And 730 Days Later

I am back! I finally grabbed my laptop, opened my blog and started typing… this! I wish you could see my face. I am kinda hiding it coz how in the world do I disappear for two whole years? But also, I have a big smile on because I’ve been waiting to get to this moment since last year.

But why did it take you this long, girl? Well, my friends…it’s simple, life be lifing sometimes. It has taken me in so many other directions that I am still in shock myself honestly! Today is the day I tell you ALL about my life (well, not all … all … but most of it at least)! You ready? Let’s go!

SO

✨ June 22^nd, 2021, my brother drove me to Pearson International Airport and I left Toronto to go to Burundi. At first, it was so that I could take care of my mama who had started the year really sick (she had koveed and was in the hospital for 3 months). But Burundi is home! So I ended up staying for 6months … 1 year … 1 ½ year … and now almost 2 years. Even after mama left for work.

✨ I started creating videos on IG coz it’s been the vibe these past few years and frankly speaking, although writing comes very easy to me, creating videos has been fun. I have learned a lot. I’ve taught myself how to film on iPhone, edit on inshot and cupcut but I still can’t create tiktok videos. Somebody teach me, please!

✨ In January 2022, I found myself managing a group of dope girls while working at the FIRST ever Kids only hair salon in Bujumbura. Hello Zuli Kids Salon! Talking about challenge? This has been an interesting one. This girl here has obviously never had to manage people before, let alone a whole business. That’s how you know I am so very blessed to be surrounded by people who believe in me in ways that I don’t necessarily believe in myself. #Nda_Shima

✨ I started working with a group of bloggers in Bujumbura as a content creator and it’s been nothing short of a blessing. It has opened me new doors and has challenged me to create content in Kirundi. Ikirundi mvuga ubu nanje kirantanganza pe!(sinzi nuko ndavyanditse neza)

✨ NOW… if you’ve been reading this far, you’re probably thinking wow, all this sounds so cool. But let me break that feeling and give you a ‘not so cool’ news: my 14 year long relationship ended!!! THE relationship that I’ve written about a couple times on this blog. Yep! That one. I’m not gonna share more today tho, I will let you take that one in first.

Should I keep going?

Okay, if you insist!!

✨ I’ve visited a few African cities since I moved to Burundi. Nairobi, Mombasa, Diani, Zanzibar (twice), Durban and Dubai. My favourite so far: Zanzibar but also Mombasa and Diani. Travelling to Kenya had me considering moving there mwibaze. But I will wait until Sharon Mundia is my bestie so I can spend my days with her a learn a whole bunch of Content Creator tricks from her.

✨ I am actually sitting by the beach in Zanzibar as I am writing this.

✨ We organized Papa’s memorial last December (2022) and that was extremely emotional.

✨ I’ve become the host of IMPAMBA which is an event -something like a masterclass- that happens every last Thursday of the month and you wanna know what’s cool? Mama was my guest for the month of December. So dope!

I mean, … this is a lot, right?

BUT,

None of this really explains why I disappeared on you, my loyal readers! And to be completely honest, I don’t think there is any valid reason to that, if it’s not that I kinda lost my appetite for writing along the way! Moving countries has definitely not helped because that meant changing my routine, the way I was used to doing things, getting used to a slow AF internet, and you know what else? The feeling that nobody was interested in reading my blogs anymore.

THEN

 I met this girl – we’re going to call her Bee – at work. We were talking about writing and blogging and she mentioned that she used to read my blog. She asked me why I had stopped and I told her I don’t really know. She urged me to start writing again and I thought to myself: heck nah, I don’t even have the time for it now.

I then started going around asking my friends if I should get back to blogging and they were all like … GIRL YES!

And here we are! Mwikomere amashi rero! I can’t promise you to be as consistent as I was back in the day (read: six years ago) but I will try! Coz truthfully speaking: I LOVE BLOGGING! I do! I just need to not care much if people in general are more into 5second videos now (hi TikTok, hi Reels!) and less into reading beautifully written and hearthfelt blogs like this one! Hihi!

So, Imma stop here before I loose you! It feels sooo good to be doing this again. I’ve got two more post coming for you this month so you better come back here next week!

Lots of love,

Dee