Every morning, Jeff goes to a local coffee shop down the street from the townhome him and his wife shared, and buy her a cup of her favorite coffee before she wakes up. It’s something he had done for the five years they’ve been married. Jeff loved buying his wife, Flora, her favorite coffee order. It was sweet, yet simple; just like her.

As Jeff walked into the cafe, the barista smiled at him and greeted him warmly. “What can I get started for you?” she asks Jeff.

Jeff smiles, “a medium vanilla latte with oatmilk, please”.

The cafe was filled with all kinds of people, from businessmen in a hurry to get a simple black coffee, to teenagers on their phones waiting for a frappe or whatever else teens were into getting these days. Then, there was Jeff, who would only buy a vanilla latte for his wife.

Once Jeff’s order was ready, he hurried over to the counter to grab the latte. He left the cafe and began his walk back home. As he was walking, he stumbled across a flower stand, which had a bouquet of fresh roses. Jeff buys a bouquet to give to his wife. Nothing was better than for Flora to wake up to a hot cup of her favorite coffee, and a beautiful bouquet of roses. Jeff would usually bring her her favorite coffee, but today, he wanted to spice things up and make the morning ritual even more romantic.

As Jeff returned home, he gently placed the warm latte and the bouquet of roses on the countertop and wrote a lovely message for Flora.

“To my lovely Flora,

I hope your day will be as beautiful as you. I love you to the moon and back. Enjoy your day!”

Yours truly,

Jeff”

We are already in the month of July! Can you believe it? Time sure does fly! I wanted to do something different with my content and share what I’ve personally done in the month of June, as well as share what I want to do in the month of July!

Welcome to my June Recap!

In the month of June, I have:

• focused on my physical health

• Launched a new business

My physical health

Since the beginning of June, I’ve been really into going on hour long walks and keeping track of how many steps I take a day. I won’t go into too much detail on that as I have written an article entirely on my daily walks. What I can say is that ever since I’ve prioritized my physical health, I’ve noticed a positive difference within myself which is nice. I have taken a bit of a break from going on daily walks due to the hot and humid weather in Minnesota, but I hope to get back on track pretty soon!

Launched a new business

In the month of June, I have also launched a new business called The Reset Studio . A business specializing in digital products that help people set goals, reflect, and make changes in their life. I’ve made digital products in the past and I’ve gotten a ton of requests to make more copies of the products I’ve made and whatnot. So now, I decided to make a business out of it. I hope I thrive in my digital product business and that it becomes successful. My motto is reset, reflect, grow.

Since the beginning of June, I’ve been walking about 7,000 steps or more a day. Ever since then, I’ve noticed a big change within myself. My mood has improved, as well as my sleep schedule and energy levels. Walking an hour or more each day has created a habit. I cannot go a day without walking (unless the weather is bad: raining, heatwave, etc). It’s important to get some exercise in the day, and it doesn’t have to be a major workout. You can walk. Walking can do a world of good, and I’ve been enjoying it to the fullest.

If I’m feeling really motivated, the maximum steps I’ll take is 11,000+ steps. However, 7,000 steps is fine. Don’t push yourself if you can’t take 11,000 steps. Walking should be enjoyable, not exhausting. To keep track of your steps, use an app that specializes in tracking how many steps you take. Or, you can keep track using the health app on your phone (if you are an iPhone user. Pretty sure there’s one for android users.), or use an Apple Watch to track your steps. I need to invest in one!

Ever since I started walking 7,000+ steps a day, I have seen many positive changes in myself. I’m a lot happier and less stressed. My mood has drastically improved. Before going to work, I’ll spend an hour walking, and when I come into work, I am ready to take on the day. As a writer, I’ve been getting so many ideas flowing through my head during my long walks. In my previous articles, I’ve mentioned my struggles with writer’s block and feeling too burnt out to write. Now, I don’t feel so burnt out anymore thanks to my daily walks.

My Walking Routine

My routine is pretty simple. I will walk between 12:00 and 1:00 pm, depending on what I have going on in the day. If I am really busy, I’ll postpone my walks to the evening. I’ll walk for about an hour or even an hour and a half. If I’m feeling really up for it, then I’ll walk for two hours.

You don’t have to walk for more than two hours if you don’t want to; an hour a day is enough.

Take advantage of this summer. Enjoy walking outside while the weather is nice. We are approaching a heatwave here in Minnesota, so I will be taking my daily walks in the early morning or at sunset, as it won’t be as hot and sticky then.

If you like going on walks, where do you like to go when you’re on your daily walks? Feel free to share in the comments.

Writers have many dreams, and if you ask a writer what their dreams are, the answers will vary. One might dream of publishing thier very first novel, or writing a script for a movie, or even writing a play! For writers, the possibilities and dreams are endless. Since I am a writer, I can share some of the dreams I have that I hope to achieve someday.

• To have one of my novels traditionally published

• To be a paid writer full-time, either as a published author, a paid Substack writer, or a journalist. Whatever, as long as it’s a full-time paid writing job.

Those two are my main dreams as a writer currently.

If you are a writer reading this right now, comment below what your dreams are. I hope your dreams turn into a reality.

I know what you are thinking, “Layla, isn’t writer’s block and writer’s burnout the same?” Guess what? It isn’t. Writer’s block is where you simply have no idea what to write about. Or you know what you want to write, but the words aren’t coming out the way you want them to, or nothing comes out at all. Then, you’re staring blankly at your laptop, figuring out how to put those ideas into a page. However, with writer’s burnout, it’s like writer’s block except that you have a feeling of exhaustion, and you may feel stressed. Lately, for who knows how long, I had been experiencing writer’s burnout. It has been so bad that I would push off writing altogether. It is not like me not to write consistently, but here we are. I’ll write one sentence, or even a paragraph, and then here comes the mental exhaustion.

I cannot recall when was the last time I sat down and wrote something. Whether that was an article, a chapter, or anything. All I can say is that it has been quite a while, and all for good reasons. I personally wanted to take a break from writing as it was getting to a point where not only was I losing focus, but I was feeling mentally exhausted. Taking a break was what I thought was best for me.

The only advice I can give is if you are someone experiencing writer’s burnout, take a break. Don’t force yourself to write if you feel stressed or mentally exhausted. Trust me, your mind will feel refreshed when you take a break.

Whenever I tell others my name, I’ve almost always had gotten either a compliment on how pretty my name is, or they’ll either mention the famous song by Eric Clapton or the famous Middle Eastern love story Layla and Majnun. If you don’t know the song Layla or the famous love story, I’d suggest you do some research.

The name Layla means night in Arabic. Now it doesn’t exactly have to mean the literal night sky. It’s often interpreted as a deep, poetic night that’s filled with longing, beauty, and mystery. The name carries an intense weight that’s full of emotions and wonder.

From personal experience, I’ve often been told I’m mysterious or pretty and that my name suits me. As for love, I won’t really go into details. However, I can say that I’ve experienced real life Majnun situations but they were not like the ones in the story. It’s mostly from weirdos who can’t take no for an answer and then proceed to have an unhealthy obsession over me. They’re blocked now so it’s all good in the neighborhood!

Has my name influenced the way I am? I’ll say that it kinda did. I’ve never really liked my name growing up due to the amount of attention I would receive from it. I’ve had teachers sing the song by Eric Clapton which drove me nuts, then I discovered that there were a lot of songs where the name Layla was mentioned which drove me even crazier as again, it drew attention to me. I also consider myself to be romantic but since I can be so introverted, I don’t express those feelings in a way that others do. I often keep them to myself, leaving others to find me to be a mystery and become curious.

When you hear the name Layla, what is the first thing that comes to mind? Please share your thoughts in the comments.

Long before the Latin script became Somalia’s official writing system, Somali scholars relied on a unique writing system that was Arabic-based, called Al Wadaad. Introduced in the 10th century by Yusuf bin Ahmed al-Kawneyn (we will learn more about who he was in a later article), the script was used to transcribe poetry, religious texts, and local knowledge. Al-Kawneyn’s purpose in coming up with the writing system was to advance the teaching of the Quran to his students. He came up with a Somali list of names and terms for the Arabic vowels, which would help students learn to read and write Arabic.

The script was used well into the 1930’s. We know this because there is proof of a letter written around that time. It was a letter from a woman to her husband telling him what had been going on in his absence. This shows that anyone who was educated likely learned how to write in the Al Wadaad script.

Above is the letter. Translation in both Latinized Somali and English will be listed below. Disclaimer: I did not translate this myself. Credits go to the Reddit user Garaad252 in the subreddit Learn Somali. Thanks, Garaad252! You are a real one!

Transliteration/Translation of the letter:

“Burco Ilaa Berbera. 15 Sidataal 1351.”

From Burco to Berbera. Dated 15th of Sidataal 1351. NOTE: Sidataal is the Somali lunar month equivalent to Hijri lunar month of Dhul Qa‘dah. This would be on Saturday, the 11th of March 1933. NOTE: This was a challenging year and generally a troubling decade for the people of Berbera, Burco, and Hargeisa due to a devastating pandemic in the previous decade and the resurfaced smallpox epidemic. A refugee camp was established 25 miles south of Berbera for the afflicted fleeing from Ethiopia.

“Ninkaygii wanaagsanaa Eebbahay Cimrigiisa ha raajo -Aammiin.”

My faithful husband, May God prolong your lifespan—Amin.” NOTE: One could be forgiven to assume that this letter was dictated, which coule be very well the case. However the intimacy of the language suggests a private affair normally rare for public scrutiny, specially if one is from Burco!

“Intaa waxaa ii raaca, dhulkii xumaa, xoolihii gudhe. Inantii xoolaha raacaysay ka baxsatay.”

Having said that, the calamitous land ravaged the livestock, and the young girl sheparding the livestock disappeared. NOTE: The diseases mentioned above and draught might have reduced this family livestock almost to nothing. Is this young girl a daughter, family member, or someone else whose job it was to be a cartaker for the livestock?

“Ninkii aad nagu ballamisay waxba naguma taro. Haatan, xayntii yarayd wax noo waraabsha iyo wax noo ooda midna ma hayno.”

The man whom you’ve entrusted to us has not been of any help. As such, the small lifestock have no one to water them nor to herd them in. NOTE: In some cases pastoral Somalis would leave a male family member in charge when a husband left for long arduous trip. In this case it might have been another man who was instructed to assist the family. It is also noteworthy that since the young girl disappeared, no one was left to do these animal husbandry chores, traditionally a womans role.

“Inaad intaa naga maqnaato kugu maanu wadin. Haatan, afar bilood iyo habeenno ayaad maqnayd. Waxaase la yidhi: waxa jooga ninkaan garanin waxaa soo socda ma garto. Ninyow, haddaad dadkaagii iyo xoolahaagii dan u leedahayyay kaa lumine soo gaadh.”

We did not plan for such long absence. You’re now gone for four months and some nights. As the saying go’s: “The one unawares todays plight can not foresee tomorrow’s calamity.” If you value your family and livestock, then you better make haste, lest you lose both. NOTE: Though the husband has been missed (as it is heavily implied here), nonetheless the trip was fairly standard. The exception here might be the scarcity for resources due to the diseases and political instability of that decade.

The last line, sounds like an ultimatum but somehow can be deciphered as tender reminder to, well......hurry the heck up!!!

“Sidaa iyo nabad. Ooridaadii Habban Wacays Makaahiiley.”

Best wishes, your other half.” NOTE: A standard closure to letters.

If you notice in the letter, some letters were used that do not exist in Arabic, for example, the letter ڎ. The letter ڎ (dhaa) is used in Somali as dh. Examples such as words like dhammaan, which means whole or all.

Why hasn’t the script ever survived to 2026? Well, it’s because of one main reason: raising the literacy rate. During Siaad Barre’s rule, he changed the Somali writing script to Latin in order to raise the literacy rate. Prior to this, the Somali language was simply spoken and not written. He wanted more people to become educated, and the best solution was to make the writing script Latin.

What do you think? Do you think the Al Wadaad script should have stayed? Or do you think the Latinized script was a better option? If you are Somali, feel free to share your thoughts on this. I will be doing more former Somali writing scripts soon.

A classic novel adored by many, The Bell Jar captures themes that were considered to be controversial at the time.

The Bell Jar is about a young lady named Esther Greenwood. An intelligent woman who has a thirst for knowledge. Despite being an English major, she continues to take classes, primarily chemistry as she simply loves learning and has no intentions of ever stopping. Esther is also a poet and works at a magazine in NYC called Ladies’ Day. Esther is a non-conformist who rebels against getting married and having children. Given that the story takes place in the 1950’s, it’s very out of the norm for someone to not want to settle down and have a family. She does not find joy or excitement in her job, or what the big city has to offer. Throughout the novel, Esther becomes more and more disinterested in life and eventually sinks into depression.

Reading about Esther’s treatment was a lot for me to take. There were a lot of ways one would get treated for depression back in the day such as shock treatments that I personally don’t think is used today. It was quite a hard read for me and I’ll be honest, it’s made me feel quite depressed myself. However, there were a lot of things in the novel that resonated with me, primarily Esther’s love for writing. I am a writer myself and have always had this deep passion for writing. I’ve also learned what shorthand was and after I finished reading the novel, I read up on shorthand online and it’s basically a high-speed, symbolic writing method which uses simplified strokes, curves, or abbreviations to record speech at 200+ words per minute. In the novel, Mrs. Greenwood does shorthand for a living and encourages Esther to do the same as it helped her put food on the table and provide a life for Esther as Esther’s father is dead.

Overall, I really liked reading The Bell Jar as I deeply resonated with Esther. It was a hard read towards the end of the novel reading about Esther’s time at the mental hospital, her friend’s suicide, as well as the treatments Esther had been receiving to treat her depression. Honestly? It makes you feel deeply and that can either be a good or bad thing.

Will be doing more book reviews soon! Have you read The Bell Jar? If so, please share your thoughts in the comments!

Read more

On my last full day in Canada, we were invited to a relatives house for lunch. The invitation was last minute but we gladly accepted. One thing Somalis will do when they know you’re in their city, they will make sure you are truly welcomed in the best way they know how: by hosting you in their home, making an amazing lunch. It’s what my family had always done whenever someone we were related to visited Minnesota. In the Somali culture, we are to treat guests honorably, whether that means giving up your room so they have a place to sleep, cooking the best meals, or even taking them out to nice places and showing them around your city. It’s basically illegal to be a terrible host. You need to go all out for your guests to the best of your ability.

We are taught to be hospitable at a young age. When I was a kid, my parents had often told me that we had to treat guests with respect. Here’s an example: we had a relative come over one day and that meant I had to give up my room and sleep somewhere else. At first, I was not happy to give up my room until my parents had to remind me that we had to treat guests with respect. Keep in mind, we didn’t have a guest bedroom. So giving up my room was the only option. Now, I give up my room with no problem if someone comes over and spends the night.

What does hospitality mean to you? Does it mean being given a nice room with a fresh pair of pajamas laid out on the bed? Does it mean having a nice elaborate meal made for you? As long as you are being welcomed AND you feel welcomed, no matter what the people do for you, then that’s hospitality.

Putting words to paper or digitally sounds easy, right? Most of the time, it can be. It can be easy to write whatever is on your mind and make it into a book, an article, a journal entry, etc. Some days, it isn’t easy. Then, those ‘some days’ turn into most days for some people, including myself. Writing is work. Hard work. There’s times where I’ll stare at my computer blankly, not knowing what to write. Even when I’ll know what to write, I have brainstormed the topic I want to write about and spent hours doing research on my topic, I still could not put the words into an article. I simply couldn’t. I’ll have a case of writers block, sure. Lately, it’s been terrible.

You can have ideas on what you want to write about. Some days, you might have an easy time writing and the words come out like water. There can be days where you’d be on your absolute A game in your writing. Then, there can be days where you don’t feel motivated to write at all, or you feel like your writing isn’t good enough. That’s okay. Writing is NOT expected to be easy at all. It’s work. Sometimes it doesn’t feel like work, but no matter how easy or how difficult it can be, it’s still work. As writers, we should pat ourselves on the back. Seriously. Despite how writing isn’t always easy, we still somehow manage to write, even when we don’t feel like writing.

Although writing isn’t easy all the time, it shouldn’t burn you out or make you feel like you can’t write anymore. Take a break if you need to. Your ideas and motivation to write will come back eventually.

Israel’s Purpose in Recognizing Somaliland

There is a reason why Israel decided to recognize Somaliland, and that is for two reasons and two reasons only: to forcibly move the Palestinians out of Gaza and move them to Somaliland, and to get access to the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, as well as Yemen. With the Houthis occupying the area, it’s no surprise that Israel recognized Somaliland; it isn’t without a purpose. There is a purpose as well as a motive.

Many countries and blocs have rejected Israel’s recognition

Over 20 countries across Africa and the Middle East have rejected Israel’s recognition of Somaliland, stating that they recognize Somalia as a whole. With that many countries rejecting the recognition, it is unlikely they will ever recognize Somaliland, even if Israel didn’t. Furthermore, the African Union, as well as the East African Community (EAC), has rejected Israel’s recognition of Somaliland.

Online Backlash from Somalis Online, Followed by Protests

Soon after Israel recognized Somaliland as a country, many took to the streets of Hargeisa to celebrate, which was quickly met with shock and anger from many Somalis online. Many had also expressed disappointment, stating that they were not expecting the locals to celebrate. It was not the recognition of Somaliland that was the problem, but a matter of who recognized it. Later, many people took to the streets to protest. In Boroma, the capital of the Awdal region in Somalia, the people protested against Israel’s recognition of Somaliland and expressed their support towards Palestine, many waving the flag of Palestine. Protests also took place in Mogadishu.

What Somaliland can learn from Bangladesh in searching for recognition

In 1971, Bangladesh became independent. They have asked many countries to recognize them. Then in 1972, Israel said it would recognize Bangladesh as a country, to which Bangladesh refused, showing its support for the Palestinians. On top of that, they have NOT recognized Israel as a country, refusing to accept their offer to recognize them. Bangladesh prioritized its Muslim allies in Palestine, refusing to accept an offer from a country that has been oppressing them since 1948. To this day, Bangladesh does not recognize Israel and has banned anyone with an Israeli passport from visiting the country. Somaliland could have decided to reject Israel’s offer, just like Bangladesh has done before, but it has sadly chosen not to.

November was the month that I reached my goal of having 100 subscribers on Substack. I know that 100 is not a lot, but it was my goal to reach that amount. All I had done was post more on Substack notes, sharing articles that I really enjoyed reading. That was it! Eventually, that one simple trick helped me grow my subscribers. Now, I am currently at 440 subscribers, which leads me to sharing what my goal is for 2026.

My goal for 2026 is to reach 1,000 subscribers here on Substack. It’s a challenge, but it is worth a try. If I use the same strategies I used to reach my first 100, then 200, then 300, and then 400+ subscribers, I am confident that I can eventually achieve 1,000 subscribers or more by the end of 2026. That is not the only goal I have. Besides gaining more subscribers, I would also like to publish a few of my short stories in literary magazines. As a writer, I would like to make a name for myself. Of course, I have self-published my first-ever novel. However, I want to publish my works in other places, whether it is through writing Substack articles like I am doing now, or in a literary magazine. I have a few short stories that haven’t been published anywhere else, so I’ll submit them to a literary magazine. A lot of the stories are flash fiction. I’ll just edit the stories before submitting. I want to grow more as a writer and venture into different avenues, putting my best work out there. Always share your best work out there!

Another goal of mine as a writer is to hopefully publish my second novel. Whether I will have it published traditionally or self-published is unknown at the moment. I want to go the traditional route, but I know those things can take time, and there is a high chance that your novel will be rejected. I am not saying this to discourage anybody who wants to publish their book traditionally. It is a likely thing that will occur if you go that route. If this is something you’re interested in, go for it! Give it a shot! I have two novels that are in the works right now, neither of which is completed. I am trying to figure out which of the two articles I want to finish writing and publish in 2026. Or I can write a new novel altogether!

If you are a writer, what are your 2026 goals? Feel free to share in the comments :)

Till next time,

Layla

This is a really big pet peeve of mine, and quite frankly, I’ve been in this situation a dozen times to the point where I no longer waste my time (and my breath) being around those who find their phones to be their BFF. It’s absurd. It’s disrespectful. When someone wants to have a conversation with you, then you should simply put your phone away to show the person that you are listening. The only time you should be on your phone during the conversation is if you are responding to an important text message. Other than that, put your phone away. It’s extremely rude to be on your phone when someone is talking to you. If you don’t want to talk to someone, then be honest! Just say, “Hey, I’m not interested in having a conversation.” Is it harsh? Yeah! But hey! At least you’re being honest, instead of claiming that you’re listening and going “yeah, yeah, I’m listening. Keep talking.”

The number of people I’ve been speaking to who would be on their phone the entire freaking time I’m talking to them was too much. Even if you're listening to someone, it’s still considered rude to be on your phone, as it gives the other person the impression that you’re not listening to them or you’re not interested in what they’re trying to say.

When someone is having a conversation with you, put your phone away and listen. Once the conversation is over, feel free to use your phone. It’s rude otherwise. Just remember, that text message (unless it’s an emergency) can wait, that funny TikTok video can wait, that meme you saw on Instagram can wait.

Is this a pet peeve of yours? Does it also drive you absolutely nuts when someone is on their phone when you’re trying to speak to them? Please feel free to share in the comments below.

I wrote an article sharing some random facts about me when I reached my first 100 subscribers. The month of November is close to being over and my subscriber count had doubled since my last ‘Random Facts About Me’ post. At the time of writing this article, I’ve reached 420 subscribers! Now that I’ve reached that amount, I thought I’d do a part 2 sharing more random facts about myself.

• I use to love watching Kdramas and the first Kdrama I’ve ever watched was a show called The Queens Classroom. The teacher was such a relatable character for me and I’ve often resonated with her. The teacher was so INTJ coded.

• I am a big Sonic The Hedgehog fan. My favorite Sonic character is Shadow the Hedgehog.

• I originally wanted to be a fashion designer. I’d draw sketches of dresses hoping to one day bring them to life.

• I was a big fan of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books. My favorite was The Last Straw.

• I’ve worked as a childcare teacher for over 5 years, teaching both preschoolers and toddlers.

• I took an iq test as a joke and without disclosing what my iq actually is, it’s high average (if you have an average iq, it’s okay. I don’t judge). However, I ended up having some sort of existential crisis as a result and almost had some sort of breakdown.

• I do not like the smell of coconuts and will get nauseous from them.

• If I were to be on a reality TV show, I’d be on 90 Day Fiancé. I don’t know why, but I like that show. There are so many couples I cannot stand, though.

• I’m currently learning Italian and German on Duolingo! I also can speak a little bit of Turkish. Those Turkish lessons on Duolingo really came in handy when I went to Turkey!

Thanks for reading! If there was any random fact that surprised you, feel free to leave a comment down below.

I’ll be sharing some of my tips on how I managed to get my first 100 subscribers. At the time of this post, I’m currently at 145 subscribers! That’s 45 more compared to last week!

Post consistently!

The most important tip ever to gaining subscribers! If you want to gain lots of subscribers, it’s all about posting consistently. I post weekly, posting articles on Sundays mostly. I’ve noticed gaining about 1-2 subscribers each time I’ve posted an article. You don’t have to post everyday. Just posting one article a week is enough for you to gain subscribers. I use to post twice a week, but that became too much for me as I have a busy life. So now, I post once a week and that’s been sufficient for me. As long as you are consistent in posting, you’ll gain subscribers. Now keep in mind that gaining subscribers takes time! You’re not always going to gain a subscriber right a way. Building subscribers can be a slow process most of the time.

You need to write good.

Isn’t it obvious? In order to have a following, you need to be a good writer. Nobody wants to read an article that is choppy, has spelling errors, as well as grammatical errors. Your articles have to make sense. Your readers need to understand what you’re trying to say. Being a good writer is an important factor in gaining subscribers.

Substack Notes is your BFF!

Never underestimate Substack Notes! I’d suggest posting daily on Substack notes. What I’ve done was restack other people’s articles, post quotes, or simply post my day to day activities. This past week, I’ve mostly been posting pictures of my surroundings, along with my go to coffee order from Caribou Coffee. The notes feature is a great way to gain new subscribers and it’s a way to get people who don’t subscribe to you, to get to know who you are. I’ve gotten most of my subscribers from the notes feature as I’ve restacked articles that many readers were interested in. My strategy is posting about a maximum of 5-10 notes daily and a minimum of 1 daily.

Those are the 3 main tips that I’ve done to grow my Substack to 100 subscribers. Give that a try and feel free to let me know how that works! Remember, gaining subscribers takes time. Just keep posting and you’ll get the results in no time.

Now that I have reached my goal, I have decided to write an article to celebrate my first milestone; sharing some random facts about me. I believe it’s time to share some interesting, random facts about myself, and get fellow readers like yourself to know more on the writer behind The Midwestern Nomad (me of course! Duh!).

Without wasting any more time, let’s begin!

• I’ve written many blogs in my life since I was 11 years old. Not joking! I’ve dreamed of running a website ever since watching iCarly. That show was my inspiration. Most websites, I would have out for a few months before deleting them and starting something new. I’ve tried getting family members, friends, and classmates of mine to visit the website. It was only when I became 18 that I took my blogging seriously. I first ran a blog called Layla’s Reminders, a blog that specialized in Islamic content. I ran that from 2017 until 2021 when I started to move on from Islamic content and focused more on discovering my other niches. However, it did not work out well and I went back to posting Islamic content, this time, on TikTok and I still do so today.

• I am the oldest of 5. If you ask me what it’s like being the eldest daughter, I couldn’t tell you. It’s hard work merely existing lol.

• My favorite meals are Italian and sushi. However, I love Italian food more.

• I’ve only traveled about 6 times in my life. I’ve first traveled to Nairobi, Kenya when I was around 7. Then I traveled to Chicago, Duluth, Minnesota, Atlanta, Georgia, and to Turkey (both Istanbul and Antalya).

• I’ve always wanted to become a writer. I guess other people in my life such as my teachers saw that, too. They saw my potential. Although one teacher saw me becoming a politician.

• My dream job is becoming a paid writer whether that’s through books, or writing for a magazine or news source. Mostly through books.

• My birthday is December 22

• If I had to choose one thing to eat for the rest of my life, it would have to be a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Can’t go wrong with a good old PB&J.

• I’ve always wanted to visit the UK, primarily London. I’d choose to live there if I had the financial means to do so.

• I absolutely cannot stand gossip. I think gossiping is incredibly childish and find those who gossip to be either immature with nothing intellectual to talk about, or they’re jealous and bitter of those they gossip. I’d rather we discuss something intellectual.

• My favorite historical time period is ancient Egypt, the Ottoman Empire in the 16th century, and the American colonial era/Revolutionary War.

• I’m double jointed. I can put my arms together and move it all the way back. Most people will see me do so and will go, “oh pfft! That’s so easy!” However, they aren’t able to move their arms all the way back. I discovered this hidden talent of mine in the 6th grade when I was randomly stretching and moved both arms all the way back, which freaked a classmate out.

• My favorite TV show is Suits

Thanks for reading! If you liked this article, feel free to give it a like, comment, share, and subscribe!

Take care,

Layla

January 2024 was when I had self-published my very first book, Modern Day Majnoon. The second I hit the ‘publish’ button on Amazon KDP, I felt a big wave of relief and anxiety. Relief from finally being done with writing the novel, which took me several months to complete, and anxiety from the unknown. I was not sure if anyone was going to read my book, I was not sure if anyone was going to even like my book.

I’ve learned a lot while writing my novel and after I had published it, which I’ll be sharing tips with you in this article. If you’re interested in what to expect when you write your first book, stick around and keep on reading!

Expect to be busy. Very busy.

When I had first started writing Modern Day Majnoon, I had never expected that I would spend almost everyday writing. On the days that were not spent writing new chapters, I was revising the previous chapters. I would often spend an average of 3-4 hours daily working on my novel. I would barely have time to have free time or relax. Giving up my free time was a sacrifice I was willing to take to complete my novel. My goal was to get the book ready and available to the public by January 2024 and Alhamdulilah I had managed to do so. If you have a goal to finish writing your novel by a certain time like I did, you should expect to be extremely busy working on the novel. Expect to spend a lot of time writing your novel and revising.

I’d recommend freeing up 3-4 hours of your time to work on your novel. If you have commitments such as work or school (if you’re a student), then weekends would be your best time.

You may not feel like your first novel is your best work and that’s okay!

At first, I was excited to share my work with the world. It was my first ever novel that I had written so obviously, I should feel excited. However, that excitement had began to die down and was replaced with a feeling that was the opposite of excitement. I began to feel as though my work wasn’t good, like it was not my best work out there. I would read my novel from cover to cover and get a terrible case of imposter syndrome. Oftentimes, I would believe that I wasn’t the one who wrote the book, and that it was written by someone else. Other times, I felt like my writing was crappy. Now, I truly believe that my novel was not really my best work at all, and that’s okay. I’m sure that would change soon but right now, that’s how I feel.

Don’t worry if you feel like your first novel wasn’t your best work. It’s expected. Not everyone can write a bestselling novel for the first time. What matters that most was that you managed to write your book in the first place.

Writing a novel is NOT a ‘get rich quick’ scheme. Don’t expect to make any money.

Lastly, do NOT expect to make lots of money from your first book. Especially if you self-publish. If you intend on writing books solely for the purpose of making lots of money to the point where you can quit your job and live off of royalties from your book, then being a writer isn’t for you. Not every writer is a full-time writer. There are plenty of writers out there who have jobs as the income they make from writing their books isn’t enough to pay the bills. Many famous writers, such as J.K Rowling and Colleen Hoover, for instance, had jobs while working on their books before becoming the most famous and highest paid authors we know today. Furthermore, they had jobs that did not earn enough income. J.K Rowling struggled financially, and Hoover worked as a social worker, living in a trailer with her husband and three children when she had self-published her first novel, Slammed.

When I had published Modern Day Majnoon, you want to know how much money I had made from royalties? A mere $1. Yup! That’s right. A dollar. In fact, I was not expecting to make money from the book at all. I was neither discouraged nor disappointed from the amount I had made. I looked at the bright side. However, I was also realistic. Despite promoting the novel on social media, telling friends and family members my book, and sharing my novel here on Substack, I still hadn’t made any additional money apart from my first dollar. I am still learning ways on how to market my first novel and it can be exhausting. It’s all about finding the right audience and I have a positive feeling I am close to finding my people.

Don’t let my last statement discourage you from writing your first book. My purpose is to get you to be realistic. If you expect to make a lot of money from your book, be prepared to face disappointment. Not everyone makes a lot of money from their self-published novel, but that does not make it impossible. Colleen Hoover is a great example of when your first self-published novel goes big. Anything is possible if you put your mind to it.

I hope you have learned something, my aspiring writers. Now go forth and write!

Today’s article will be a Somali history one. It has been quite a while since I wrote anything pertaining to Somali history, and today, we will be uncovering the life of a Somali scholar named Sa’id of Mogadishu. A Somali ambassador, he is one of the few ambassadors who were named, as many Somali ambassadors were not named and were simply known as ‘Somali Ambassadors’ in many written records. Without further ado, let’s get started!

Who was Sa’id of Mogadishu?

Sa’id of Mogadishu was a Somali scholar who lived in the 14th century in Mogadishu. He was born in 1301 in Mogadishu. When Sa’id was a teenager, he left Mogadishu to study in Mecca and Madinah in Islamic knowledge and eventually became a scholar. He remained there for 28 years and gained a reputation with the Amirs of Mecca and Madinah as a scholar, and gained many students. He was described as being ‘of fine figure and character’. Sometime afterward, he traveled to South Asia (mainly the Bengal region) and eventually to China. At that time, it was known as Yuan China, a Mongol-led empire established by Kublai Khan. Sa’id of Mogadishu became the first African man to have visited China, as well as becoming the first African ambassador to China.

Time in China & encounter with Ibn Battuta

During his time in China, Sa’id of Mogadishu learned Mandarin, translating works to Somali from the Mandarin language. Sa’id of Mogadishu paved the way for many Somalis in the modern era to establish a relationship with China in some way. For instance, many Somalis attend universities in China and become fluent in the language. I was often fascinated and intrigued as to why so many Somalis would go to China to study. However, when I read about Sa’id of Mogadishu, it all made perfect sense. The year 2014 was the first time I had encountered Somalis living in China. One of them had sent me a follow request on Instagram, and I was curious to know more about their day-to-day life living in China.

So sometime when Sa’id of Mogadishu was in India, he met Ibn Battuta and told him about his time in China. This is where we get evidence that there was a Somali scholar in China. Ibn Battuta wrote down the encounter, as well as the detailed accounts of Sa’id of Mogadishu’s time in China, as well as the political landscape at the time.

Not much else was known about Sa’id of Mogadishu apart from his being a scholar and the first African ambassador to China, who translated works from Mandarin to the Somali language. He died sometime in the 1360s, roughly between 1361-1365.

Sulayman’s eyes peered at the TV. There had been a breaking news report on the incident in Cedar-Riverside, the one where Qamar hunted the abusive man. “A body had been found by a dumpster in an alleyway by Cedar-Riverside’s local halal market. Police are investigating the incident.”, the news anchor said. Sulayman shook his head. He looks up at Qamar for a moment. “What?”, Qamar asked.

“Can’t you have been more discreet?” Sulayman asked. “I know why you did what you did, but you really need to take what I say into consideration.”

Qamar did not want to start a conflict again. She did not reply. Instead, she nodded her head. Qamar takes a seat next to Sulayman on the couch. They sat in silence, watching the news together. Sulayman placed his hand on top of hers. Despite the couple’s deep love for each other, they both had different views on hunting humans. While they both agree it’s wrong to hunt innocent humans, Qamar hunts those who are violent, corrupt, and bring harm to society. It would hurt her to no end if she had hunted and feasted on someone harmless. Sulayman, on the other hand, believes all humans should live, regardless of what they’ve done. Sulayman had only feasted on the blood of animals. He had gotten Qamar to only feast on animals by going up north, where they’d spend the nights hunting. Sulayman understands why Qamar hunts for vengeance, but wants her to be more compassionate, more merciful.

Sulayman placed a gentle kiss on Qamar’s forehead. “You’re gonna be late for work. You should get going, dear.”, Sulayman said. Qamar smiled, “I wish I’d taken the day off.” Qamar worked as a court and hospital interpreter; she spends her days translating for Somali patients and clients. She works in the daytime, while Sulayman works as a night lecturer at the University of Minnesota. Sulayman’s love for academics and Qamar’s love for helping others and being a voice for them complemented their dynamic as a couple.

“Why don’t you take the day off?” Sulayman suggested. Qamar shook her head. “I can’t. Not today, at least.”, she said. Qamar had to be an interpreter for a Somali woman who was due to stand on trial after being accused of being abusive to her children, causing her to lose custody of them. Qamar was hesitant at first when the woman was assigned to her, as she did not want to help someone who was considered to be harmful. However, after she sensed the woman’s emotion through Qamar’s ability of echo-sense, she realized the woman was sincere and had a calm, peaceful aura within her. She had sensed that the woman was telling the truth, that she never harmed her children, so Qamar agreed to translate for the woman, hoping to help her seek justice. It would feel wrong to abandon her for one day.

“It would be good to spend some time together, I feel like we haven’t done so lately.”, Sulayman said. “After the trials are over. I have to help the woman find justice.”, Qamar said. Sulayman kissed her cheek. “This is how you help others find justice. I love you.” Sulayman’s statement sent a wave of warmth through Qamar’s body, but deep down, she knew that he was implying that her job as an interpreter was more ethical in seeking justice for the unvoiced, not hunting those who hurt them. Qamar wanted to say, “I will find their oppressors and not let them live.”, but she kept quiet.

Qamar got up to leave for work. Sulayman kissed her cheek once more to say goodbye. Qamar walked to the train station, patiently waiting for the train to take her downtown. As she lives in Cedar-Riverside, the train to get to downtown Minneapolis takes her about 8 to 10 minutes, but the train takes an eternity to arrive. Qamar pulled out a book to read while she waited for the train. Two Somali men arrived at the train station. They sat down on the bench and began to have a conversation with each other. Qamar continued to read, but then, something one of the men said got her attention. “I am beginning to feel unsafe in this neighborhood. I’m telling you. Something is not right. He was such a nice man.”, one man said. They were talking about the death of the abusive man. “A nice man? What makes them think he was nice? He was an awful man for crying out loud!”, Qamar thought to herself. “Did they say how he died?” the other man asked. Qamar felt her stomach tied in knots, worried someone might find out how he really died. The first man shook his head, “They didn’t say how. I hope that they find who is behind it.” Qamar sensed the fear in both men. The fear of being safe in a place they call home, a place where everyone has each other’s backs.

All Qamar could think about was what Sulayman had said to her while watching the news report. She should have been more discreet, but she was already discreet. Qamar hoped that more people wouldn’t speak about it. The train ride was short and quiet, but there was a sense of fear that lingered. Qamar could sense the feelings of the passengers in the train as she sat down on one of the seats. Normally, there was a calm sense. This time, it was anything but.

Qamar arrived at the courthouse feeling hopeful and anxious for the client she’d be translating for. She pushed the thoughts regarding the discussion the men had about the abusive man’s death, wanting to focus on her job. As she was walking to the courtroom, she overheard a group of people talking about the death of the abusive man. Some were not surprised that someone was found dead in Cedar-Riverside. In contrast, others grew concerned about the mysterious deaths and disappearances that had taken place within the area, as well as in the city of Minneapolis. Qamar ignored them.

A long day of work was ahead for Qamar. She had spent a few hours in the courtroom translating for her client, a woman named Sumaya, a mother who had lost custody of her children and was fighting to get them back. Sumaya didn’t speak English. She felt voiceless and powerless. When Qamar first met Sumaya, she had discovered that social services came to her apartment, forcefully dragging her children away while she cried and screamed at them to stop. Her ex-husband had made a false statement against her, accusing her of harming her kids. That statement granted him full custody, and Sumaya felt more determined than ever to get her kids back now that she had Qamar to back her up and support her. Sumaya was curious about Qamar and would ask her many questions about her personal life. Qamar wanted to keep things professional. Qamar, as much as she loved interacting and helping others, she wanted to keep humans at an arm's length. She and Sulayman were often seen as the couple who kept to themselves, and the people respected that. However, Sumaya in particular felt very fond of Qamar and was hoping to become her friend.

During the hearing, Sumaya was asked a lot of questions, and with the help of Qamar, she was able to respond to them honestly. The judge felt sympathy for Sumaya, and Qamar could sense that justice would be given to Sumaya. When Qamar and Sumaya left the courtroom, Sumaya hugged her and thanked her profusely for her help. “I’m just merely an interpreter. I haven’t done anything.”, Qamar said. Sumaya shook her head. “Nonsense. Without you, I don’t know how I would’ve been able to get my voice through to these people. InshaAllah, we get a good answer.”, Sumaya replied.

Qamar smiled and nodded her head. “I’ll see you in the next hearing.”, Qamar said. She had a sense from Sumaya, an emotion filled with strong curiosity about Qamar, but the feeling of hope from the hearing outweighed it.

The feeling of hope Qamar felt for Sumaya and for her hearing still lingered in her body until she arrived home. When Qamar got off the train, the first thing she saw was a group of Somali men and women aggressively debating amongst each other over the death of the abusive man. Qamar couldn’t help but chime in. “What’s happening here?”, Qamar asked. “We cannot keep silent anymore. That’s what’s happening! An important man in our community was found dead in this neighborhood, and these people are not telling us what really happened to him. Something’s not right. Now, we must take matters into our own hands. First, it was my cousin Abdullahi, and now it’s Ahmed. We have to do something! Is this neighborhood really safe for us?”, the man explained. Qamar swallowed hard, trying to digest what the man was telling her. She couldn’t believe it. Were they all blind and unaware of what ‘Ahmed’ had done? Qamar pushed those thoughts aside. “What are you all planning to do?” Qamar asked the man. “We are going to protest. We want answers. Why are our people being killed in this neighborhood? We need answers as to who is behind the attacks.”

Qamar took a deep breath. She felt a strong sense of fear in the man. She could sense that he was afraid to step outside; at the same time, she sensed determination within him. “I’ve seen you around a few times. You look like a wise lady. Perhaps you could join us.”, the man said. Qamar gave a faint smile. “I’d love to, but I can’t. I have so much to do. I promised my husband I’d make him his favorite for dinner.”, Qamar lied. Her response satisfied the man as he simply nodded. Qamar was relieved, but she realized she’d soon be caught if she had decided to join them. She began to walk home to her apartment, contemplating her next move.

“I’m telling you, they won’t let this go. They seemed adamant in finding answers.”, Qamar told Sulayman when she returned home. She had explained to Sulayman about the debate the locals had regarding Ahmed, the man whom she had hunted. Sulayman decided to do some research and discovered that the man was an important member of the Cedar-Riverside community. Sulayman then realized that he remembered him. He was a man whom he had seen frequently in the masjid. Ahmed was known to offer a helping hand to anyone in need and was conducting tafsir classes. He was also a savvy businessman, but focused more on religion. Sulayman had difficulty putting together the fact that Ahmed was the abusive man who was treating his wife and son terribly. He finally understood why Qamar wasn’t merciful to him. “I want to say that I’m sorry.”, Sulayman began to say. Qamar raised an eyebrow, puzzled. “What for?” Sulayman let out a sigh, “For not understanding where you were coming from. With hunting that man, I mean. I guess I was looking too much from my perspective.”

“It’s fine. Although you were right, I should’ve just given him another chance at life, I suppose.”, Qamar said. Sulayman shook his head, “Oh no. Forget what I said about that, especially with that kind of man. I can’t believe it at all. How can a man who goes to the masjid and shows kindness to everyone do such a thing? What a horrible person.”

Qamar was happy that Sulayman finally saw things from her perspective, but part of her agreed with his statement from the night before and wanted to keep her promise. She wanted to control herself and not avenge others by hunting. She wanted to do things the correct way. “I think we should go up north.”, Qamar suggested. “We need time away from this place.” Sulayman smiled, “You’d want that?” Qamar nodded, “More than anything. I can sense the people growing more suspicious.” Sulayman took Qamar’s hand and kissed it. “Okay, we can go right now, if you’d like.”

Without any hesitation, Qamar got up and quickly packed her and Sulayman’s suitcases, which included everything they needed for the week away. Qamar planned on making some excuse for why she wouldn’t be at work, and the next trial hearing for Sumaya wouldn’t take place for another week, so she wasn’t worried for her. Once their bags were packed, the couple went to the car that was parked outside, and they began to make the long drive to their cabin on the outskirts of Duluth. Qamar planned on hunting animals and reflecting on her past actions.

To be continued……