A catch up is well overdue, let’s talk

Wow, where do I even start? It’s been a minute… well ten whole years to be exact. And honestly? So much has happened since my Dolly the Dreamer days. Back then, I was this ambitious, slightly lost but wildly hopeful 21-year-old graduate, fresh out of uni, dreaming of making my mark in the Digital Marketing scene and figuring out my place in the world. I had big dreams, even bigger plans, and a heart full of energy, ready to conquer it all.

But life? Whew… life had other plans. And now, a whole decade later, I’m here, older, wiser, a little more bruised, but still standing, and I finally feel ready to pour into this space again.

But first, we have to talk about the hiatus because let me tell you… these past 10 years have been nothing short of an emotional rollercoaster, and not the fun theme park kind. I mean the gripping the rails, screaming, crying, and holding on for dear life kind.

I’ve experienced the highest of highs and the lowest of lows, and somewhere in between, I lost my voice, my vision, and honestly, myself. From struggling to kickstart my career, battling fibroids and anemia, to navigating the on-and-off, 8-year relationship with my now-husband (yes, there’s definitely a juicy how-we-got-here story for another post), life came at me fast and HARD.

And just when I thought I was getting my footing, I faced spiritual battles too. I got baptised, only to backslide not long after, a constant push and pull between who I wanted to be and who life was shaping me to become. I launched my hair brand, watched it flop, relaunched it again, only to still feel like I was chasing something I couldn’t quite grasp. Then came friendship breakups, crippling anxiety, and moments where I was so low that suicidal thoughts knocked on my door more times than I care to admit.

So yeah… let’s just say your girl needed a break, a long one.

And I honestly don’t regret stepping away because in that time, I’ve grown and learned so much about life, God, relationships, and most importantly, myself. Now I feel this undeniable pull to pour into this space but with a whole new purpose. No longer driven by the pressure to fit in or “make it,” but rather to simply create, share, connect, and inspire from exactly where I am.

But it’s not just me that’s changed during this time, the world has too. In the past 10 years, we’ve lived through a global pandemic, watched the rise and fall of BLM, Brexit happened and our beloved Queen Elizabeth II went to glory so now we have a king. Donald Trump became president of the United States… again, followed by two assassination attempts! The Congo crisis has escalated to heartbreaking new levels, and don’t even get me started on Twitter… oh wait, sorry, “X”.

If you thought things couldn’t get any stranger, Wendy Williams is going through it and Britney Spears is back? Will Smith slapped Chris Rock live at the 2022 Oscars and still no album from our good sis Riri. Microwave music seems to be a thing now and Diddy do it? RIP Nipsey, Take Off, DMX and Irv Gotti. Ashanti and Nelly spun the block and the Grand Dame of Potomac is in prison for DUI which brings me to R Kelly, who’s past sins finally caught up with him.

Drake’s no longer the people’s champ and Tory shot Meg so he’s locked up too. Not to mention the legendary Mike Tyson lost a fight to a YouTuber. The internet feels less like a fun space and more like a constant race to “trend”, and you better hope and pray not to be cancel cultures next prey. The world as we knew it in 2014? Yeah, she’s a goner.

Anyway, if you’ve made it this far, thank you! There’s lots to catch up on, from how my hair brand eventually found its rhythm, to how I finally found peace with my faith. There’s a lot of ground to cover, and I plan to share it all… raw, unfiltered, and straight from my heart. If there’s one thing I’ve learned in the past decade, it’s this: life will break you but with perseverance it will also build you, and now? Here I am, ready to start again with a fresh perspective, a full heart, and a whole lot of lessons to share. In the words of my super saiyan aunty Yetunde – winners never quit.

So welcome back, loves. We’ve got so much to talk about.