Highlights of my journey to 24

What a year! I’m sure when I wrote the highlights of my journey to 23, I didn’t imagine the next year would have this many surprises. Nevertheless, my journey to 24 has been an experience worth documenting.

First things first, I thank God for the year. You see, this year made me appreciate my faith in God so much. I am blessed to be His child and to have a hope that goes beyond this world.

Many things happened in the world generally, coupled with my personal experiences, that were overwhelming and spiked uncertainty from a human perspective. But God! Sometimes, I was tempted to focus on what didn’t go well but God is always faithful. I am certain that He is very thoughtful of me and has my best interest at heart. God walked with me through everything and that made all the difference.

Even down to the teachings and fellowships I had this year, He was intentional in keeping my heart fixed on Him and building me up. My Abba took great care of me in every aspect of life. I thank God for everything. Please, help me thank Him, too.

Now, to some other highlights of the year.😌

Had some fun

I spent most of the year at home. No thanks to the pandemic and my laziness to go out. Nevertheless, I had some fun. I saw a brilliant musical stage play, “Ada, The Country”. I visited quite a number of restaurants, thanks to all my dates. Then, I also went to the London Aquarium. It was a lovely experience. God created beauty!

At the aquarium with my compulsory face accessory

Became a chartered accountant

After about 4 years of exams and getting relevant experience, I am now an ACCA qualified accountant. It happened at the beginning of the pandemic so it was nice to have such good news. I also got a suffix to my name, Oyinkansola Odunlami ACCA. 😌

Took a break from work

Last year, I thought a lot about taking a break from adulting. I was tired of moving from one serious thing to the other. From school to professional exams to work, I just wanted some time off to relax. Finally, I prepared for it and resigned from my job in March with a plan to rest for about 3 months before starting my new adventure.

I still think it was a good decision. I felt free in some way. I had extra time for my spiritual devotion, created amazing content for Colours & Flavours, improved my cooking skills, learnt new things and relaxed.

Then, reality hit me. The pandemic disrupted my plan. From my 3 months holiday off work, I officially become unemployed. As the months kept passing by, I got nervous about the gap that would be on my CV. I wanted to get back to work but it wasn’t as simple as I wished.

Moved to another country

It was delayed by the lockdown and travel restrictions but I finally started my new adventure. I moved to the UK. Yup, I now live in another country. It has been a good experience so far but it’s pretty cold now and I miss my people.

I have also not loved the job search so far. This is the first time that I have had to seriously look for work and submit job applications. It has only been a few weeks but it never feels good when I get an email that my application was unsuccessful or not get feedback at all. Even in the midst of this though, I thank God. I know that God is good and I am loved. So, I can trust Him to make everything work out together for my good. That is the way I make sense of things.

On a happy day in London

Now in a long-distance relationship

It is amazing to say that I am still happily in love with the same man. Dating has been a learning experience but I’m loving it. I shared a bit about it on the podcast.

Since I’m not in Nigeria, we are currently in a long-distance relationship. Without a doubt, I prefer living in the same country. I won’t say it is difficult but you must put in the work to make your relationship work. I also get the occasional reminder of what I’m missing when I see other couples publicly displaying their affection to each other. It can be annoying sometimes but yeah, this is what it is for now.

Anyway, I look forward to sharing more about this highlight in the future. I’m also open to suggestions and advice for a successful long-distance relationship. Feel free to share in the comment section. Thanks.

Cheers to year 25!

My journey to 24 did not go as I imagined but God was faithful through all of it. As I have learnt, God is providential. The events of my life will only lead to where God wants it to go. He is my good Shepherd so I can trust Him with my life.

A big thank you to everyone who made me feel special on my birthday. I love you guys. I thought I only enjoyed some parts of the day because I missed my people back in Nigeria and the weather wasn’t great. However, when I woke up the next morning, I felt loved and was grateful for the day. So, thank you for every message, call, prayer and gift. It was a lovely birthday.