Dear Reader,

I write with my head in the clouds aboard a Chicago-bound American Airways vessel. My head, and the rest of me, try unsuccessfully to find a seating position that stems the riot every muscle guarding my vertebrae promises if I don’t find a comfortable seating position soon. As the plane plays hide and seek with the sun, shifting behind cotton candy clouds as though trying to avoid melting, my runny nose and trumpet blowing announce to the entire cabin that I am freezing. Still, I manage to extract my hands from beneath a mountain of blankets to reduce my jumbled thoughts to paper for your pleasure- don’t you ever say mama ain’t do nothing nice for y’all! Btw is it me or is autocorrect at its most annoying when you are trying to write a contemplative note? My phone’s like, “Trust me I know you, you meant ‘Ann Ounce’ NOT ‘announce’. You’re welcome!” Then proceeds to correct my correction three (3) separate times.

We all have much to learn from autocorrect’s drive and ambition.

The last few days have been really good fun celebrating the weddings of some of my favourite people, Saturday saw me sprinting between two weddings in London trying to show support to some good friends who have been instrumental in crafting large chunks of my character today. The two grooms are Executive Members of a little known non-existent organisation called the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, I will especially say of Tolu that he is absolutely a man after God’s heart, a rare thing in our world today. Both brides were stunning, in fact I really recommend that one of the brides in particular, Ify, just take on this bride thing as a full-time career. Other brides should just pay her to stand in their stead at the altar and for the wedding photographs, she is absolutely stunning in wedding attire! I figure God doesn’t pour this sort of beauty for you to sit at a 9-5 all day, just saying.

This August is really a time of celebration, (#LOOKATGOD!!) as I’m headed to Chicago for bridesmaid duty returning in time for my last bridesmaid stint this August, in London. It’s a time of great fun reuniting with good friends, making new ones and perhaps closing the chapter on some expired relationships. Holidays for me are always a good time for contemplation as all I seem to have on my hands, is time.

In spite of never having been to Chicago and looking forward to a short detour to NY afterwards, I find that returning to London is perhaps one of the most exciting bits of my journey. I met up with an old friend from Berkeley yesterday, Gilles, one of my best friends from the LL.M. Gilles’ friendship embodies what I think friendships really are. The last time we visited it was 2009 and my move back to Nigeria wasn’t in the works just yet. Yesterday it felt as though we were just walking to Boalt from our apartments at Manville. Our friendship has a lot of character, for one thing I’m conservative Christian and my friend is I guess a conservative atheist. Yet in many ways, we see life through the same lenses and our time together is always entertaining and very rich with laughter and insightful conversation. Yesterday we decided that we are quite lucky to have done decently for ourselves…and here’s where we differ, I finish the sentence with a, “Thank God!”‘and Gilles with a, “We’re lucky!”

And we are (also) lucky, I agreed. We discussed how odd it is to find people get older and still engage in small-minded things to be more acceptable to others, people still indulge themselves in imaginary competitions on social media, still fail to see that there is so much more to life than their small space, their new deals, new drapes, new darlings.

I love holidaying (“No sh*t Sherlock!” as my friend Eki would say), because I get to relax, enjoy enriching discussions..and contemplate. It’s dangerous to continue to simply flow in the endless ebb of life’s stream edging you quietly along. From time to time, we should aim for the banks, sit and think. “Relechir un peau!” Think a little! as my French teacher would say. It helps a lot.

In the little time I’ve had to think, I see some real gaps in my character, for instance I find that I am more irritable than usual, given to frustration and measured outbursts when things don’t go my way…particularly around my sisters. And I realise this is a bad habit I indulge in only because I know they in turn will indulge me. I plan to spend Chicago days loosening tightly knotted appendages that I suspect Nigerian stress has bolted on so tightly, the sort of unconscious stress that irritates my insides and boils over frustrating me outside. So that I can return to my favourite girls in London calmer and more appreciative of the many little ways my sisters look out for me. Please, God.

Speaking of God, the other day something happened that made me smile at God and so I’ll just wrap up this Mixed-Thought pepper soup with that little piece of mind. God actually always answers prayers….the problem is that sometimes the answer is a “No”. For the first time in a while, God gave me a “No, Nkem” …and because this time He was kind enough to show me, not just tell me why, I could simply (although not easily) respond with a “That’s ok.” I hope that’s encouraging to you because it encouraged me, sometimes God throws you on the floor…to help you dodge a bullet.

Reflechir un peau!

Let me return to rearranging my posture on this flight in the elusive search for comfort. Btw, who knew American Airlines doesn’t have individual television sets onboard?! I feel like I’m on ABC Transport right now headed to Enugu, with this approximately three TVs per cabin situation.

Oh and I have only two desires for my New York trip coming up 1) See a basketball game. 2) I’m not leaving NYC without featuring on the Humans of New York Instagram!!! Sorry US immigration office! (I kid, I kid Uncle Sam!). Anyone that can make either one of these happen please do NOT be shy. Lol!

W.xx

Sent from my iPhone

P.S: Some snaps for ya:

Ify (+ dad)….now do you agree this bridal thing should just be her full time job?!?!? ↓↓↓

Hey Shoreditch, Hey! ↓↓↓

Ify’s nymphs ↓↓↓

My face when I realise the London Sun IS a filter!!!! ↓↓↓

4. Cheers to CHI-TOWN weddings…and this very hot couple #Mrs.K! 🙂 ↓↓↓