If you’d like to do it with me or whenever, just share the link so we can keep on with each other. 🙂

Day 1 : “Describe your personality.”

2/12/2022

This is a tricky one of sorts because they vary. As I step into more roles that require me to present myself a different way than I did before, the personality(ies) I embody also change. Sometimes I’m bubbly, receptive and open to what’s going on around me, and other days, well, I’d rather curl up in a little warm ball after taking some shrooms and keep to me.

Growing up, is truly interesting, I’ve had questions answered before I even could voice them, even internally, feeling my body, mind and soul morphing and changing to accommodate the woman I say I am growing into. It’s inevitable, so why am I so against it?

It’s taken me back to 2018.

2018

2018

2018

“the past is just a point of reference, not reflection.”

I’ve realised I had so much hurt to let go of. So much pain, in my root, my womb, my gut, my heart, my throat, my mind and my soul.

I could pin who but I don’t know who it is. {who I am.}

So that answers day 1.

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Day 2: Things that make me happy

3/12/2022

🍃🧚🏾‍♀️🍄✨🎶💃🏾💦🌈🔥🌤🌧🫧🥑🍍🫔🥘🥟🍜🍷🧋🏐🤸🏾‍♀️🧘🏾‍♀️🎤📸📹🎙🎥💸💵💴💶💷💰💳💎🪬💚

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Day 3: A memory

4/12/2022

This one’s interesting as well. I seem to do just fine remembering things until I’m asked a question like this one.

Memory.

A myriad of images are flying across my mind as she indecisively tries to pick what works but I’ll settle for what has crossed my mind now. It was 2019. We had just broken off for the Christmas holidays when my boyfriend and his friends suggested we do a fun trip farther north in our state. This was in Punjab, North East India so we chose Manali, a reportedly great holiday destination. We’d tackle a 9hr hike to Kheer Ganga then back before we return to our campus. We were quite excited if I’m being honest as none of us had been on a hike so big especially in the winter. Setting off on an 11 o’clock bus that was in need of more than a “fix me up,” we headed farther North. It was below 6 degrees Celsius as we left the town and it steadily dropped as our journey commenced. In the bus, 5 members of our group sat while the other 7 decided to ride all the way to Manali. One of my best friends, Denise, Prince, Ramesh plus Kofi and I.

On the way there, it was quite fun and even when we made our stops at Mandi, it was exciting. Not the experience the girls were expecting but we revelled in it all the same. I mean we were already there so why not make the most of it.

Through out, my boyfriend held my hand like his life depended on it, and I needed it, it was at a time my inner turmoil stole me from the present so it was grounding to have him remind me to stay with the moment. After about 10 hours, we finally arrived to a town near Manali, having braved the winding slopes and almost “too carefree” bus drivers that literally seemed swerve around the curves. In terrible need of sleep, we took camp at a little inn, warming our hands with steaming mugs of chai. Finally a second bus arrived after about an hour of waiting and we boarded to connect to Manali. Dawn was breaking at this time and we could see the snow filled town slowly waking up with the sound of roaring wind replaced by horses and the crunch of residents going about their day.

We started the slow climb on the narrow steeply set roads, past a couple of cherry blossoms and came to a slow stop along a road looking out to the mountains,

What a view!

For a moment there, we even forgot our finger tips and toes were crying for warmth as we took in the view. (It really was freaking cold!) We got a nice hotel facing the mountains and then prepared to freshen up as we awaited our biker friends. Three hours passed and they still hadn’t made it. We wondered what was wrong and since there was no network, it got even harder to get in touch. Denise, whose boyfriend was part of the biker crew, was besides herself. She was so worried for him and we waited. 5 hours later, they pulled up and we were brought up to speed with the information that one of the bikes had malfunctioned in the middle of the journey, at 4am, on the slopes so there was no way they’d source help. At least they had made it, we all consoled. We got some chicken fried rice and beers from a nearby pub and then reconnected in our rooms to prep for the journey ahead . We had to be ready.

Now what made this trip special is we were doing it without the guidance of any tourist agency. It was purely wanderlust and adventure fuelled energy as we ventured deep into the Himalayas so everything was basically a discovery. We set off 3 hours later than we had intended the next day (because only one shower had hot water) and after a heavy meal, we were on our way. It was fun to talk and get to know more about the party as we climbed up and down and around the steep slopes. We were all new to this so everything was exceptional. The view was so intricately beautiful as the sun had melted most of the snow away and we could navigate quite fast. We passed by hill encompassed motels and lodges that housed locals that could barely speak but had the kindest smiles to offer. Taking pictures with my old camera at every turn that offered smothering different. By the time the route was this good, what more when we get to the top? We loudly mused.

Onward we went until the hot sun bore down on us but we knew we couldn’t stop as we had about 8km to get to the camp site at Kheer Ganga. We watched in awe as we saw locals laden with 30kg+gas cylinders on their shoulders, making their way up having hiked from the town below and trying to get it home as soon as they could. We kept moving, trudging and soon the harsh yellows, turned into mellow oranges and the most heavenly sunset broke out on the horizon. Here, on a small bridge above some rapids on a white water river sourced from the Himalayas, we watched in awe as the Indian firmament was painted lush oranges, pinks and soft yellows. This only lasted for about 15 minutes because shortly after, a local warned us that the sunset only lasts for a bit and then you have to run to your sleeping place. He wasn’t wrong because a gloomy shadow seemed to loom. We kept moving.

There were jokes about mountain lions and snow tigers as we climbed and we kept laughing til we heard a howl. Welp… time to climb faster. We picked up the pace and soon enough, we saw a sign that said , “Kheer Ganga, 2km.” Fuelled by that, we enthusiastically trudged on and came by a forest mini bar with other hikers. Singing loudly and dancing. It was so fun and freeing to all exist in that single moment, people from different races, countries and all walks of life, honouring the one journey we had all chosen to take and as it got darker, we continued until we saw a light at the top of the steep slope we were climbing.

Our camping site.

The light emanated from a central point of the camp at Kheer Ganga and we saw what we thought were hikers moving about, sitting around fireplaces and exchanging stories about the land. Our party was just happy to make it and we quickly went to the head tent in order to check in and get our supplies for the night. There was a warm room where a local central heating point had been placed and we all cozied around, talking about the journey and our expectations. The snow had completely melted by this time and one of the camp hands informed us that there wouldn’t be snow fall until the next week. We were excited, because that meant we’d get a chance to dip into the natural hot pool on the mountain the next day. We had some egg fried rice and chai then headed over to our tent to sleep. Being the only Africans there, the 5 of us decided to squeeze into one tent which was not the best idea because one of the couples decided to f*ck while we slept. (It’s not the best thing being woken up by the grunts of someone being dicked down in your ear) Shortly after that though, we felt something bearing down on our tent. This was at about 3am and on stepping out, it was snowing quite heavily. We were excited and immediately threw on our boots to go and jump in the snow, rolling snow balls and make snow angels (that wasn’t possible because the coldness and wetness just wasn’t your mate.)

Of course this got boring fast and we went back into our tent to get some much needed rest and the rest of the day, we would finish touring the camp and the reachable spots on the mountain as well as dip into the hot pool. Only a handful of us dipped into the pool as it was too cold the next day and the rest of us didn’t want to hassle. As it drew to 11am though, they warned us that the snow wasn’t going to stop that day so it wouldn’t be safe for us as the chances of an avalanche were high so they didn’t want to endanger us. Our Indian friends wanted to risk and stay the night but the African in us just said no. ❤️

We packed our stuff immediately and began…

The Descent.

Where to start… right, the beginning of what seemed like the end. Remember it had snowed quite heavily during the night so the slopes were wet, slippery and just not the ideal condition for a descent but it had to be done and at 1pm, we set off back to the little town where the rest of our stuff was. We joked along the way just to keep our spirits up but the dreariness of the weather quickly dampened that down and we went down in silence. Save for the howling of the wind and the occasional sound made when one of us slipped,( don’t forget the laughter,) there wasn’t much talking and after about an hour, we got to the forest mini bar we had passed the day before. There was nothing to show for the merriment that had been shared the day before except the forest logs covered in show that we had sat on. Even the fireplace was covered in inches of snow. All the slopes were too slippery and many a time, we found ourselves crouching just to avoid slipping too far. We eventually got to the “cute” little bridge where we’d watched the sunset but now, the “cute” rapids just raged ferociously from the bottom.

I broke down. A barrage of tears that I didn’t even know had been building the whole trip just poured and I sobbed. My boyfriend held me close and for what seemed like eternity, I cried into his chest. It was too much. It felt like the end, and for some reason, the realness of the whole situation hit me in that moment. Denise, Prince and Mega had already gone ahead having wanted to reach early and we could only make out their figures from a distance. Kofi assured and reassured me that all would be well and I grudging followed him down the steep slope towards the river and we made it safely across. He didn’t let my hand go for the rest of the trip.

Convinced we were on our own for the rest of the trip, we resolutely made our way through the increasing snow, trying to follow the quickly fading trail that had been left by our friends. Darkness was falling fast and yet according to Kofi’s watch, it was 4:30. Onward we went, until we got to the main town on the mountain that we had passed earlier on in the hike but all the residents were either indoors or had relocated to the safer towns down the hill. It was dead quiet save for the harsh mountain wind. I followed in the path Kofi was paving for us through the snow as we talked just to pass the time by. At this juncture, we had lost sight of our people and were only using our memory to navigate the slopes. Looking out for major landmarks proved almost impossible as everything was blanketed in snow. The cute slopes we had navigated with ease earlier had quickly turn angry as every step was accompanied with a quick prayer of gratitude for life.

It was about 6:30 when we got to a familiar turn towards the last bridge close to the town we’d resided in earlier that things seemed to turn south. Literally.

Kofi and I took a turn southward, trying to get to what we thought was the bridge. We could hear the sound of the river and by this time, it was completely dark and we could only make out what was in-front of us with the flashlight on the phone. We were quite happy to know we were only a few minutes away from the town, not knowing it could have been a few minutes away from our deaths. Suddenly, we heard a voice of a man calling to us;

“Eeh, bhai, that’s wrong path”

Huh?

We froze, trying to assess the situation and our angel sent from heaven repeated the statement. We saw a flashlight move from somewhere behind me and we went back towards him to which he then repeated, “you’re going wrong way. Follow me.” And we did, until he got us to the town. We thanked him profusely and offered him a tip, a small token for the big gift he’d just given us. It’s not everyday that one gets saved from drowning in a fast flowing ice cold mountain river. We got to the hotel and tried to get as warm as possible. The next day, the whole town relocated to the lower towns as the snowfall didn’t stop, and we managed to get onto a bus back to Jalandhar.

With renewed respect for life, mountains and my man, everything changed. It was one of my biggest turning points in 2019. Big shout out to my boo for not letting go until we got home. ❤️

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Day 4: Places I want to visit 

Ouuu this one is interesting. I am actually one of those women that aspire to have checked off all the countries in her passport, so help me God. I actually had a travel blog before but mad anxiety made me delete it. It’s so funny how getting in over ourselves has us tripping, and for no reason at all. For now I’m at 5/195. I’ll see if I can get more travel content on here, but let’s get into it. 

Uganda 

I’d love to see all parts of Uganda tbh, to document and also revel in the Ugandan glory that our scenic Pearl offers. I come from Jinja so best believe, I have a high standard when it comes to natural experience fulfilment, even though I haven’t exhausted the town. So I’ll start with home then branch out to the rest of the country. Although just a small list of about 10 spots, just to answer the question 

• Mushroom Tripping Vacation at Sipi Falls 
• And every other pretty place 

Africa 

Like I said, I’m all for visiting the whole world and currently, that’s where my savings go. I’d love to see more of East and West Africa as well as South and North. Just to list a few;

• Rwanda Canopy Walk
• Zanzibar 
• Masai Mara in Kenya 
• South Africa (deep dive) 
• Pyramids of Giza 
• Pool of death, Zambia 
• Ngorongoro Crater 

Asia 

• Floating Market in Bangkok, Thailand 
• Fly over the Himalayas, Nepal 
• Hike Mt. Kinabalu, Malaysia 
• Beijing’s Forbidden City 
• Visit the rice gardens in Bali 
• Enchanted River, Philippines 
• Tokyo, Japan 
• Komodo Dragon National Park 
• Walk the Great Wall of China 
• Eat sushi in Japan and shoot in a bamboo forest. 

Europe 

• Gondola ride in Venice 
• Watch the Eiffel Tower light up in Paris
• Walk the Berlin Wall
• Visit castles in Germany 
• Sailing in Croatia 
• Visit a tulip field and windmill towers in Netherlands 
• Drink vodka in Russia 
• Sunset watching in Santorini. 
• Go for the Opera in Vienna 
• Eat pizza and gelato while sipping on wine in Italy.

South America 

• Hike in the Amazon Jungle 
• Wining in Chile 
• Diving in Bolivia 
• Visit a Caribbean island 
• Christ the Redeemer statue. Always saw this on my class books, I hope to see it in person. 
• Swing at the end of the world 
• Sandboarding in Chile. 
• Dance salsa in a dance class 
• Amantani island, Peru. 

Central America 

• Visit the Tikal Jungle in Guatemala. Scout out some psychedelics too 
• Whale watching at the coast 
• Caves in Copan, Honduras 
• Zip Line in San Jose, Costa Rica 
• The Blue Hole, Belize 
• A Mayan Road Trip 
• Learn how to surf in El Salvador 
• Party in San Pedro
• Hike in Miraflor Natural Reserve. 

North America 

Mmh. This one is home to some beautiful spots so it’s surely on my bucket list as well. 

• Most places.

Australia

Rumour has it that this is the devil’s lair so it’s really mixed feelings if I’m being honest. I’m not even a coward like that but I have no desire to tempt the devil. Miss me with that.

Festivals 

• Coachella 
• Panorama 
• AfroPunk 
• AfroChella 
• Tomorroworld
• Summer fest 
• Lollapalooza

I’ll keep updating but for now, that’s day 4.

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Day 5: my parents 

Okay… my parents are Paul George Bateeze and Genevieve Katherine Bateeze Bakibinga. 

They’re pretty cool and I love them both very much. Mum represents the OG Jack of all trades in my life closely followed by Snoop Dogg. While growing up, we all feared her so much. We actually nicknamed her Hitler because every-time she’d open her door, it was like a world war. Everyone would run or take cover. Now that we’re older, we’re friends. 

Dad is one of the kindest men I’ve ever met as he’s a really gentle soul. He slaves to put other people’s needs first and sometimes it’s at the expense of himself or his family but he still comes through. Over the years, watching him grow older, I see the pain in his eyes, the exhaustion but I learnt that it’s not my cross to bear, or carry. He chose the life he chose and that’s okay.

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If you’re reading this, thanks for keeping up. 🤍