brother JT and my uncle Chibu who lives with us here in Houston. We were gone for a little over two weeks, visited five states in Nigeria, and many cities. I’ll be posting my vlog tomorrow, linked in my weekly report, which will have more day-to-day footage, so you can have visuals to associate some of these experiences. Of course, the funniest moments, most shocking or more upsetting moments weren’t filmed, but I have to keep some memories for myself, right?
Over the rest of the week, I’ll be posting five different entries talking about different aspects of the trip. I thought it would be better to split up the entries, rather than have one massive post. I hope you enjoy the content as much as I loved filming or writing it!
With love,
Faith
