More Travelling
I’ve not done a post in a while on the Everyday Christian Blog because I’ve been moving a lot recently. I have always had a wishful love for travelling, I just want to see places, and learn about different environments and different people; the only reason why I’ve never made any plans to see all the world yet is because I can’t afford to now, obviously.
Sometime last year, I determined to see as much of the country(by road especially) as I could afford time and money to see before the end of this year. I had imagined having the needed time and mobility as a serving National Youth Service Corps member. Now don’t ask me what I was expecting to derive from such a frivolous aim. I guess it was just one of those volatile childish whims one does have, but which usually disappear before they take shape, except that this one seems to be coming true.
Earlier this year between January and February, I had reason to travel nine hours by road from Lagos to Abuja, FCT and spent a few days there. I left Abuja for Ife(Osun State) where I had two cousins and there spent a few more days visiting before I returned to Lagos.
The journey from Lagos to Abuja, of only 9 hours, as at then, was the largest journey I had ever made by road – I’m sure for real travelers reading this that might sound quite trifling. Yet, only about 4 hours into that journey, I was already feeling sick and making up my mind that travelling was probably just not my thing – or maybe it was travelling by road that was the problem; maybe I could still see the world travelling in a plane.
Well, then came NYSC. I was flung to extreme Sokoto, and I had to do 18 hours in a bus – night journey for that matter. Ironically, it felt easier than the 9 hours journey to Abuja that I once complained about.
Recently I have upped my record a bit, travelling from Sokoto to Akwa Ibom, via Aba, about 20 hours journey by land; from the extreme North to South-South Nigeria – I actually traversed the nation pursuing a tingle of romance. You see, there is this bright-eyed lady with a great smile, called Lanre, doing her youth service in Uyo, Akwa Ibom, that I’m in love with. I spent about 5 fun-filled days visiting in Uyo with her, within which I also visited Calabar, the center of a number of tourist attractions. I took another 9 hour journey on the road back to Lagos. Suffice to say that the Akwa Ibom trip is one long journey that I may not mind to do again and again, if I had the opportunity, as long as those bright eyes are there to welcome me.
It seems I can say that, to some extent my dream of seeing most of the country this year is taking shape. Already I have travelled thousands of kilometers on interstate roads, seeing, passing by or through about 23 states. I appreciate the Lord for Journey mercies. I still look forward to visiting most of these states that I’ve only had opportunity to pass by, later on, but one place I’m particularly looking forward to seeing before the end of the year is Jos. I’ve always wanted to see the place since as a kid I was told that they experience snowing in some parts at particular periods of the year. So Jos, Plateau State, see you sometime soon.
