My 2025 Highlights

The year is finally over! For me, this year has been jam packed with lots of fun and new experiences which I’ll share:

1. Nigeria

In May, my mum and I travelled to Nigeria for 3 weeks. Like last year it was so much fun, loved embracing my culture, and spending time with family. It was quite chill in regards to travel as it was just my mum and I, so waiting for copious amounts of luggage wasn’t a problem this time ( last year 7 of us went and we had a total of 21 luggage).

I think most of the calmness came from the moment we decided to fly into Abuja, Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, instead of Lagos. Lagos is always chaos. But stepping out the plane into the airport in Abuja was delightful. No shouting, pushing, or crowds. The airport staff didn’t ask for money, and we didn’t have to pay for luggage trolleys. If I were to come to Nigeria on my own, I would only do it through flying into Abuja.

Abuja is a beautiful city. Calm streets no traffic, people obey the traffic lights and stay in their lane.

The food was delicious (as always). There was a particular restaurant we especially loved- The Village Chief- went there twice. The best yam fries, pepper sauce, asun I’ve had.

I also made new connections. One being a designer, Nazar, her brand is called Bruch. She managed to make 3 outfits for me in 3 weeks which were stylish and 100% me. Until now she has made me over 10 outfits.

After 3 days in Abuja we went to our house in Obosi, the true destination of the trip where we were the majority of the time. That’s where I made a new connection with one of my cousins who I didn’t get to meet last year. I baked some cakes and meat pie. My mum is always sending my uncles and aunts pictures of my bakes so I knew there was no way I can come to Nigeria without baking something. I baked lemon drizzle cake and banana bread.

Those 2 weeks in Obosi were full of laughter and relaxation. Spending time with family always makes me happy. Especially my Uncle Iyke, who came to stay for a few days. He always teases me and demands I must speak Igbo and that I must eat swallow (fufu). One morning when all he saw me drink was Hollandia for breakfast, he once again berated me. Sadly, my uncle died unexpectedly in August. I’m happy I spent time with him one last time.

I enjoyed going to church in Nigeria. The church we went to is the same as what we go to in Nottingham. But the key difference was the singing. Nothing can top the power and passion heard within the voices of the choir and congregation. We went to 2 places in Nigeria for church. In Abuja there was a conference so lots of people were there. The choir did the most amazing rendition of the song ‘Gethsemane’. Even in the humidity of that chapel, I was enthralled by their singing.

We then went to church the next week in a congregation that was small. Even so, their voices were loud and full of vigor. It was even more impressive because we did it in a capella as there was no pianist. It was so disappointing coming back home to the sombre singing in Nottingham.

Overall, Nigeria was an amazing experience and hopefully will go again in the near future.

2. Norway/Festinord

The first week of August I travelled to Norway with friends. We went for a week long YA church convention which was full of fun activities. It was my first time travelling abroad without family so I was a bit nervous but mostly excited. It was a moment where I truly felt like an adult: looking at flights, buying my ticket, looking after my passport.

We flew in a day early so we could explore Oslo before travelling down to the Oslofjord convention centre. From what I’ve seen in Norway, it’s the cleanest place I’ve ever been to. The people are friendly, they’re also very fit. People were either walking or cycling. All the Ubers we took were electric and Teslas.

The main attraction we explored was the Vigeland Sculpture Park, which is famous for its nude sculptures. The sculptures represent different forms of human relationships and emotion. My favourite, also the most famous, was the sculpture of the ‘Angry Boy’. His hand is so worn out from people touching it.

In Oslo we also visited the palace, walked around the city, ate some delicious baked goods, then bought some souvenirs. The mythical troll originates from Norway so there were lots of figures, even bought a couple of mini troll figures myself.

After our jam packed Oslo tour we then headed down to the convention centre. There were lots of people from around the world attending this week long event, around 800 of us altogether. It was fun meeting new people. The week consisted of different activities, workshops, and parties. My favourite workshop which was pretty entertaining was the one to do with dating. There was a married couple talking about finding the right one and having high standards. The highlight of the session was when the woman talked about her dating days of when she went on 100 dates with different guys and noted them down in a notebook. My other highlight was the last party which was the gala, we had to dress to impress and everyone looked amazing.

Norway was a fun experience, my friends and I are planning to go to Festinord again next year which will be hosted in Finland.

3. FSY

In my church we have a worldwide programme for youth aged 14 to 18 called FSY. It’s a week long residential filled with activities and workshops and I went as a counsellor. I had a group of young women who I was responsible for. It was my third time doing FSY and it’s always a rewarding, though very tiring, experience.

4. Baking Business

As I’ve mentioned earlier, I love to bake. So I thought I might as well get some money from it! It’s not something that I’m looking to expand as baking is something I see as a relaxing escape but choosing when I want to provide this service is the perfect balance between business and pleasure. I have hugely improved in my piping skills. If you’re in Nottingham or surrounding areas, buy some sweet treats off me!

Now for some quick fire highlights:

Saw my big bro get married and gained a new sister! They also had the most beautiful wedding in Spain and I had fun partying.
Explored some cities in England I’ve never been to before with my boyfriend – Sheffield, Manchester, Hull.
Have been to at least 20 new restaurants/takeouts/cafes this year, my boyfriend and I always try to eat somewhere new each time we go out.
1 year anniversary with my boyfriend
Went to my first ice hockey game with friends and we won the match! Go Panthers!
Watched my dad graduate!
Made new friends and strengthened existing ones
Went to IKEA for the first time!