October
When I was younger, my mom often said things “shack” me. If you don’t know what that means, it’s essentially excitement about something to the point of hyperfixation. Well, I haven’t changed. With October comes Halloween, and since this was the first time I would have a costume, I had to do it right. I spent the first week of October curating all I needed and ordering what I didn’t already have. I still have a Pinterest board titled “Halloween” because of this.
I also went to an all-you-can-eat buffet in Surulere, except it was a limited menu and not “all I could eat”. Not even close to 10% of all I CAN eat if we’re being objective here, but whatever. At this buffet, I would meet two people who I would meet countless other times before the year ended, unbeknownst to me. Things like this are why I love retrospection. I love being able to look back on things, knowing that small actions that didn’t matter at the time are now of the utmost importance. The general idea that things happening right now may not make sense until you can look back is calming.
The Rundown
I discovered Buju’s “Love Made Me Do It”, one of my favourite songs this year.
October marked the end of Twitter Circles. Probably the most hurt I felt this month
We won the Classico, and I cooked
I wore my angel costume. It was perfect.
I give October two stars.
November
This November, I hung out with my friends A LOT. Not in the best of circumstances, though, as we were mourning my friend’s dad who passed. I don’t know how much I can write about this experience because it’s not my story to share, and I would never want to create any “content” from someone’s grief. I will say, though: If you don’t water a tree, it will not grow. Pour into others so that they pour into you.
I was with my friends often, which meant I laughed a lot. I was genuinely happy. Work was slowing down for the year; I had no exams and ate whatever I wanted whenever I wanted. Things no hard pass like that now.
Spotify released its annual “Wrapped” in November. Here, I learned most of the stats I have shared through these series— my most played song, my #1 artist, and so on. I also learned that the theme song from Succession made it into my top 10 most-played songs this year, which I think is a testament to the depths of my love.
Beyond that, I realised I spent less time listening to music this year than the past two years. This could be because I developed an ear infection mid-year that made me take a break from earphones, but it may also be because I am making less time for things I like doing, which scares me. I plan to rectify it next year.
My hairstylist has been a family artisan for at least ten years. We have grown together, really— I’ve watched her get married, have kids, get a salon of her own, and in the same breath, she has experienced my milestones with me. I have patronised her throughout all these, of course, because I’m just unable to cut ties with people who are good at their jobs. Do you know how hard it is to find good artisans in Nigeria? More than that, though, I like that she accepts my challenges. This November, I sent her a picture of the braids I wanted, and she admitted she hadn’t done them before but would check out some YouTube videos to learn. The next day, she made them perfectly. I admire such dedication, truly.
The Rundown
I was constantly reminded of my love for ideas. I truly, truly love a good thought process
I consumed a lot of media this month. Movies, books, music. It made me happy as this is something I have been struggling with for a while.
“Is my forehead getting bigger, or am I going bald?”: an exploration into the woes of a young woman— This was a tweet I made in November 2023. That is all.
I wrote about my support of the NYSC Camp Experience
In an elegy titled In Memoriam A.H.H., Lord Alfred Tennyson wrote, “'Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.” November was bittersweet. Therefore, I give it three stars.
December
December started with yet another quarterly employee hangout. Except this wasn’t your typical hangout; it was our end-of-the-year party and awards ceremony, and we made a weekend of it. I won an award for being the most punctual employee. Winning this made me thankful for technology. Despite being a perpetual latecomer in real life because I sometimes get distracted by my phone, I have somehow managed to be on time enough for virtual meetings to win this award because I’m always on my phone. Yay me.
I don’t need to tell you how much fun I had or how happy I was. By now, I hope you now know me well enough to tell.
I sprayed money for the first time this month, and honestly, I understand you, Yhemo Lee.
In typical December fashion, I have been outside for most of the month, more to the beach than anywhere else, if you must know. I have hugged the friends I missed all year. I have stood waiting for artists to perform until 6 am. I have seen Brazy AND Shallipoppi live. I have danced with the people I love. I have screamed the lyrics to Davido’s FEEL in the loudest voice you can imagine. I have done countless “omg, what even happened last night?” breakdowns with my friends. I have spent time with family. I have bounced on a bouncy castle. I’ve had one too many shots. I have gotten my nails, toenails and lashes done, but not my hair—shoutout wigs. I have eaten at least five different circular scoops of jollof rice and varieties of peppered protein. I have given and gotten Christmas gifts. I have been stuck in 2-hour-long traffic jams. I have been in the car with my friends, laughing about things that don’t make sense. I have given my young cousin's ego Christmas. I have missed my friends who aren’t here, friends who have been with me most years but can’t celebrate this Christmas with me. I have had a thousand reasons to laugh, and I have laughed. But I have somehow had no reason to cry.
It is the last day of the month today. I am grateful to have written this review in both past and present tense. I was here, and I am still here. Writing, laughing, loving, living, breathing, yearning. Nostalgia infers a life well lived, and looking forward means open eyes. And for that, I’m thankful.
See you next year (haha!) for the final email of this series; a letter to you, from me.