Dreams on the Open Road 💭

I have spent most of my life in Lagos and it was often around the walls of school and work. I have graduated university recently and my dream now is to explore and just try new things. Travelling had always been at the top of that bucket list.

My intention was to use the next phase of my life which was the upcoming NYSC scheme (Nigerian Youth Service Corp) to be able to go on a Solo trip and just meet new people, eat new food and experience a new culture. The thought of sitting in a car, plugging in my headphones, rolling down the windows and just letting the soft wind from the passing cars brush against me feels so refreshing.

Nigeria is a large and culturally rich country. All the regions across the 36 states has something unique to offer, the language, the dressing style, the food which I am most keen on trying or even the way people interact with strangers. I always thought it would be exciting to see these things with my own eyes and feel the experiences firsthand instead of just hearing the stories about them.

However, reading the news of how people are constantly being kidnapped, robbed and killed on the road while travelling and even crashes that happen due to the bad road and reckless driving is discouraging. We all value our lives 😭.

Even after the NSYC, I wanted to explore as many states as possible, especially the northern part of Nigeria. The people of the North seem very interesting, I love their accent especially.

I really want to just get into a car, blast music and move to every part of my country, maybe even stopping in small towns, trying local food, taking pictures, and learning about the history of those places. It sounds like the kind of adventure that would live rent free in my head for a lifetime. Why even stop there, I could even go across the borders of Nigeria but then reality sets in and a question keeps coming to my mind

Is it really worth it?

I am not from a very rich family. God forbid, if I ever got kidnapped, that would probably be the end of me because I don't know how my family would ever raise the amount of money the captors would be demanding.

When I also think of the other dangers of the road that could lead to an unfortunate event, I just feel like it isn't worth it.

I understand that life itself is a risk and if you do not try new things and make theses moves, you will not grow and would probably have regrets; and that is one thing I honestly don't want to feel.

My positive thoughts sometimes are dominant and try to encourage me to be bold and chase the adventure I am craving. But other times, my mind just gets conflicted on the steps to take because of fear of the unknown.

✨ Hive Learners Prompt Week 207 Episode 02: A SOLO TRIP