I know I say all the time that I love to travel & I want to see the world, etc., but walahi, traveling is not that cute when you’re actually going through the motions.

I think I’ll relate it to Pounded Yam. Or Fried Rice. There’s a lot that goes into the prep of these foods that’s not fun!

In the case of travel for me, it’s the:

• Motion sickness that won’t leave me be

• The preparation that takes days/months, the anticipation for a ‘short’ period of being in another environment that will pass by in a blink!

• The sleep deprivation you have to endure because apparently, sleeping for 8 hours on vacation is a crime. If you’re not up & moving from early morning to late at night, you’re leaving money on the table.

Nonetheless, I wouldn’t change a thing about my recent 7-day trip across East Africa; Kenya & Rwanda specifically 🇰🇪🇷🇼

It was super fun; I had 3 adorable friends in the travel group with me - Blurryface, Bolu, & Cybergenie- & their presence made every inconvenience feel worth it.

I’d been looking forward to this break for months & I was stoked to explore with them.

So now, I want you, my dear investor, to explore East Africa with me.

Shall we?

🧳 Exiting Lagos for Kenya

Before this, my last time at the Murtala Muhammad Airport was in 2021 when I was about to shuffle myself to Adamawa, where NYSC sent me.

So I wasn’t sure what to expect at the airport; I just hoped it would be easy finding my way around without getting shaken down or anything.

And it was surprisingly not confusing - the officials were helpful with giving directions on where to go & what to do. I even met an Ebira man who, during the screening, was pleasantly surprised to meet a fellow Ebira sister (me).

Another official let Bolu & me sit beside each other on the plane, even though our seat numbers were apart.

Nice people; I hope they stay that way.

Anyway, the flight from Lagos to Kenya was for 5 full hours.

No internet. Just you, your thoughts, & your personal TV.

As for me, I spent it in & out of sleep; it’s the only way I can keep the motion sickness at bay.

I got a window seat! So my attention was split between sleep & admiring/reveling in the fact that I was in the clouds.

That I was in space, on a metal machine floating in the atmosphere. That someone, somewhere was looking up at the sky, watching my container move through the air.

I felt present & grateful to be in that moment.

🛩️ Landing in Jomo Kenyatta Airport; Asante!

5 hours later, we landed in Nairobi & the first thing that hit me as I stepped out of the plane was the chilly cold weather.

I likened it to how Ilorin usually feels during the December harmattan season (I schooled at Unilorin, for context): chilly, but not uncomfortable.

We claimed our bags & started another ride to the hotel we’d be passing the night before our single-day exploration of Nairobi, Kenya.

🇰🇪 Nairobi, Kenya

So the plan for this East Africa tour was a single day in Nairobi & the remaining 6 days in Rwanda.

Let’s explore Nairobi…

🪄 1st stop, Museum of Illusions

But wait.

Before we found ourselves at the Museum of Illusions, we first headed to Sarit Center, a popular mall in Nairobi. There are so many things to do here, but our sole purpose for stopping at the mall was to convert the money we had to the local currency, Kenyan shillings.

I don’t remember much about the conversion rate. But I remember handing in my $50 & getting KSh6,350 in return - 1st sign that Kenya was not a cheap country ‘cos I know for sure that would have a lot more zeros in naira.

I then side-quested to the mall’s bookstore with Blurryface & spent about KSh4,000 on 3 books!

1 for him & 2 for me (you see? expensive country).

About an hr later, we made it to the Museum of Illusions & we had a fantastic time experiencing the different “deceitful” art pieces made by crazy talented people.

My favorite & most scary experience in this place was the one where I went in blindfolded to a room & then when I opened my eyes, the room was spinning so hard, it was like I was falling backwards. I couldn’t make sense of it until after the fact. But it was fun!

🦒 Next, The Giraffe Center

This one was a very short but memorable quest!

You go in, pay for your ticket, wash your hands, collect food for the giraffes & go on to feed them.

In case you don’t already know, I love animals & being so close to those huge & beautiful giraffes made me feel super warm & excited.

And then I fed them too!

The giraffe’s warm tongue touched my fingers & I didn’t mind that one bit. It’s a privilege, an honor, to do that for one of Earth’s wonders. I absolutely loved the 15 mins I spent in their presence.

🦓 Last stop: Nairobi Safari Walk

Here’s where you get to see many animals up close and bask in their presence.

I saw a zebra up close & almost cried because I love those black & white beauties so much.

We spent about 40 mins here identifying & learning about each animal.

To be honest, I wasn’t paying much attention to the tour guide; I got too carried away admiring these creatures. Worth it, no regrets.

🧳 Kenya done, road to Rwanda

You may be wondering if I tasted any Kenyan cuisine while there.

I did, out of other people’s plates.

I tasted the ugali; a cornmeal-based staple that’s somewhat similar to our swallows, with the soup & it tasted really good. I’m open to fully trying it out when next I find it.

I didn’t eat much in Kenya, to be honest; there’s not much you can do when you’re at the mercy of motion sickness - it’s better safe than sorry.

But yeah, after dinner, we headed to the airport to find our way to the country we’d be staying in for the next 6 days!

🇰🇪 Notes on Nairobi, Kenya

I was here for only 24 hours, but I absolutely enjoyed exploring the city. However;

• 1 day isn’t enough. If I have the means to come here again, I will.
  There are other places I didn’t get to see, like the Maasai Market, the Maasai Mara National Reserve, & just the regular day & night in the country.

• Kenya is cold - at least by Nigerian standards. They don’t have fans or ACs in their rooms because what’s the point?

• Kenya is expensive - my KSh4,000 bookstore side quest is a testament.

• Their streets & buildings are very modern & security seemed to be taken seriously everywhere we went.

I only had 24 hours in Nairobi, which is barely enough time to introduce yourself to a city, let alone get to know it. Still, I left feeling like we’d been given a very good first date. Till we meet again.

And that’s it for my time in Nairobi!

Thanks for coming along with me, investor 💜

My next letter takes us to Kigali, Rwanda, for Part 2.

If you’d like to see more pictures & footage of how my time in Kenya went, check out my recent posts on Instagram & also take a peep at my Kenya highlights.

They’re fun to follow, I promise.

Catch you in Rwanda! 🇷🇼

Stay safe,

CIO 💤

I had a profound message in mind to send out today.

It wasn’t yet clear in my mind what direction I wanted it to take, but I thought - once I sat with my PC, it’ll flow to me without issues.

So I carried my laptop 6 hours ago, plugged my ears to listen to something chill to write along with, then I heard *a knock - scratch that, screams of surprise.

Two of my friends who I had no idea were coming over were standing right in front of me with a birthday cake in hand.

They had come to surprise me for my birthday!

Lmao 1st I thought… “am I dreaming? are they really here??”

Then I thought, “oh well, there goes today’s newsletter & whatever profound thing I had to send to my investors today”

It seemed like they interrupted me, but actually, they saved me because nothing was coming to my mind at all.

I’d have sat staring at a blinking cursor for about 20 mins, then gone to bed to continue my Netflix show - Lock Upp & slept off after that (‘cos that’s highkey the plans I had for the day)

Anyway, I turn a year older today & 99% of what’s on my mind right now is gratitude

• Gratitude that I am one of the creatures who exist on the single living floating rock that’s surrounded by NOTHING but space & darkness.

• Gratitude for good health

• Gratitude for the people who make up my support system

• …for plantain, for food.

• …for being able to write & express myself in multiple ways.

• for thoughtful, amazing & beautiful friends

• for the existence of trees cos without them how would we breathe & make paper & then make books

• for animals, for kimiko

• for having somewhere to come home to

• for the gift of music

• for the ability to look back & realise how much I’ve grown

• for being able to travel…

And speaking of travel, I spent a week hopping between cities in Kenya & Rwanda just a few days ago!! 🇰🇪🇷🇼

I had the most fun & a beautiful time with friends exploring new cities & experiencing cultural differences.

Trust me to gist you all about it. But let me find my bearings first.

For now, I’m just glad that my “profound” letter of the day is no longer sitting in my head or drafts.

And I’m really grateful for you who’s reading this.

I’m happy you’re on this floating rock with me!

See you at the end of August, investor 💜

Find more birthday pictures here…

I’m blank!

First sign of my blankness is the fact that this letter is coming during the week.

Our regular schedule is usually on the last weekend of each month, but last Sunday had me dozing off after a sweet breakfast & loads of housework.

Last thing my brain wanted to do after the beautiful Sunday nap was sit in front of the laptop to write - I didn’t even bother.

Even now, I’m not completely sure if I have anything to say, but I’ll be damned if I let a full month go by without letting you, my investor, hear from me or me not trying to hear from you.

So here we are!

How’s your Thursday (or whatever day you’re reading this) coming along?

Smile for me please - say cheeeeese.

🗓️ Half year don waka…

Like play like play, the 7th month of 2026 is packing its load.

“How’d your 1st half of the year go?”

To be frank (who tf is Frank & why are we trying to be him?), I don’t like talking about things like this openly.

Because it either feels like I’m “bragging” having done “a lot” or it feels like I’m “behind”, having “not done enough” (Am I the only one who feels like that?). So I’d just rate it & say that my 1st half of 2026 was a 7/10.

It wasn’t bad at all. But it definitely could be better.

How would you rate yours?

📚 Books of July

I didn’t even read many books in July. But I’m neither surprised nor disappointed. Already knew from the onset I’d have a slow reading month so…embraced with open arms.

1. The Four Winds (Kristin Hannah): very heavy book, but then, since when did Kristin write light books? Anyway, this took me way back to old Texas & California during the Great Depression & Dust Bowl era. It was ugly. But I enjoyed the book - proper enlightening, very moving, great story. I recommend.

2. The Nightingale (Kristin Hannah): The much-talked-about classic & yet another heavy book that didn’t pull me in from the onset, but I ended up really loving it because of how gripping the story was. This one took me way back to old France during the ugly war. Not pretty, but necessary to read & know about. I also recommend.

3. The Martian (Andy Weir): The most entertaining of the bunch. This book is one of the funniest things I’ve read this year. And it shouldn’t even be funny!! Because this guy, the main character who’s narrating most of the story, is stuck on Mars! He’s trying to get back home to Earth & he’s cracking me tf up while at it. Honestly, people who have elite humor should have statues named after them.

4. $100M Leads (Alex Hormozi): Tbh, I’m still on page 50/400+. Definitely rolling it over to August, but so far, I like what I’m reading. Need to up my sales game uno.

🏂 The ‘something’ I have for you - A Workout-from-Home Starter Pack

In my last letter, I teased the starter pack document I was working on for people who want to start working out from home but don’t know how or where to begin.

It pleases me (& my homegirls) to tell you that it’s finally ready!

It’s been ready for a while now, but I’ve held off on sharing it because I wanted you, my investor, to get in on it first.

Basically, it’s a document that contains everything I know & have learned in my almost 6-years of being consistent with working out from the comfort of my home (because I don’t have access to a gym & frankly I’m not eager to find one).

This starter pack doc. contains…

• A 4-week workout plan that builds you up slowly, starting with just 2-3 days a week, so you’re not overwhelmed before you even begin

• A full gear guide telling you exactly what you need (almost nothing), what’s optional, and where to find it (in Nigeria) with realistic price ranges.

• A curated list of YouTube instructors I personally use and trust, sorted by Strength, Yoga, and Pilates

• A page on what to do when you fall off, because you will, and that’s not failure; it’s normal, I’ve been there & I’ll tell you exactly how to come back without spiraling.

• A mini FAQ section for questions you may have

• Lastly, a separate fillable weekly tracker, so you can actually see your progress instead of trying to wing it.

It’s packed.

And it’s FREE!!

But for a limited number of people - the first 10 people get it free!

Consider it one of your ROIs for being an investor 👇

Home workout starter pack is here

If you do get yours, I hope you actually try to put it to use.

This is my attempt at taking you to the stream, but I can’t force you to drink water; that part is on you (get the adage?).

Side bar: this is my very 1st attempt at launching a digital product & I’ll take it as a Win for the 1st half of 2026. It wasn’t easy putting it together, but I’m proud of the outcome. Clap for meeee.

💤 Closing the curtains

…with funny tweets I picked along the way…

Next time you’ll hear from me will be on my birthday ;) 🤞

See you in August, investor!!

Have a fantastic one 💜🥂

Holaaa investor.

It just finished raining one big, heavy, super windy rain here this Sunday evening. From the looks of things, it’s likely another national rain (so it probably rained at yours too).

June didn’t come to play with its season. God help us.

Rain aside… today’s topic is a funny, interesting one. Got the idea from a TikTok trend I’ve been seeing & honestly, a lot of them weren’t bad enough reasons.

“You can’t be friends with me because I don’t allow gossip” & I’m like yeaaa suree now I’m scared to be friends with you because you have morals. Boring!

So I thought lemme dig a little deep to see if I can find 5 silly ass reasons why you wouldn’t want to be my friend:

1. If you love calls, you can’t be friends with me. Because I won’t pick up. Unless it’s an emergency. And I’ll know that it’s an emergency because it’s not a usual thing.

   The only people whose calls can come in freely are my folks & dispatch riders.

   I very much prefer texting because it allows me to multitask, think through my responses, & it’s just less anxiety-inducing.

   If your primary mode of communication is calls, you’d have to bribe me extra for me to make the effort ;)

2. If I’m going through something, there’s a high chance I’ll keep quiet about it. Sue me & take me to court. But I’ll very likely be mum about my worries unless you push.

3. If it’s inconvenient for me, I will probably sly.
   Of course, there are exceptions. But I won’t unnecessarily put my neck on the line for you.

4. I prefer to listen more than to talk.
   I find talking really stressful, even if it’s about things I love, like books or astrology.

   someone: ”what can you talk about for 2 hours unprovoked?”

   me: nothing please, I prefer to listen, chime in, or sleep.

5. I love thoughtful & considerate people, so if all you know how to do is take & take. I will ghost you (this one’s not silly, I know, I’ve run out)

Now over to you investor. What’s one silly reason why you don’t think I can be friends with you?

It’s anonymous unless you include your name…

Why can't we be friends?

💜 And how was June…

June was very rainy & June was awesome.

How’s yours been?

I hope it’s been alright & it ends on a good note as well.

For one, I kicked off the month by spending some hours out seeing this movie everyone’s been raving about: Call of My Life. I was hesitant because I’ve been burned by Nollywood many a time.

But COML was a decent & cute watch. It helps to know what you’re getting into before starting. I thought it was fun, cute & a bit fluffy on the tongue.

👷🏾‍♀️ Build

June was also a month for building & making things.

Content-wise, I pushed out a handful of stuff across social media (here’s Instagram & here’s TikTok, pick your fighter) compared to the past months. And I’m impressed.

⏳ Until

I also started working on Until - my fun, cheeky live countdown app that was born as a result of need & constraint. I wrote about it in my last newsletter in case you missed it.

Basically, what are activities/events you’re looking forward to? Log them into the app & watch the days count in hours, minutes & seconds.

And if you’re yet to try it out, here’s your reminder to 🔗

It’s still a work in progress, so more updates will come with time. I just need my credits to renew (no, I will not buy any credits yet, I need money)

🪂 Workout from home starter pack

Another thing I’m making/building is a workout-from-home starter pack.

I’ve had just a few people reach out to me asking how they can get started with it. I was going to send them a bunch of links, but I paused & thought, if this is recurring, I can’t keep sending links.

So I worked on a document instead, noting everything I know that could help someone who doesn’t know where to begin. A starter pack.

The people who made the request have received the doc. And I’m willing to share it further, but it can be better, which is why I didn’t include it in this newsletter as originally planned.

It’s still being fine-tuned to look more presentable & include more helpful resources.

So it’ll be included in my next newsletter instead.

You should do what’s best for your body; you only get one. And if you can’t afford/access a gym yet, start at home with what you have. I can help. Just keep an eye out.

You’re an investor, so this is one of the returns you get for being one ;)

📚 Books of June

I read 5 books in June.

With a Yes, No, & Maybe, here’s what I think about each book…

• If My Country had a Jury - No

• Letters from a Stoic - Maybe

• Once Upon an Eid - Maybe

• The Maidens - Yes

• Reel (still reading) - Maybe or Yes (I’ll be sure once I’m done)

💤 Closing the curtains…

I think that’s it for now investor.

For someone who “doesn’t talk too much”, I seem to have a lot to say on a regular basis, hmmm.

Two parting words from me:

1. If your birthday’s in June, happy beautiful birthday to you! I wish you nothing short of a fantastic one this new year.

2. Notice & appreciate the good in your life.
   You definitely already know the idea behind this, but we all need the random reminders. I know I do.

Thanks for being here & reading this investor.

I really appreciate you 💜

See you in July! 💤

Oh, & don’t forget, why can’t we be friends? 🧐

nothing serious, something silly

I had a problem standing in my way.

A countdown app was holding one of its most basic features hostage behind a paywall. I wanted to track multiple events. The app wanted my money.

I may have paid if I were related to Dangote somehow, but I’m not. So I cracked my fingers, stretched my back & turned to AI & said: “Let’s build this thing ourselves.”

And that’s how Until came to life…

⏮️ Some backstory…

I enjoy looking forward to things. In fact, I think anticipation is one of the things that makes an event fun in the first place.

I have an upcoming getaway later this year, & I’ve found myself constantly checking the calendar to see how many days are left. Sometimes I’d even ask ChatGPT, “How many days until xoxo?”

A friend came through with a countdown app recommendation - I liked it, it was cool & it helped me see how many days exactly were left until the D-day.

But then I tried adding another event & that’s when I hit a roadblock.

The app wanted me to pay before I could add more than one countdown.

Pay what? Hell nawwwww.

I’ve been looking for something practical to build with AI anyway, so it felt like a no-brainer to spend that energy building my own solution instead of paying for one.

The need was simple - I wanted a fun countdown app where I could track multiple events in one place and, most importantly, without paying a monthly subscription.

That thought led me into Lovable - an AI app/web development platform.

👷🏾‍♀️ Building Until

Investor, you need to know that going into this, I had zero app-building experience. I mean, I have some experience in design, but I can’t code to save my life.

However, if there’s one thing my AI guru teacher - Tina Huang (you may know her; I love her content so much) has taught me, it’s that in this era of AI uprising, you don’t necessarily need to know how to code to get your idea off the ground.

Then I remembered I had her PRD Metaprompt saved somewhere.

So I dug it up.

I used the questionnaire to flesh out the idea, refined it with ChatGPT (shoutout to my co-founder), and then fed the final version into Lovable.

What happened next ‘shook’ me.

Because within minutes, Lovable had produced something that looked remarkably close to what I’d imagined. The idea that was just floating around in my head was now sitting right in front of me on a screen sksksksksk.

But we were just getting started.

This is where I had to start applying context, design thinking, UX writing, and all the other skills I’ve picked up over the years to make it feel more polished & more personal.

I’d prompt. Test. Notice something that felt… off.

Prompt again. Test again. And the cycle continued.

The more I worked on Until, the more I realized that building a product isn’t only about coding but about knowing what you want & communicating it clearly.

Unfortunately, I soon encountered another roadblock. One that, yet again, wanted to collect money from my hands.

Credit limits.

Lovable’s free plan comes with a limited number of credits each day, so I’d prompt until my credits ran out, wait for them to renew the next day, then continue where I left off, etc.

Life is not easy for the unwilling-to-pay mehnnn 😪

Anyway, after a couple of days of prompting, tweaking, testing, & waiting for credits to refresh, I finally got to a stage where I could show someone my handiwork without cringing too much.

And so I hit publish!

💡 What Building Until Taught Me

Working on Until taught me a few things...

• First, AI is incredibly powerful (we already know that), but it still needs direction. The better I got at explaining what I wanted, the better the results became.

• Starting is the hardest part, followed by the energy to keep going. ‘Cos i could’ve slept instead of spending time tweaking stuff, but I really wanted to see this to the finish line so -

• The rough road will clear up as you keep going. If it doesn’t, ask someone (or AI) for directions.

• And lastly, building something gives you a whole new appreciation for the people who do it professionally. I was only working on a simple countdown app, & I still found myself thinking through dozens of tiny decisions.

⏳ Now, investor, meet Until (would you invest?)

Until is a cheeky, fun & simple countdown app built for people like me. People who enjoy having something to look forward to.

Trips.

Birthdays.

Hangouts with friends.

World Cup finals.

Anything worth counting down to.

The first version is now live, and I’d love for you to give it a spin.

CLICK HERE TO USE UNTILLLLL

Simply:

• Log in (best opened on your mobile device)

• Create your first countdown (& as many others as you like… for free 😌)

• Explore

• You can also add it to your home screen for easy access.

Now, full transparency as a ‘typical’ founder: Until is still a work in progress 🚨

I already have a list of updates I’d like to make, but Lovable’s credit limits have temporarily restrained my ambition until July. My hands are tied mehnnn.

If you find a bug, have feedback, would like to invest (hehehehe), or simply want to tell me what you’re counting down to, I’d genuinely love to hear from you.

Maybe the next version gets better because of the people who use it.

Maybe it gets better because of you.

Thanks for reading, investor.

See you at the end of June,

Yours truly,

Chief Investing Officer 💜

Try Until

I have attempted to visit the Ikogosi Resort 3 times & I have failed.

I was on my 4th attempt —  planning to travel solo when an opportunity to go with a group popped up & grabbed it with my 2 hands.

Now that it’s over & done & seeing how much I enjoyed it, I’m happy to have waited this long. Worth it, I’ll tell you.

And now, I’m going to give you all the gist.

Vamos!

Departure day; Friday

It was a classic weekend trip. Leave Friday, be back before work on Monday.

The group (curated by Ijeawele) departed Lagos around past 10am. Motion sickness loves to see me coming so I was armed with my fighters — mints, gum & an appetite for sleep.

It was a long journey but I didn’t feel it much ‘cos I kept zoning in & out of sleep-land. We arrived our destination in Ekiti by past 3pm. That’s roughly 5 hours spent on the road. Not bad at all.

What 1st greeted me as I stepped out of the bus into the vicinity was the serenity of our abode for the next 2 nights. I mean, it shouldn’t be a surprise ‘cos aren’t most resorts usually quiet anyway? But you don’t really know how lovely it is until you’re in it.

Check-in was seamless, the staff were helpful & hospitable, the group of girls I came along with were in good spirits and you could just tell that 2 days won’t be enough to soak it all in but there would at least be an attempt to try.

Our 1st group activity curated by the resort started that same evening; after resting for a bit, we were asked to come into the forest bar to let loose with some karaoke sessions.

I had a lot of fun screaming unrecognizable lyrics and dancing to songs of old at the bar. This ran for about an hour before I called it a day & went back into my room for some wind-down Netflix.

I don’t remember falling asleep.

Full day; Saturday

Let’s go hiking

Saturday started with a group hiking activity in the resort jungle (‘jungle’ is an exaggeration plus I asked if their mountain had a name, it didn’t. So jungle it is!).

We were equipped with the staple ‘Gossy’ water, hiking sticks for balance, and a pair of boots for those who needed it.

As the tour guide took us along the steep & stressful & foresty hiking paths, he was also giving lessons on the history of the hills:

• Like how the 1st plane that crashed in Nigeria, in 1947, crashed into one of the Ikogosi mountains. It used to be called “Oke Ilapa” but the community ended up renaming the mountain to“Oke Baloo” (‘Baloo’ is Yoruba for airplane). And till this day, you can still find pieces of the plane all around the mountain.

• Also mentioned that there used to be a zoo in the forests but due to poor maintenance, it was dissolved.

The hike up the hill was short (about 10–15 mins) but my sweaty self at the top of the hill felt every bit of it. The views from the top was just as rewarding. Beautiful exercise to kick off the day.

Coming down the mountain took another 15 mins and it was no easier (maybe even harder ‘cos you had to be extra careful not to fall & roll down) than walking up.

After the hike, we had breakfast & prepped for the next activity of the day…

Exploring Arinta Waterfalls

Less than an hour after breakfast, we were set to venture into Arinta waterfalls. Which was way outside the resort.
The ride from Ikogosi down to the wonderful waterfall in the serene forest hills of Ipole Iloro took us about 35–40 mins.

The Arinta waterfalls has 7 separate levels of cascading waters but we opted to only get to level 1.

Mind you, getting to level 1 alone requires about 7–10 mins of hiking from the ground level — that’s 2 hikes in one day? Phewww.

But the feel of the water & the view…top! I’d never been to a waterfall in Nigeria prior to this so that was a novel experience. Being in one of the wonders of this land.

We stayed here awhile, sat under the fall, took some photos, and then ventured down & back to base.

Good time, good time.

The lore behind the water that doesn’t mix; Ikogosi spring tour

After 2 hiking activities in one day, we got sufficient amount of rest before stepping out for our next activity of the day; the actual confluence spring tour that brings every tourist into Ikogosi.

The Ikogosi spring is composed of water of 2 major temperatures; warm & cold. And at their meeting point, they don’t mix!

Our tour guide explained the mythology behind this phenomenon while we explored this sacred & interesting location together;

I’ll share…

The warm side of the water is composed of 2 sources (warm & warmer) above it.

It is believed that these 2 sources used to be 2 men who lived long long ago in Ile Ife — a father/hunter & his 1st son.

The cold side of the water is also composed of 2 sources (cold & colder) above it; The hunter’s 2 wives.

Apparently, the hunter was a herbalist who made use of hot & cold water for healing purposes & so when he was dying, he changed into water.

He also gave his water-changing powers to his wives & his 1st son & so they changed to water after their death as well.

The water therefore is composed of 4 members of the same family; father (Awo-Peere Ije), son (Olosun Ukangunosi), wife 1 (Awele) & wife 2 (Aina Orosun).

The meeting point is said to be them reuniting & then letting go right after to explore their different paths.

I walked through this stream of clean water & found it really intriguing, the difference in temperature as you step from 1 point into the other would hit you smack in the face. Nobody needed to tell me where their meeting point was. It was very obvious.

The water is said to have healing purposes as well, people drink from it without any issues, & it has never stopped flowing.

I didn’t drink from it though, maybe I should have…

We visited the other 2 meeting points i.e. the cold & colder (representing the co-wives, Awele & Aina Orosun), & the warm & warmer (father & son), before heading to the main source…

Which was surprising because you’d think it would be something glamorous.

Instead what I saw was a couple of small holes where the water was coming out from in the ground.

Mind blowing stuff.

How does that small source point produce ever-flowing water that nourishes so many people?

Right after the spring tour, we headed to the pool side where the resort had already set up a paint & sip experience for the group.

My 1st sip & paint was a bit rough but fun nonetheless :)

Night activity after dinner was a bonfire game night where the group played games, danced around, etc. But I was happily absent from this ‘cos my adventurous spirit was out the window & the heavenly bed didn’t want to let me go.

Last day; Sunday

Did I mention the bed was heavenly? I didn’t want to get up. In fact, if I could carry the bed back with me I would’ve. But I don’t have Ant-Man abilities :(

Anyway, since it’s departure day, we didn’t have much planned before leaving.

So, I strolled around the quiet resort for about an hour to get a few steps in before heading into breakfast for a sumptuous meal of yam & egg & a cup of coffee.

We then went in to pack our bags & departed the premises at noon.

Grass touching, over :(

Did I fulfillingly touch grass?

Yepppppp.

But I didn’t do everything I wanted.

• Like sitting by the pool & reading a couple of pages from the book I carried along — Water Baby by Chioma Okereke.

• Like swimming in the pool (the pool water is from the Ikogosi spring!)

• Like laying in bed for longer to complete a full movie.

• Like trying out more food on their menu.

But again, there’s only so much you can fit into one weekend.

If you’re interested in going to the Ikogosi resort sometime…

1. Plan adequately.
   I mentioned earlier that I was planning on going there alone but I don’t know if I’d have been able to navigate my way there properly.
   This is because the resort is in a very remote area in Ekiti & getting transport there isn’t straightforward. You could rent a car, or drive there, or if you go by public transport, collect the contact details of the bike that takes you to the resort, so they can come back to pick you.

2. Be well equipped with snacks.
   Food there can be quite pricy (like 12–22k) per serving. So if you can, take some snacks along to supplement your meals just in case the food is not enough. Plus they don’t sell snacks around.

3. No need for towels.
   The rooms are well stocked with clean towels & a bath robe.

4. Take socks.
   For the cold & for mosquitoes at night.

5. Relax.
   Relax & be in the moment.

Closing the curtain

Thanks for reading investorrrrrrr! ✨

Thanks for being here.

May had a couple of other active moments. But Ikogosi weekend was a major highlight.

Close second was Sallah celebration. Thank God for the gift of witnessing yet another one. Happy Eid! (if it applies)

🚨 It’s not lost on me that we have kids in the kidnappers den around the country. I cannot even begin to imagine the horror.

I keep praying that they all make it back in one piece. Please say a prayer for them wherever you are 💜

Books

5 books so far.

My current read; The Parlour Wife by Foluso Agbaje is a nice read but it’s really pissing me off how some parents would put their kid in danger in the name of financial security.

I do like reading about how Lagos & Nigeria in general, looked like pre-independence in 1960. Some good history lessons are in there. Have you read?

Anyway, that’s pretty much how my May went. Was yours okay?

Sending you a big hug whether or not it was. You simply deserve it.

I’m open to replies, comments, shares, likes, etc.

Whatever it is you feel like saying, lemme hear it.

In the meantime, I will now round this up & close the curtain.

I pray that June is way better. For you, for me, for every one deserving.

Love, light & ram meat,

Chief Investor Z.

PS; If you want to see more shots/pictures from Ikogosi, check out my recap reel & postcards dump.

If you’re reading this, it’s already too late.

Because what’s there to learn or change at this mature age that we’re in? Whatever traits we’ve developed as a result of being the 1st in line, they’re stuck like gorilla glue; hard to yank off.

Even I, writing this survival guide, am still very much in the imperfect trenches, but I cannot let that stop me; wise men say you have to fake it till you make it.

So welcome, feel comfortable as you read my guide to being the perfect 1st daughter. I hope you (or your other girl relatives/friends) find it helpful.

1. Be dependent!

It’s no news that 1st daughters & 1st kids in general wear their independence like a crown. And why not? To not be independent is to be a burden. To be the opposite of capable; something that’s been unintentionally infused since childhood.

But I say to you, a spectacular 1st daughter is dependent; she does not move a muscle until help comes her way. She asks for help even before she knows why or what she’s asking for.

She does not care about being seen as a burden because no one ever called her that in the 1st place. It’s all in her head.

2. Cry outwardly

And not just cry, when you’re in pain, show it, express it. Because do you want to die in silence?

If you’re hurt and the tears come forth, don’t sniff it away. If someone asks, “are you crying?” say yes. Yes, it moved you, yes, you feel hurt, yes, you’re crying. Don’t say “no, me? cry? I don’t do such”.

Yes, you do, and no one will cane you for showing that side of you. You’re not a statue. Okay? Good.

3. Delegate like you have no hands

It’s very tempting to want to do everything yourself because you feel like you know how best to go about it. Again, because you don’t want to ‘bother’ anyone. Because it’s what you’re used to.

If someone offers a helping hand, you say “no, I’m good” when you & I know 2 steps are all that’s left to fall into the not-good zone. You’re already there, in fact.

You shut your mouth and spend hours doing what could’ve been done in minutes if only you had asked the right people for their input.

Is it not pride? Or is it shame?

But who has shame ever killed?

Delegate like you have exactly 2 hands. You’re not an Octopus. You cannot carry everything alone.

And even if you can, doesn’t mean you should. Use the people around you to your advantage and spend your spare time kicking your feet in enjoyment. Yes please.

4. You can fail with pride

Yes, you absolutely can.

No, the family will not fall apart if you dare make a mistake.

Wise people say that making mistakes and failing is part of the journey to success. It’s not like you don’t know this fact, but actually taking that step is harder than pushing a rock from its spot.

You think you have to be good at everything, so you don’t try what you think you may fail at.

You don’t shoot your shot, you don’t ask for things, for fear of failure. Fear of looking like a fool in front of people who hold you in high esteem.

My dear, people who are way higher than you fail at stuff all the time. In public, for that matter. They wind down that business, they quit that job, they dial back on that big idea they thought could change the world. Are they fools? On the contrary, they were brave to try in the 1st place.

You should be more like that.

Fall. You’ll get up & learn how to walk so you don’t fall in the same way again.

5. Float

Let go of the reins. You’re not a horse rider.

You cannot control everything. In fact, I don’t think you can control half of anything.

You’re literally on a floating rock that’s spinning in dark space. You’re tiny. The best you can control is what’s in front of you.

For other stuff, float. Like your home, Earth, float while doing what you can to the best of your abilities.

I know, easier said than done. But it’s not undoable. And if there’s someone who can do hard things, it’s you.

So worry, but not too much. Think, but don’t overdo it.

Que sera sera, or how does that song go?

Fin

That just means we’re done here :)

I hope these tips on being a spectacular 1st daughter help to some extent.

Thing is, there’s this stereotype that almost every 1st sibling falls into. “Tough, independent, yadayada”. It’s not a flex most of the time.

So if you can, try to do the opposite of what you’re used to, one tiny step at a time. Do it with wonder!

Ciao investor,

See you later in May 💜

PS: Subscribe & share this piece!! Help us grow this ministry. This room of investors need to get bigger & bigger. Thank you very much as you click that button!

Subscribe now

Investor, I have a confession.

It’s actually not really a confession, just something I’ve recently realised about myself when it comes to friendships.

It’s the fact that growing up, I used to be more territorial than I would’ve liked to admit.

But it comes with a twist! (chatGPT speak is that you?)

The twist being… instead of showing or even saying that I want attention, I pull away.

I’m still not sure where I caught that coping mechanism from, but it’s something I was very much actively doing.

I find that I’d gradually or instantly remove myself from the equation if I notice that I’m not much of a priority.

Which is wild ‘cos… am I expecting to be the only person in my friends’ lives?? Surely not!

I remember a scenario all the way back in primary school (my memory is actually choppy, so this may not be 100% accurate) when one of my classmates asked me who my best friend was. At the time, the choice was between Tope & Kofo - they were my closest.

But I answered that neither of them was my best friend. It was less because of indecisiveness & more because… “if I name either of them as my best friend, would they name me? Do they feel the same?”

So instead of trying to figure out who I wouldn’t mind being besties with, I simply shut it down immediately & pretty much removed myself from the mix.

I can’t lie, this mentality unknowingly followed me into adulthood.

But in a broader way that has to do with friendships in general, not “bestfriendship”

I’d be okay being friends with you, but I don’t hold on too tightly because the moment I see that there are many other “special friends” on your list, I gradually make my exit.

Like I’d rather be on my own than not be a priority.

There are cases where this mentality actually is best put to use - I know that now, but at the time, it was so general that I was friends with everyone, but I wasn’t actually close with anyone.

No fault of theirs. Just me not giving them a chance to even try.

Anyway, we thank God for growth. The fact that I’m able to dissect this feeling & draw patterns was interesting to me & I thought to share.

I’m not 100% there yet, tbh. But I’m very much above average & for that, glory gloryyyy.

💜 Hiiii investor!

I haven’t been here since February.

Nothing serious. Just me choosing not to compartmentalise & take a break because I couldn’t get my head in the game & instead of trying, I just thought - “not now, not today, some other time”.

“Some other time” is now & I’m glad to be here again.
You better be glad to be hearing from me!

A lot happened this month on my end. One of them being…

Artemis II

You know, the one where 4 amazing astronauts went on a lunar flyby around the Moon. And they got suuuper close that they almost touched it! Woah.

That period between April 1st and 10 was so special & fascinating to me, ‘cos what do you mean these people are outside where all of us live. All the way outside planet Earth. It’s almost unreal.

I was obsessed with every single update they were dropping, loving every image of Space, the Moon, and Earth that was taken.

In fact, if you’d come to my house during that period, I may as well have been suited up like an astronaut cos of how closely I was monitoring the situation.

I even wrote a reflective piece about that period after they landed back on Earth → Artemis II, Atmosphere, Atlas I. I couldn’t help myself.

📚 Books of April

This month, I read 4 books. The lowest monthly number in a while, but I do not mind at all.

• Atmosphere: I picked this up because it’s related to Space & that’s all I wanted to consume while Artemis II was going on. I absolutely loved it. Everything about what was actually going on in real life made more sense & I was even more in awe.

• Tomorrow & Tomorrow & Tomorrow: the 2 main themes here were gaming & friendship. I watched Sam & Sadie evolve from being teens to adults in their 30s; navigating the world of gaming, friendship, building a company together, etc.
  I kept wondering how the title fit into the story, but then, when I came across it in the book, it sort of made sense.

• Worst Case Scenario: LOVED IT! No long talk, published a yap session about the thriller on my Medium.
  Today’s International Chernobyl Disaster Remembrance Day - and I’m only aware of this event because of this book.

• Can’t Get Enough: The 3rd book in Kennedy Ryan’s Skyland series. I’m still reading. Barely halfway through, but I should be done by the end of April.

🐈‍⬛ Extras…

• I picked up running right on April 1st!! I was so excited because before then, the last time I ran was during COVID. But I’ve stopped just as quick as I started mehn.
  I nursed a knee ache after my 2nd run for more than a week. See me thinking “I’m so back”.
  After limping around for almost 2 weeks, I will be sticking with my regular workouts in the meantime. Maybe next month I’ll pick it back up. But for now, I’m appreciating the gift of being able to walk without pain.

• My reading community, Turn the Page, is going pretty strong 3 months in. Last month, we gifted out 1st set of books to the most deserving. Brings me joy to be a part of someone’s reading journey.

• I changed my water tank bottle after about 3 years ;D

• I concluded a personal project.
  So for 9 weeks, I did a thing where I took a picture of the sunset every Thursday, at the same time, 6 pm, from the same angle. No one sent me, I sent myself. The reason? Because I can, & because I wanted to see what it’ll look like when I compile the images. And here’s what I got:

• Lastly, I watched all 3 seasons of the TV show, From. Now watching season 4, which just started last week.
  If you’re also watching it, please, what is happening?? What are we watching? Do the producers themselves even know what’s happening? Toh.

💤 Wrapping fins up

I’m bringing back my AMA form. If there’s a question (silly, serious, etc.) you’d like me to answer in the next letter, put it inside.

I may misinform you, but like in the image above, I use less water. So let’s stay environmentally cautious.

Ask me anything

That brings me to the end of this April roundup.

It’s been nerve-wracking & fun writing this. The regular worry of “what do I even have to say?” but then I start writing & stuff keeps coming.

Thank you so much for reading.

MAY the 5th month of 2026 be good & beautiful to you & me both ;)

If you've read up to this point, I have a tiny favour to ask: help me hit that like/heart button if you’re able to (i.e., if you have a Substack account). Or even reply (I’ll take all & every).

It would feel really good to know that I’m not writing to the void & someone read this.

Take care, investor 💤

See you in May 💜

PS: Edit.

The piece has now gone out & my eyes just cleared that I forgot to give it a proper title. I left the placeholder in. Oh Chim!

Normally, investor, if you asked me… “What topic can you talk about for hours if you had the chance?”, My answer would be nothing.

I don’t like to talk & I don’t think I’m that passionate about anything to go on for hours. I prefer to listen.

Or sleep.

But recently, that has… changed.

Since 15 days ago, when I went outside after dinner, looked up at the stars & opened ChatGPT to ask… “Come, how far are we from the stars?”

It’s been a mindblowing ride.

A routine I look forward to: go out at night, look up, observe the universe & have a Q&A session about it.

I know now that to get to the closest star in the sky (Sirius), you would die on the way. No human can simply ever reach one because the distance is thousands of years away.

‘Light years’ is a concept I still can’t completely wrap my brain around, but I know that light travels at an insanely fast speed that even the fastest rockets can only wish to compete.

So the stars up there, light-years away, have started reflecting their light on you before you were born, before your parents even met. Loooooooong ago, before it got to you, me, us, today.

I know now that when I look up at night, I may see planets with my bare eyes (did everyone know this?)

I’ve been able to identify some of them; Jupiter & Mars. They’re the most prominent (or not, depending on how well you can squint).

Jupiter’s light is bright & steady.

Mars is smaller, but warm-toned. Not so far from Jupiter

Planets don’t twinkle. Only stars do. That’s one way to tell the difference between stars & planets when you look up.

Stars are way tinier. They’re light-years away after all. Planets are only what… light minutes away. The distance between them is unfathomable.

I know better now why the Moon is Earth’s bestie. Not only is she close in proximity, she’s also close in purpose. To help Earth stay sane.

By sane, I mean the Moon literally stabilizes the Earth’s tilt. Without it, not only would the nights be darker for lack of moonlight, the seasons would’ve also been quite unsteady. Ocean tides, crazier.

Even the Earth has a grounding companion. Who/what grounds you? Or are you running a solo ship…?

Maybe if you ask me, I’ll have an answer.

I’m not done with my earthly interrogations. There’s so much to know & it’s even more fun learning about them now than it was in Geography class.

Maybe I’ll get a telescope…

Stay tuned 🔭

🌏 February

For the shortest month of the year, February was… intense.

It said: “I may only be here briefly, but you people will FEEL me.”

Me I felt it.

First is Ramadan; Ramadan Mubarak to all who celebrate. May Allah accept our fasts.

Then Lent. Happy Lent!

Then Valentine…? pfttt

As a Grey’s Anatomy babe, the news of McSteamy's passing was quite painful.

And many other things I can’t remember right now & am not even aware of.

Oh wait, all the AI developments popping up left & right.

Investor, what is going onnnn.

I just want to bury my head in the sand mehn. This is all too overwhelming. I don’t even know where to begin with the many updates making rounds.

It is well.

📚 Books

And my top 3 goes too…. 🥁

1. Junglekeeper - Paul Rosolie: a non-fiction/documentary about Paul’s years of experience in the Amazon. Sometimes the stories are fascinating, sometimes it’s like watching a horror movie. 'Cos what do you mean a bunch of uncontacted tribes tore apart the body of a man to the point of disembowelment? (there’s more where that came from…)

2. The Fall Risk - Abby Jimenez: short, romance, mental issues, trees.

3. Daughters of Bappa Avenue - Abubakar Adam Ibrahim: short but not so sweet. One of those stories that leaves an ugly taste in your mouth after. Not because the book is bad, but because the world is ugly.

💤 Curtains closing

I don’t know how to end this letter this time.

So many things are ongoing with the world at the moment. You don’t need to hear about them from me.

So instead, I’ll just leave you with a smile… :)

See you in March investor.

Please, stay safe 💜

Forget the book bouquet for a sec (a book-kay if you will, hehehe), books go in almost every gift package, don’t they?

If a loved one is sick in the hospital, a book can be included in the care package alongside the Milo & milk.

For Valentine’s; a book-kay or a classic read in the gift box.

For Christmas; a sweet holiday-themed book feels like ice cream on a hot Saturday afternoon.

A Wedding; well… I’m sure we can find something...

But anyway, you get the gist.

I think buying books in itself is a love language. And it should be done with utmost intentionality.

If there’s one thing I’m good at, it’s recommending books, asides the fact that my Substack bio says: “I prescribe books like doctors prescribe pills”, look at this glowing feedback…

So if you’re looking for books to gift your partner, friend, for yourself, here are some of my prescriptions based on personality & mood.

📚 For the Deep Thinker

Lightseekers & Gaslight by Femi Kayode

These 2 books follow Dr. Philip Taiwo, an investigative psychologist more interested in the why behind crime than the spectacle of solving it. Across both stories, Kayode digs into mob violence, religious power, political influence, and ways institutions protect themselves.

These make for perfect prescriptions for the deep thinker or justice-driven person because of the moral weight they embody.

You’re not just reading these for the thrilling twists; you’re reading them to tackle hard questions like who benefits from silence? Who controls the narrative? etc.

I say you gift these to the partner who doesn’t mind conversing about social issues. The one who reads headlines & still searches for context. The one who wants to solve mysteries.

Born on a Tuesday by Elnathan John

This is a coming-of-age story set against religious & political unrest in northern Nigeria. Through Dantala’s searching, observant voice, we watch a young boy navigate loyalty, faith, survival, & the subtle pull of radical influence.

I’d prescribe this to the person who appreciates the underdog story, a story that explores identity & belief. Perfect for someone who thinks deeply about faith, power, & the choices that shape who we become.

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin

This one’s more about collaboration, ambition, friendship, & the complicated ways love can exist outside of romance.

Sam & Sadie build video games together, but what they’re really building is a decades-long relationship shaped by creativity, ego, disability, success, & failure.

I’d gift this to someone who relates with those themes. It’s thoughtful & layered without being heavy. A book for someone who understands that connection isn’t always simple, & that ambition comes with a cost.

📚 For the Justice-Driven & Legal Lover

The Street Lawyer by John Grisham

This one’s about what happens when ambition jams conscience.

Right from the 1st scene, Michael, a high-powered lawyer on track for partnership, is forced to confront the human cost of the very system that made him successful; through a hostage situation he’s a victim of.

I’d gift this to the partner who cares about inequality, privilege, and wants to peek into what justice looks like on the street.

The Eddie Flynn Series by Steve Cavanagh

The very series that got me hooked on legal thrillers.

Eddie Flynn is a former con artist turned defense attorney, which means he understands deception from both sides of the courtroom. These books made me love psychology even more.

They’re sharp, fast, & will have you at the edge of your seat.

I’d gift this to the partner who loves outsmarting systems. The one who enjoys studying people, & watching someone bend the rules without quite breaking them.

Tomorrow Died Yesterday by Chimeka Garricks

I’ve prescribed this book to almost everyone I know. It’s like a one-size-fits-all.

No matter what you or your partner likes, you should read this book. It’s brilliant, well-written, humorous, insightful, it’s everything.

Set in the Niger Delta, during the oil kidnapping crisis, this one follows four friends whose lives collide against a backdrop of corruption, corporate greed, and systemic failure.

Add to cart!

📚 For the Bold & Restless

The Sword of Kaigen by M.L. Wang

An absolute favorite!

Set in a militarized empire where warriors can wield blades of ice & command the sea, this story blends explosive battle scenes with intimate family tension.

At its core, it follows a mother and son (Misaki & Mamoru) confronting war, loyalty, & the possibility that the empire they serve may be built on lies.

I’d gift this to someone who loves high stakes & big worlds, but still wants that emotional depth.

Someone who enjoys action with consequence. It’s bold & intense, yet deeply personal.

Red Rising by Pierce Brown

Set in a brutal, color-coded future society, this follows Darrow, a low-born worker who discovers the world he’s sacrificed for is built on a lie. What begins as survival turns into rebellion, as he infiltrates the ruling class with one goal; tear it down from the inside.

I’d gift this to the partner who burns for justice but also loves intensity. Perfect for someone who doesn’t just want a story. They want war.

📚 For the Quiet Romantic

A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman

Tender, funny, & devastating in the warmest way.

This is for the partner who pretends not to be sentimental but absolutely is. The fake hard guy/gal.

Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez

Light but meaningful. A modern romance with heart & vulnerability. Great for someone who enjoys warmth without excessive drama.

The Fall Risk by Abby Jimenez

Short, emotional, and deeply human.

A thoughtful gift if your partner appreciates stories about healing & connection & doesn’t want to spend too much time reading. It can be completed in an hour tbh.

What You Are Looking For Is in the Library by Michiko Aoyama

This gentle Japanese novel follows a mysterious librarian who has an uncanny ability to sense exactly what her visitors need. Each person walks in feeling stuck in some area of life. Each leaves with a book that quietly shifts their direction in the right path.

I’d gift this to someone who finds comfort in small, meaningful moments. Someone who needs a warm pick-me-up.

📚 For the Spiritually Curious

Love from A to Z, Love from Mecca to Medina by S.K. Ali

This duology follows Adam & Zayneb as they navigate faith, illness, activism, distance, and the fragile work of loving someone honestly. From confronting Islamophobia in school to grappling with chronic illness & spiritual doubt, their relationship unfolds with vulnerability & real emotional friction.

I’d gift this to the partner who values faith, identity, & growth within love. The one who wants to visit Mecca & Medina - through a book.

Cursed Daughters by Oyinkan Braithwaite

Perhaps this one shouldn’t be under “spiritually curious”, but I had to add it somewhere.

This novel follows Eniiyi, a young woman believed to be the reincarnation of her late cousin & bound by a family curse that has haunted generations of women before her. As she falls in love, she’s forced to confront superstition, inherited trauma, and the fear that history might repeat itself.

I’d gift this to anyone interested in seeing how love is shaped by family, belief, memory, and the stories we inherit.

How to choose the right book gift for the one you love.

Here’s how I “prescribe”:

• What do they talk about often?

• How are they feeling lately, tired or energized?

• Do they like fast plots or slow burns?

• Are they seeking comfort or a challenge? etc.

A good book gift shouldn’t always be about trends or what’s new on the shelves.

If it can help them see things more clearly, be a better version of themselves, add to cart!

Books contain stories, & stories are deeply personal.

Anyway, investor, if you need more prescriptions, you know where to find me ;)

I also, am very open to prescriptions. If you know of a book you think I’d like, please, don’t keep it to yourself.

Comment, reply email, anyone.

PS: I have a reading accountability community for anyone who needs help keeping their reading habit in check. For more info, scan through that IG bio.

See you at the end of February, investor.

Cuidado 💜

“Why don’t you have unshakeable belief in yourself?”

That’s the journal prompt that had me chewing my pen trying to think about a genuine answer for earlier this month.

Before the journal prompt, I had read an article on the subject where the author wrote extensively about self belief & personal agency.

I’ve read A LOT about the subject but this particular one really had me thinking.

So I decided it was time for us to have a meeting - me, myself & I. And now we’re better off for it.

And one of the answers to the question is: It’s not that I don’t think I’m a brilliant person capable of doing amazing things, it’s that more often than not, I hold back because there’s a part of me that hates making mistakes.

If we were to further dig into the ‘why’ of this, I could say maybe it’s cos I’m the first child & first daughter & while there weren’t any direct pressure from the family, there’s an internal pressure to always want to set a good example for my younger ones.

Another reason why I sometimes hold back is because a part of me that feels like if I don’t know the solution to the problem from the onset, then I probably don’t know it at all.

If I don’t meet the requirements 100% then I probably am not fit.

So I shouldn’t bother attempting.

Finally, it’s a part of me that seeks external approval… that mighty thumbs up that’ll say “its not just in your head, Z, I can also see that you know what you’re doing so keep going!”

And while all that could be valid, they don’t always have to be.

More often than not, they shouldn’t be.

Not because I don’t need some validation, but that whether or not I get it, I must believe in myself 100%.

Even if I’m wrong.

Even if I fail.

I must believe that even if a problem seems confusing to me in the beginning, I can figure out a way to untangle the knots & find answers with time.

And what’s crazy is I’m a fast learner, so of course I’ll find answers, I just need to learn the ropes.

There’s also something to say about working within what is in your control.

For an outcome to come to fruition, there are so many external factors that come into play.

So many things out of your control; could be the mood of the examiner, the algorithm, the poor internet, etc. All these & more are things we can’t control.

But should we allow those stop us from doing what we can?

Who knows if the next spaghetti I’ll throw on the wall will stick or fall.

I won’t know unless I try.

You won’t know unless you try.

I, you, have all the power.

We just have to move.

And keep moving.

With or without fear, but definitely with self belief.

We’ve made it this far anyway.

What are we going to do, stop now?

Happy New Year Investor!! 🎉

I didn’t even greet properly before getting into my yapping.

Happy 2026!

I hope you’re as excited for it as I am.

If you aren’t, please be, your energy has some influence in your environment, or something like that.

Anyway, I’m happy to be back in your inbox this year.

I took a long break offline to reset & recalibrate & I really wish it could go on for longer.

But that’s just lazy me talking.

We’re so back!

📚 January in Books

Kicked off the 1st month of 2026 with 7 sweet books.

Most of them were delicious. So I can’t even complain about the bad ones.

But the star of the show is Cursed Daughters by Oyinkan Braithewaite; what a beautiful body of work.

I’m on a mission to read a couple of books from the year I was born which is what led me to John Grisham’s The Street Lawyer (published in January 1998) & I thoroughly enjoyed it. It’s a legal/crime thriller genre so if that’s your ☕️…

Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert also deserves a shoutout for being a 5 star non-fiction read. It helped set the tone for how I want to view creativity in 2026. If you want to create or you already create but something keeps holding you back, I say you read Big Magic. The author writes like she’s talking to a friend so it’s very relatable.

…and others

Ignoring the fact that a strange green line across my phone that appeared out of nowhere, January has been chill so far.

• I mean, even Harmattan that we were looking for in December has shown its face. Thank you for your service, Harmattan.

• My youngest brother, Habeeb, has graduated from the University of Lagos!

• I’ve launched my reading accountability community Turn the Page!

• I’m alive, well & so are my family & friends 💜

In a world of constant chaos, particularly the one with the green-white-green flag, it’s critical to fight for calm.

It’s important to find something that brings you joy, even if that means removing somethings from your space. It’s way to early to be frustrated & angry.

As I round up this 1st piece of 2026, I pray that our goals for the year are met & if not, that what comes is even better that what is planned.

On that note, happy birthdayyyyyy to all of my January-born investors 🎉

I hope you had a fantastic one, even if now you have to wait until 2027 until the next birthday.

See you mid February,

Ciao 💜

If that title makes you scoff in “this girl does not know anything, what does she mean nothing happened?”, I understand.

The expression comes from a place of gratitude as a matter of fact.

From far away, zoomed-out view, it looks like nothing happened, but when you zoom in & start picking things apart, it becomes clear that the title is indeed a lie, and a lot of things happened in 2025, of course they did - days held conversations, disappointments, small wins, crash outs, and so on.

But I’m not picking things apart, not right now.

I just want to acknowledge the privilege of experiencing a lot of mundane, ordinary days that seemed to blend into one another.

It’s December 28, we’re almost at the 2025 finish line, the people I love are here, YOU are here, reading this.

That feels worth acknowledging.

2025 Wrapped but make it Q&A

In my last letter, I dropped a form for you to ask me questions on how my 2025 went, etc etc.

There were zero questions in the form.

But it’s okay, I already prepared for that, I know some of you are lazy to think of questions, tbh, that’s me-coded.

Anyway, how did 2025 go? Let’s see if I have answers to these 10 questions…

1. What’s one thing you thought you’d do a lot in 2025 but absolutely did not?

   Draw.

   I thought I’d draw as much or even more than I did in 2024 but I fell short.

   I make no promises for 2026. If I touch a pencil at all, I’d be grateful.

2. What goal(s) did you not hit in 2025

   Plenty!

   But the one that pain me small is not getting to 500 subscribers investors by my birthday in August like I’d hoped.

   I still don’t have up to that.

   In fact, the number keeps decreasing weekly :|

   If I suddenly stop writing next year, it’s because I’ve run out of ways to motivate myself to “show up”.

   ….

   jk

   I go nowhere.

3. What’s a random win that still makes you smile when you remember it?

   Publishing an unplanned Bookish Wrapped template on Figma resource community.

   It was such a random thing to do cos I only planned on making a Bookish Wrapped for myself but the idea popped up to make it a public resource & it makes me giddy to know that someone else out there tried to use something I created hehe.

4. Speaking of Wrapped, what does your year in Books look like?

   Drumrollll…. 🥁

   Turns out, I completed 81 books in 2025! Insane, impressive, yada yada.

   But we’re adults here & we all know its less about the numbers & more about the quality (still think I did well in that regard).

   Anyway, I forbid you from comparing.

   The goal is to read & enjoy what you read.

🚨 I have a reading accountability community (such a mouthful, name is Turn the Page) in the works. If reading more, reading better, or being part of a reading community is included in your 2026 goals, hop on & join the waitlist so I can add you once it’s ready!

5. What are your top 10 books of 2025?

   Easy

   10: I’ll Bury my Dead - James Hadley Chase

   9: Yellowface - RF Kuang

   8: Maitama Linen - Shehu Usman Yakubu

   7: The Crimson Vigilante - Olayinka Yaqub (that’s 2 Yakubs)

   6: A Forever Kind of Love - Adesuwa O’Man Nwokedi

   5: Just for the Summer - Abby Jimenez

   4: The Devil’s Advocate - Steve Cavanagh

   3: Love from Mecca to Medina - SK Ali

   2: Love from A-Z - ”

   1: The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini

   For a more visually pleasing view on how my year in books went, peep my Bookish Wrapped on IG.

6. What’s one thing future-you will probably laugh about?

   Future-me will probably laugh & konk me in the head about the fact that I used money to buy 1-2 items I barely use.

   1st is the tripod I impulsively bought on Jumia to “kick-start” my content creation journey.

   Nary a video has been recorded with that tripod. But I have plans to use it for some family shoot soon!

   2nd item is a glucometer I bought in September after watching an Aproko Doctor video on the importance of having one at home for family use.

   Maybe in January…

7. What is a fear that got tired of chasing you?

   I’d have loved to say fear of wondering what people will say.

   But I don’t think I’m completely rid of it.

   There’s still about 20% of it left. Definitely a better number than in 2024.

   Maybe I’ll be completely rid of it in 2026? We’ll see.

8. Favorite movies of 2025?

9. What are some lessons you took out of 2025?

   • There’s no hope for Etisalat & I need to figure out how to change the number from my OPay

   • Lean into what makes you imperfect.

   • Don’t let anybody take you fi idiat

   • There are a lot of things out of our control, focus on the little you can control.

     • me for example, I can’t control how many investors invest subscribe, but I can control whether or not I decide to show up when I said I would.

   • Reading is forever goated.

   • Pour your love everywhere.

   • Try (I say try cos I’m still trying) not to take things personally. It’s not always about you.

10. What are some of your goals for 2026?

    Hmmm.. let’s see…

    1. Collaborate more… (idk man, I’m such a soloist but I’m willing to try in 2026)

    2. Have a buzzing reading community that actually helps people read more.

    3. Organize a small zigzagzee investors meetup…. (looool)

💤 Wrapping up

‘Tis the season of “thank yous”.

Thank you for this, thank you for that, thank you for opening my emails, thank you for acknowledging them, thank you for being here, investor 💜

May 2026 be kind to you & your loved ones 🥂

With love, jollof, & Kimiko’s fur,

See you in January 💤

If there’s typo anywhere, allow.

You only need…

…the word letter of the Title/subtitle/1st paragraph.

You! ;D

Investor, what if I told you in all my 5 years of working out, I’ve never stepped into the 4 walls of a gym.

I’ve always wondered what my 1st time in a gym will feel like.

But until I can get one that’s easily accessible, it’s me & my home workout foreverrrrr.

Let’s backpedal a bit.

How did I begin?

2025 - 5 years = 2020.

2020 was what??

COVID!

2+2 = 4.

Everyone’s stuck at home, there’s only a handful of things you could do to keep yourself company & alongside drawing, working out was one of those things for me.

While drawing has taken a pause (story for another time), working out is still very much present.

And it started with me & a long rope which I’d used for skipping.

I wasn’t that consistent to begin with, but it was fun to have that time outside to myself doing something active.

Fast forward to a year later, I bought my first yoga mat.

What this meant was I didn’t need to step outside every day to move my body, plus skipping was definitely tiring doing solo.

So on days when it rained, or I didn’t feel like jumping around, I’d spread my mat in my room, open YouTube, find a short yoga session, & stretch my body.

And this helped greatly with body/muscle aches ‘cos I used to wake up with the nastiest body pain.

A year later, I copped my 1st weight - a set of 3kg dumbbells lmaoooo. It’s so cute & I felt so proud of myself cos … why not??

Anyway, it came in handy for yoga lessons & then I added Pilates to my workout palette.

I stacked up my tools year on year & added a real skipping rope, a mini-stepper, a 5kg dumbbell & recently, a set of 10kgs.

They didn’t come all at once.

And even though I have these guys, sometimes, it’s just me, my mat & a 15 mins yoga session.

That’s why I say all you need is yourself.

And a mat for sure. To begin.

How do I stay consistent?

I’d be lying if I said I started out being consistent.

For the 1st 2 years, it was based on vibes.

And it was still very satisfying. I didn’t mind my patchy sessions at all.

But uno, as you grow, you try to give yourself brain.

So what I did at the beginning of 2024 was set a 15-20 day rule for myself. Meaning, in a month, I had to work out for 15 to 20days.

To make this ‘fun’, I opened a new page on my Notes app & created a checklist with numbers 1-20.

With every day that I stepped out to move my body: it could be as intense as a 45 mins full-body workout or as chill as a 5 mins yoga session, I’d check a number off that checklist.

Did I hit 20 days every single month? You guessed wrong if you guessed yes. What matters is I tried when I could & it was above average.

This is not expected to work for everyone, of course, especially if you step out to a gym or you go out to work every day, or you have any other commitments.

Find a pattern that could fit & work around that.

Something manageable for yourself & your routine/lifestyle.

I trust you to find something that works ;)

Resources that help me

My adopted instructors

I have multiple adopted instructors that I tune into their channels based on the energy I’m looking for.

• MrandMrsMuscle - for a 20-25 min heavy set workout.

• Chloe Ting - 15-35 mins. Don’t play with this babe, she will squeeze the sweat out of you.

• Move with Nicole - for Pilates/Yoga sessions.

• Sarahbeth Yoga - Yoga is her speciality. Woe betide any bodyaches around her.

• Breath and Flow - Yoga for men

• Tara’s body - fun, dance workouts.

Gears

• Yoga mat (Jumia/Temu)

• Skipping rope (J/T)

• 3, 5, or 10kg dumbbell sets (J/T)

• Mini stepper - I barely use this anymore. (Jumia)

• Water bottle (anywhere)

• Workout fits for ladies (my plug)

I believe I’ve covered all there is to cover on not waiting to assess the Gym to get started with working out.

It’s really fun when you get used to it, I promise.

Start unsteady, just start.

If there’s a part I didn’t touch & you need answers to, feel free to hola.

Chief Investment Officer’s got you! ;)

Extras - Turn the Page

In my last letter, I mentioned starting an accountability community for people who:

• want to do better with reading

• buy books but don’t finish them

• want a reading community without the pressure of heavy discussion or reading a particular type of book.

Turn the Page is in the works & it’s set to kick off sometime in January.

It’s not for you if:

• reading more is not part of your 2026 goals

• you’re already set on your reading habit & don’t need external motivation

I’ll drop a reminder here once it’s ready, but for 2FA purposes, join the waitlist.

Turn the Page is cooking...

Next & last zigzag letter for 2025 will drop next 2 weeks & it’s going to be a ZigZag Wrapped!

If you have any questions for me on how 2025 went, feel free to drop a comment, reply this email, or send one in anonymously via…⬇

Ask your 2025 wrapped questions wisely

I’ve talked too much.

Have a great day, a great week & a great month ahead, investor 🥂

Stay safe 💤

sometime in october, my nose was completely blocked from covid. if you ask how i’m sure it was covid, i’d say it’s because i couldn’t smell or taste, plus the whole vibe took me right back to 2020.

for those few hours, while i was fighting it with aboniki & hot water, all i could think was - this is such a punishment. i literally couldn’t breathe unless my mouth was open. how’s that even realistic for sleeping? i barely slept. and mind you, there are people who live like this way longer than just a night.

last saturday, i was asking my mum if she remembered what the ‘saturday routine’ was like years ago in our former house. that conversation took us back to how small the kitchen was. it could only fit one person at a time.

unlike now, when i can breeze in and out of the kitchen even if two or three people are already in there.

yesterday i completed khaled hosseini’s the kite runner. to say the book broke me is an understatement. the heaviness it carries is on an insane level.

the story is set mostly in afghanistan and anyone familiar with the place knows how long war has gripped the country. before the taliban tore it apart, it was a place where everyone knew each other. the kids just wanted to fly kites and shoot slingshots. the parents just wanted to find food for their families.

then the war came, and suddenly they had more pressing things to worry about - actively running from death.

their once simple, ordinary life became one filled with intense fear, worry, and hunger.

you probably already get what i’m saying with all these scenarios. you appreciate a thing more when you know what it’s like to have had less.

someone who’s had to use a rickety old laptop for work will appreciate an hp elitebook more than someone who grew up with a nice lenovo thinkpad as their first pc.

anyway, the point is appreciating the bare minimum. enjoying being ordinary.

even if you feel like you could be doing so much more, as much as that friend on IG is doing, getting so much more clout, etc.

dial it back once in a while & take stock of every “basic” thing you possess.

it’s not that basic when you imagine being without it for a while. it’s not ordinary at all.

i’m sure you already know the message here isn’t that you shouldn’t wish for more. it’s that you can appreciate the less more, even while wishing for more.

;)

to wrap this up, i’ll throw you the same question my ‘day one’ journal app threw at me earlier this week: what abundance in your life do you often overlook?

my answer - that i genuinely can’t think of any small thing around me that i’m not deeply appreciative of. a year ago that wasn’t the case, but now i don’t take any small thing for granted.

even this idiot.

now over to you; what ordinary thing do you have in abundance that you could be overlooking?

penultimate month is overrrr

and just like that november is over & out!

how did it go on your end?

if you’re nigerian reading this, i’m sure it wasn’t all that great. cos you could be in your own cocoon, doing your best & trying to have a good day/week. but the news coming from every corner of the country will throw your effort out the window.

there are a lot of terrible things happening throughout the country, it’s hard to keep a positive outlook on the future. it’s sad, even.

and the craziest part is, your hands are tied, what can you do but pray & hope for the best. pray & hope for people, pray & hope for the world.

i hope december comes with more good than exhausting news.

anyway, november was quite eventful for me. i had some fun:

Aké festival

i attended my very 1st Aké books & art festival this month & i absolutely loved it!

for those who’ve never heard of it - aké festival is a yearly 3-day event that brings together writers, poets, musicians, actors, artists, etc. to celebrate creativity, network & share stories.

i was there for 2 out of the 3 days & i’m glad i made that compromise cos my initial plan was to attend for 1 day.

it was fun & some highlights from the event were:

1. bumping into a friend i hadn’t seen since graduating primary school in 2008! he recognized me first so imagine my awe knowing i still carry some of my baby face from years ago.

2. meeting some favourite authors - Fatima Bala, Adesuwa O. Nwokedi, Femi Kayode, Olayinka Yacub, Wole Soyinka!

3. physically buying books from the store. left to me, i would carry the whole bookstore home but the idea of only having books based on how much money you have is a wild concept that needs to be put to an end (chai, but authors have to eat).

4. getting authors’ signatures on my books.

books read in november

…speaking of books, I read 8 of them this month.

super satisfying bunch.

the kite runner was a lot. for a debut book, uncle khaled did his big one.

i am malala was enlightening, fun & sad.

the devil’s advocate; steve cavanagh keeps proving to me why he’s one of my favourite thriller authors.

a forever kind of love; my top book in the adesuwa’s malomo high school series (i only read 3 of the 6 books in the series, by the way).

never lie is a psychological thriller that wasn’t so bad, & making space is a really short thriller about time travel.

what book did you read in november?

recommend any? please drop in the comments ✨

wrapping shit up

as i round this up, it’s thundering hard.

it rained heavily yesterday too.

makes one wonder how far the rain wants to follow us into the year.

we’ll see.

a teaser; reading accountability

i may have something in the works for people who want to read more books in 2026.

it’s an idea for an accountability reading community.

if you want to

• pick up a reading habit or

• do better at reading, or

• even want to start growing your physical library, one book at a time, i might be able to assist with that.

just join the waitlist for now while i set things up in advance.

more info will be passed later.

on that note, i rest my case.

thank you so much for opening this letter, for being here.

i’ll see you in the middle of december with more tea.

happy last month of the year & have a great one. 💜💤

My earliest memory of money was saving my 5naira, 10naira, etc. until it summed up to a substantial amount of 605naira.

You have no idea how proud I was to have saved that much money. A whopping sum of 605# owned by me?? I could rule the world. But I decided not to; I bought a math textbook instead.

I said let me take the load off this man’s hand (my dad) & buy myself the book instead of asking him for the money. He was proud of me & I grew an extra chip on my shoulder.

I must’ve been 10-12 years old at the time.

Money was not flowing like water growing up. It still isn’t, to be honest.

We (my siblings & I) grew up in a home where our basic needs were provided for. And that’s about it. Anything extra was a luxury.

If the excursion isn’t that expensive, sure, you could go.

Cakes were for birthdays alone. Ice cream? What was that??

But we never lacked what was necessary, & I’m forever grateful to the folks for not denying us/me of that.

So if you can’t already tell, I liked to keep money as a kid. Any small change from guests was going straight into my black purse. I never had this kolo thing (wooden piggybank, didn’t need it), my black nylon or purse was enough to store my loot.

So saving money is more than a habit to me, it’s in my bloodstream, it’s the only normal thing to do.

But that doesn’t mean I’m always good with money or have always made the right money decisions.

In fact, I remember when I missed our school department dinner in the university because I didn’t have a thing to spare.

There was no savings to save me, affording food & transport fare for the next day was more paramount than buying any event ticket. And I ended up missing out.

But let’s bring things to the present & discuss some bad & good money habits I have, maybe you can relate.

Bad money decisions/habits 🍅

1. The one time I bought a ridiculously expensive headphone because I liked how it looked on someone else.

   In my defense, it didn’t just look nice, it sounded amazing when I tested it out & I made a mental note to get one for myself.

   I’m not one to regret things, but I regretted purchasing it afterwards. I thought to myself how I could’ve gone for something less expensive with good quality instead. How I’d wasted money.

   They call it buyer’s remorse, & I’m sure you’ve had one or 2 experiences with the concept.

   We can’t change the past, but we can make better decisions going forward. I’ve always double & triple-checked expensive purchases since then.

   The good news is my headphone is still alive & we’re buddies!

2. Discovering Alixpress: I actually don’t regret this one much, cos even though I’ve bought some redundant things from that place, it has served me a whole lot more.

   I just checked the time on my digital clock/bluetooth speaker I got from Alixpress, & even if it seemed like a random purchase at the time, it’s quite useful.

   Then there’s also my reading light that doesn’t really work, & I could’ve done without buying that.

   You win some, you lose some.

   The koko is winning more than you lose :)

3. Not being able to ask for help: I categorize this under bad money habits because I could be drowning & I would rather let myself sink than ask for a little “help me up”.

   Everyone needs financial help once in a while, & I don’t think it’s a bad thing at all to ask. It’s just that I can’t bring myself to do it. To ask or borrow money when in a tight spot.

   But perhaps this awareness is a step in the right direction… for you & me both.

Good money habits 🌱

1. Spending my money on dollars: If you “dash” me 10k, there’s a 60% chance I’ll use 5k to buy dollars on Risevest.

   This has backfired a few times, when I realize I need the money for something urgent, but it’s locked in a dollar wallet I can’t easily retrieve. More often than not though, it’s a great decision.

   Because, aside from normal savings in the local currency, accruing dollars, no matter how small, for long periods, is a big step toward hedging against inflation.

   Especially with how unstable the exchange rate gets from time to time. Balance is everything, so if this makes you want to start or sit up with it, plan accordingly & vow to take responsibility for your actions. Nobody is to blame for anything you do, but you.

2. Buying a Kindle: one of the best financial decisions ever! If you’re a bookhead, invest in one. You will not regret it. I hope :)

3. Tracking my spend: I started using Money Mgr app in 2022 & it has helped me do better at tracking how much I spend on a monthly basis.

   It’s a manual process, meaning you have to log each transaction into the app, so of course, I falter sometimes & the balance doesn’t match what’s in my account, but it’s just like journaling, you keep track so you can look back & see & evaluate how your spending has changed over time.

4. Saving towards big things: My first iPhone, my travel expenses, my MacBook, basically every big thing has its own savings pocket that needs to be filled up before the purchase can be made.

   Even books are not left out. I have a book savings fund that I top up from time to time, so I don’t have to dip into my main account when I need to buy those irresistible babies.

   I’m trying to have a pocket of funds for many others, like skincare, groceries, gifts, etc. But one at a time, right?

   My money, in fact, does not grow like grass, so this is quite necessary to do.

Will hang my pen here for now.

This money gist isn’t just to let you in on how I do things; it’s also to make you reflect on your own money story.

How did you grow up & how has it affected your money habits today?

What bad money habits do you have that need improving?

And what good habits are you proud of?

If you also don’t mind sharing, what habits have you incorporated in recent times that have helped you?

Please reply to this email with it, comment under this post, or if you want to stay anonymous, share via this link.

I’d really appreciate it & might even share it in the next letter so others can benefit ;)

What are your helpful money habits?

Until end of November,

Take care, investor 💜

PS: If you’ll be at Ake Festival this year, pleaseeee lemme know so we can arrange a meet up & take pictures together! 🥹

The flier said ‘Reading Retreat in KAP Film Village’.

Investor, look at me from head to toe & tell me that does not sound like something I would dive straight into…?

I dove.

And it was unforgettable.

Did I complete the book I took along for the “reading retreat”? No. But the point is I started it ;)

The side activities stole my attention from actually reading & completing a book, & you know what?… zero complaints.

And that’s why I’m here, to give you the tea on how a weekend at Kunle Afolayan Film Village & Resort (KAP) went! 🫖

Getting to the Village from Lagos 🛬

For starters, the KAP resort really is located in a village 🛖

A village in Oyo state called Igbojaye.

I went alongside 3 other cool people & we had to get to Ibadan first. For this, we boarded the NRC (Nigeria Railway Corporation) morning train & by 11 am, we were already in Ibadan.

One thing that surprised me about the trip was how far Oyo was from Ibadan. We passed through 3 different towns to get to our destination - Iseyin, Ipapo, & Otu.

A lot of police checkpoints in between, with one delaying our vehicle for about 20 minutes.

After 3 hours & a few minutes, we got to Igbojaye; a remote village in Oyo state that houses one of the most attractive resorts in Nigeria.

Highlights of KAP

Instead of giving you a play-by-play on how the retreat went from A-Z, let’s do the highlights.

Hiking on the enormous KAP mountain 🏔️

I cannot talk about my stay at KAP without talking about the hiking activity we went on on Saturday morning.

As early as 7:30 am, everyone at the resort who was interested in the hiking activity was already gathered at the meeting point, and by past 8, we were well on our way to start climbing.

We had a designated guide who made sure everyone was properly prepped for the activity.

The huge mountain is divided into 5 levels, and we climbed in literal milestones.

Whether slow or fast, the point is for everyone to complete a level, rest, before moving to the next level & finally get to the apex.

I relate this to how wise people navigate doing hard things in general.

At first, the hard thing is like a mountain & you’re at the bottom wondering how the heck you’ll get to the top.

But the point is not to do it all at once. Or rush through it.

Like the mountain with multiple levels, the point is to break the hard thing into parts & see how you can work in levels instead of as a whole.

I surely needed this reminder & real-life example. Because I, for one, am scared of doing hard things that seem enormous from the get-go. So, I’ll keep this at the back of my mind from time to time.

You (probably) should too.

Anyway, it took us about an hour & a few minutes to get to the top of the beautiful mountain.

Observing the view of the environment from the top was highly rewarding.

And then of course the pictures, hehe.

Getting back down wasn’t as hard, but it wasn’t simple either.

‘Nice & slow’ is the name of the game.

PS: hiking at the resort is not free, N10k per person.

Touring the Anikulapo set 🎥

‘Anikulapo: Rise of the Spectre’ movie was filmed at KAP.

Luckily, I’d seen the movie beforehand, so my interest in seeing where it all happened was heightened.

The tour guide took us around the different sets, explaining things that, honestly, I wasn’t listening to. My attention was more on seeing the place, the animals & the huts & of course, taking pictures.

Somehow, my outfit matched the village look & I kept getting questions on whether this was planned.

It was ;)

Reading, Relaxing, & Book Swapping

I know I said I didn’t complete the book I took along, but I still had a good time reading it.

It’s a reading retreat after all, & we had dedicated hours to sit anywhere at the resort & read.

If I were to describe the vibe of KAP in 3 words, it would be - Relaxing, Beautiful, & Welcoming.

2 hours by the poolside, book in hand, watching people come & go, listening to that talkative parrot in the background, watching the big, cute dogs named Saro & Akin (characters from Anikulapo) welcome visitors, was a chill experience.

We also had a book swap session I was very satisfied with.

I exchanged my books ‘Only big bumbum matters tomorrow by Damilare Kuku’ & ‘The three of us Ore A. Williams’ for ‘The lost ark dreaming by Suyi D. Okungbowa’.

Happy to have those 2 out of my library & a new one in.

The beautiful views 🍃

Nature is the most beautiful thing.

I couldn’t get enough of looking, watching, observing the surroundings.

I even took a morning walk on Sunday while listening to Sleeping at Last & it felt just like what my head needed in that moment.

KAP is surrounded by animals. If animals are not your cup of tea… make them!

Goats, horses, ducks, monkeys, chickens, peacocks, they all felt like characters in the KAP story. And they are.

In fact, I was hoping to see Kimiko’s cousins walking around, maybe I could pet a few, but there were none. They must be scared of cats over there. Smh.

Wrapping KAP up

I wouldn’t have minded staying extra days at KAP, honestly, but my purse was already blinking red.

Another word to describe the place is - Expensive. Or ‘relatively expensive’ (one man’s meat is another man’s ponmo uno).

I was ready to get back to real life, where the network was good & the food didn’t cost an arm.

One of my journal prompts was: “How do you feel after leaving?”

Here’s what I penned down…

“I miss the place already, I won’t lie & I can’t help but think of the people we left behind. How the staff that welcomed us would now move on to other people & most likely forget we were ever there.

How the people we went hiking & touring with would all go back to their different spaces in the world & move on with their lives.

How we’re now memories to one another.

Life is something, you meet people, you vibe for a while, you make memories, you depart, never to meet again.”

KAP was fun. I’m glad that happened.

If you’re looking for a sign to make a trip happen before the year ends, this is it ✔️

If you got to this point, thank you so much for reading. I appreciate you 💜

By the way, we’re 3 years old! 🎉

Well, it’s not until Tuesday, 28th October, but it’s here, pretty much.

I’m really grateful to still be here 3 years later & even more so that you’re still sticking around as an investor.

Muchisimas gracias 💤

See you in November ✨

Little fun fact about me that I recently stopped running from is that I’m really good with faces.

All it takes for me to recognize you in a crowd is to have seen your picture once (or twice).

It’s why I can easily point out some of my Twitter mutuals or online friends at events, on the street, etc. Even if we’ve never interacted.

Does that make me a good observer? Partly, yeah, I think.

But it’s only a small part of the fun.

I read Joe Navarro’s “What Every Body is Saying” recently & the bigger part of the fun lies in being able to pay attention to non-verbal cues, i.e., facial expressions, gestures, physical movements, posture, etc.

‘Cos it’s one thing to say “I’m fine” & it’s another to look like you’re freezing to death while at it.

It’s why I think people who use body language to their advantage can get away with (almost) anything. Cos it’s a bigger communicator than words.

I, for example, am not really good with my words. I’m not even going to lie, I glitch sometimes when I’m trying to express myself through talking because my brain does not catch up quickly with my mouth.

So it would be in my favor to know how to use non-verbal cues in expressing myself more, where words can’t fill in the gap.

Even better to be able to read what the other person isn’t saying ;)

Anyway, let’s get into it.

8 ways to become more observant & tune into what isn’t said

1. Don’t just look, see: You know when the mind is on autopilot & you can see something, but you aren’t really seeing it. Here is when you slowly rein in the autopilotness of the mind & be aware of things. They don’t have to stick/stay. They just have to be noticed.

2. Listen more than you speak: Uncle Joe said there’s a reason why we have 2 ears & 1 mouth. Enough said.

3. Observe in context: Do I really have a cough, or am I coughing because I want you to stop talking? It’s basically noticing cues & seeing if there’s a more contextual reason for it. Sometimes there isn’t & I’m just coughing hehe.

4. Learn to recognize & decode non-verbal behaviours that are universal: for example, when people press their lips together in a manner that makes them disappear, it could be a sign that something is wrong or they’re in deep thought about an issue. The better you are at recognizing these universal cues, the better you’ll be at assessing the thoughts & feelings of others.

5. You can only know what’s abnormal when you know what’s normal: so if all of a sudden they start singing when they see someone, maybe they’re in love lmaooo.

6. Don’t stare, be subtle about it.

7. Watch the feet: Uncle Joe says the feet are the most honest part of the body. He explains why better in the book, but basically, when the face is poker-straight, the feet are usually the ones snitching, whether through tapping, touching, fidgeting, or pointing in a certain direction.

8. Wonder “why”: why are they sitting that way, what are they trying to prove? I kept wondering why Nicola from the just-concluded Love Island Games would always caress her pendant during a chat or interview. Apparently, it’s most likely a way of self-pacifying because she’s nervous. I could be wrong.

If you can only pick one thing out of this whole text, it should be to start paying more attention to your own body lingo. Those automatic body actions/reactions that snitch on you before you even think about it.

Then extend it to other people.

I’m not sure how to conclude this so I’ll just wrap it up here - pay more attention.

With love,

Chief Investing Officer 💤 💜

Yesterday was the first time I learned the difference between 'Engagement’ and ‘Reception’ in a typical wedding owambe party.

It was literally the groom who told me that it wasn’t the same thing.

And would you blame me? I don’t pay attention to much, certainly not that. I also don’t attend owambe parties much.

But yesterday, I satisfied my owambe craving.

Not only did I make it to one, but I did as a bridesmaid to one of my investors. In fact, both the bride & groom are investors of zigzagzee.

If you guys are reading this, congratulations for the umpteenth time. God bless your home.

Back to our educational class, Engagement is the traditional wedding ceremony. The one with all the drama; the good kind. The groom dances in with his groomsmen; they’d prostrate & greet both sides of the family, if the MC is a skilled one, it’s usually fun to watch.

Then the bride would also dance in with her bridesmaids (which I was part of this time, hehe).

And this dance? Energetic! I honestly don’t know how the brides do it, I don’t know how my investor babe did it, but her energy level was UP! and she danced more than anyone there.

Has me wondering if she took dance lessons weeks leading up to the big day. Cos no misses. In fact, at some point, I was mimicking her steps. And I doubt I even matched up.

Anyway, after we danced in with the bride, we faced the bride’s family, where she got their blessings to honor the fact that she didn’t solely belong to them anymore. Then we faced the groom’s family & they also prayed for & received her with open arms.

Then she headed to the big seat to join her groom & they live happily ever after, amen!

Engagement ceremonies are really beautiful to witness live. The specifics differ according to tribe & I’m looking forward to seeing other tribes outside Yoruba perform theirs.

If you’ve never been to one before, signal to me. Maybe I’ll invite you to mine in future lmao.

Reception, on the other hand, is the less serious but fun part of the ceremony.

It’s where the MC tries to keep the energy of the crowd going, where we play games, the couples have their first dance, & cut the cake (which I missed ‘cos I was downing sweet ofada rice after all that dancing).

As much as Owambe ceremonies are beautiful & fun to experience, they can also be quite expensive. All the spending on outfit, logistics, etc., as an invitee, then the spending on food, conducive hall, keeping guests entertained, etc., as the inviter.

It just highlights what the streets say: “If your skin no full, no put body”.

If you want to see more pictures, here’s my recent post on Instagram. Drop a like if you think I looked good ;)

🗓️ September

In other words, Q3 has come to an end.

I’d be lying if I said I had an impactful/productive quarter. In fact, I’m avoiding doing a review of anything. Will have to, eventually.

I hope yours was better than mine, please. Let’s not be unserious together.

📚 Books

Well, if all else fails, I’ll still read (amen). And so far in September, these are the books I’ve consumed:

Slow reading month, I’ll admit. But I don’t really mind.

For the 1st 3 fiction books, The Poppy War was my favorite. A fantasy book about a local girl figuring out what to do with her powers.

I’m still reading What Every Body is Saying & it’s shaping up to be my favorite non-fiction of the year.

It’s brought to the forefront of my mind an interest in behavioural science & psychology I never really acknowledged a likeness for, but that I absolutely really do find interesting & am willing to wholeheartedly double down in studying.

🛳️ Miscellaneous

• I featured in a podcast newsletter, where I recommended some of my recent favorite podcast episodes. Interested? Here.

• Got an airfryer! I see the hype. It saves groundnut oil.

• Trying a new skincare stash & routine ‘cos my skin is going through it. Fingers crossed it works. I can’t tell yet, but we’ll see in 3 months. Make money no waste.

• September had a lot of awareness events in it - Suicide prevention awareness, Sickle Cell, PCOS, Blood/Lung/Ovarian Cancer, Alzheimer’s & many others.

  I don’t really know what to do with this info, but I hope & pray for anyone who could be facing any health challenge right now or feeling depressed. I hope help comes soon & that you recover & be who you want to be.

• In true Zee’s fashion, I also shared some books based on some of these themes. It helps relate to it or learn how to deal with someone currently facing it.

And on that note, I’ll wrap up this September run-down. I hope to show up more in October.

I hope you’ll be here when I do.

Happy Q4. I’ll be looking out for all these motivational speeches.

With love & owambe vibes,

Stay safe, investor 💜

I dunno if you’ve seen that viral clip of a Nigerian man at the Kaaba (a sacred cube-shaped building in Mecca), where he kept chanting “fulus, fulus, fulus” (Arabic for “money”).

When the clip first made rounds, a lot of people (me included) side-eyed him like “??? At least if you will ask for money, ask for other things too init? and why so loud?”

Fast forward to me listening to a Mufti Menk podcast last week, and guess who he brought up as an example of being too dunya-focused (worldly)? Yup. My fellow Nigerian. And in my head, I was like, “Nooo, please don’t embarrass us on a global stage.”

But then, Mufti Menk explained the full story: before the “fulus fulus” part, this man had already prayed for forgiveness, health, the whole package. People who were there could testify. The money bit was just what went viral & of course, what got everyone’s side eye.

Which is actually weird when you deep it ‘cos since when has praying for more money become a shifty thing? I pray for it every day, dkm.

In fact if I find myself in front of the Kaaba tomorrow, I might do more than the guy walahi.

Anyway, it’s just another reminder of how easy it is in this era of short clips & easy consumables to think we’ve gotten the full story from 30 seconds of content. Meanwhile, we’ve only heard a part of the full thing.

It also took me back to Chimamanda’s Danger of a Single Story talk (if you haven’t watched it, please do, she ate!). Different context, but same gist: a single story can mislead, and can be untrue.

So yeah, I thought to write about this cos why not? We all need the reminder: context is everything.

August 💜

…owes me nothing.

Not like I fully understand what it means when people say that. I think they mean that the month was fulfilling…?

Because it was.

As the 1st month I experienced when I entered earth, August did me well.

From the Ghana trip, to birthday celebration and having a picnic, to the gifts & prayers gotten, to celebrating others, to going viral on Ghana TikTok & being dragged at the same time, August owes me nothing.

Glaucoma Update 👁️

This time last year was when I was diagnosed with NTG (Normal Tension Glaucoma). Since then, I’ve been subjected to monthly checkups & frequent medication.

Last week, I went for the yearly comprehensive checkup to see whether it had gotten better or worse (chileee I was scared on my way there ‘cos God please let the meds be doing their job).

And whoop! The optometrist said from my results that it’s better now than the 1st time I checked. A lot of medical jargon was spewed, but the bottom line is that it’s looking good & phew… the relief.

It’s not over though, and I still have to keep up with dem medications & monthly checks, but where we’re at is better than where we were so alhamdulilah.

Take this as a sign, investor. If your gut is telling you something, e.g., check your eyes, etc., listen to it. Better safe than sorry uno.

Books Read 📚

All the excitement and activities that came with August gave me a slow reading month, which I welcomed with open arms.

I didn’t even bother fighting it.

The Teller of Secrets by Bisi Adjapon is a Ghanaian-Nigerian themed book about the life journey and growth of Esi from when she was 9 years old to 21. Aside from the fact that it was a funny read, I loved seeing the parallels of being a Ghanaian & a Nigerian from her point of view. There’s a lot more to the story. I recommend 👍🏻

Season of Crimson Blossoms by A. A. Ibrahim twisted my head & had my mouth open in temporary shock. The story is definitely non-conventional, I’ll tell you that. If you pick it up, whatever your eyes see, take it.

The rest of them are non-fiction books that I didn’t want to sit too long on my TBR. Hence, the rushed read.

Wrapping up 💤

In all of these, I’m not oblivious to the fact that August was probably some people’s worst month.

And if you’re one of them, I say a prayer for you. May the coming months bring about ease & answered prayers.

Let’s do what we can, from where we are.

Everything else will take care of itself.

Like I read in Mel Robbins Let Them Theory;

Ending this with a photo of Kimiko ‘cos it’s been a long time since you saw him/it 🐈

With love & everything nice 💜

Stay safu ;) 💤

Hola investor 🤙🏼

Here’s link to Part 1, ICYMI 📌

Day 2 in Ghana 🇬🇭

Rise & shine, it’s…

Accra City Tour day!

And this was the final point of realization of my anti-adventurous nature.

Because had this been a solo trip instead of a group one, I would’ve stayed in, wrapped myself up in a cozy blanket, and filled my time with books or movies.

Adventure be damned! (or maybe it’s just laziness talking)

But that wasn’t the case, so instead, I found myself at the…

Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park 🎡

This place holds the history of Kwame Nkrumah, the Prime Minister & 1st President of Ghana (formerly known as the Gold Coast) — his legacies, family history, some of his personal items, sculptures, and more.

We were shown around the park by a tour guide while she walked us through his life journey.

One part of the gist that stood out for me here was hearing how many times his body/remains were exhumed and moved from one place to another before its final resting place at the park.

Copped a Ghana jersey here for myself on the way out. Caught my eye. 👕

The Black Star Square ★

…with my main activities here being just walking around the large field, taking pictures of myself and the cats, and observing the whole city while mentally comparing it to Lagos.

Fun fact: The monopoly of traffic jams doesn’t rest solely on the shoulders of Lagos. Ghana might be a close 2nd.

Food tried on Day 2:

• Fried yams & chicken sauce — tasted lovely!

• Waakye (pronounced wah-chey), with fish, garri, egg, ponmo, and plantain. — My plate had a lot going on, I couldn’t finish it & I didn’t enjoy the dish the way I remember enjoying it during my childhood.

We returned to base early & I spent the rest of the night starting the book — The Teller of Secrets by Bisi Adjapon & falling asleep to Netflix’s To Kill a Monkey.

Day 3 in Ghana/Final exploration day

Shai Hills Reserve 🧗🏽‍♀️

The Baboons.

We were welcomed here by Baboons just hanging around everywhere.

One of them even snatched food off our bus & ran away with it. I’ll share a clip of this on my TikTok.

Aside from the Baboons, this is where we came to go hiking and mountain climbing.

Man, climbing those ropes looks easier in movies. I was humbled.

We walked around here admiring the views from the top of the mountains and also climbing up & back down. It was a good workout.

Buffet Lunch at The Royal Senchi 🍽️

Food, food, food.

The Royal Senchi is an all-you-can-eat buffet restaurant with a beautiful & welcoming ambience. There were a lot of things to grab & try.

I tasted fancy things like Tiramisu, Mushrooms, Panna Cotta, Ham & Cheese, different kinds of salads, goat meat light soup (a less spicy version of Nigerian pepper soup), jollof & tilapia, etc.

Omo. My taste buds didn’t vibe with a lot of them so it was mostly “taste & drop”.

Favorite meals were the salads and the plantains.

It was my 1st time tasting mushrooms & never again!

As for the jollof? didn’t finish it.

Boat Cruise by Adomi Bridge 🛳️

After a change of clothing, we hopped onto a speed boat and took a 30mins ride to the Adomi Bridge.

Here, the man on the wheel was narrating the history behind the bridge while driving us around, but at this point, my ears were blocked.

I was instead looking around at the large body of water, wondering what would happen if…

Anyway,

And after this, it was back to base & goodbye to the land of Akwaaba & Chale 🇬🇭

A highlight

Something crazy & almost scary happened on Day 2.

When we got back to base, one of us suddenly discovered she had lost her bag. This was a really cute bag that if it were the only thing we couldn’t find, I’d still be pained for her.

But it wasn’t just the bag that went missing. The bag contained other items and, MOST IMPORTANTLY, her iPhone 16 Pro Max!

Apparently, she had misplaced it at the place where we went to get food before coming back home.

It took them 2 hours to go looking & come back from the market where they suspect it was forgotten.

The highlight, the miracle, was that it was found! I couldn’t believe it.

The shop owner had kept it aside, hoping the owner would come back for it. They (shop owner) also saw the iPhone 16 Pro Max in the bag, took it, & kept it specially in hopes that it’ll be claimed soon. And it was.

I was flabbergasted.

The honesty of Ghanians?? A highlight.

Another scenario of this was another friend forgetting their tripod stand in an Uber, and the driver calling back the next day to inform them of the tripod left behind.

I said wow.

If there’s one thing we all can learn from them as a collective, it’s this.

And on that note my investors, my 3 days in Ghana comes to a close.

*dramatically bows out*

Thank you so much! for tagging along.

Again, any questions or enquiries, don’t hesitate to drop a message.

‘Like’ if you liked reading this, so I know you did ♥

If you’re not subscribed yet, please doooo ⤵️

Also share with friends & haters hehe:

PS: It’s my birthday on the 16th of August (Saturday), if you can, your well wishes would be great.

With love from Ghana (well I’m back now but still), ciao investor 💜💤