This post has been a long time coming. It is the kind of post I believe is important for the future of this blog. Not every time, food pictures. Sometimes personal foodie-related reflections. The blog is still primarily a food blog though, don’t worry. I would also like to write things like this for more popular publications in the future, God willing.

If you’ve ever read my Introduction post, you’ll know how this blog started. For those of you who didn’t/haven’t/don’t want to (that link opens in a new tab by the way), I started the blog because I was bored during a break from my Undergraduate studies. During this time, I was in Malaysia basically doing nothing and still getting a steady income from my mum (say a prayer for your mum/parents). If you’re still in University and getting a steady income (read: pocket money from Mummy and/or Daddy) enjoy it while it lasts as some good things do end. Why is pocket money relevant you might ask. Well, that’s how I was able to pay for all the lovely foods I ate while I was in school.

When I was done with Uni, I knew that I would continue blogging in Nigeria. What was going to hold me back? When I was in school, I could pretty much eat where I wanted most of the time and my blog wasn’t abandoned for too long. When I moved back? Well, I had to decide if I wanted to have fuel in my car or I wanted to blog. As Nigerians like to say: “There’s rice at home”.

When I told friends that I had started a food blog, some of them were like “I don’t get it”. That sounded very strange to me. What was not to get? I wasn’t the first person to start a food blog. I was taking people on culinary journeys. I was helping people live vicariously through the blog. And I really just wanted them to share the blog with other people and make it more popular. But that’s the thing about our personal dreams and passions, they are YOUR dreams and passions, people won’t always get it. You have to help them understand it.

As a food blogger, the weight odds are very nicely stacked against you. You will put on weight. Although in my case, I’m sure it can’t solely be because of the food I blog about. It must also be because of the really unhealthy, calorie laden, carbohydrate and unhealthy oil containing foods we like to consume in Nigeria (I’m looking at you Amala Place). Add that to the other foods I eat when I hang out with friends and the amount of sugary stuff I eat. It’s a good thing I always opt to drink water right? *sigh*

I’ve mentioned this before but it’s worth repeating, I have a very low threshold for spicy food. Put one spoon of chilli in a dish and my tongue starts tingling. My family and friends know this about me and I’ve been mocked for it. I’m Yoruba and we are known to consume R.I.D.I.C.U.L.O.U.S amounts of spicy/hot pepper in our foods. I don’t subscribe to that life but because I’m a food blogger, people think I should be able to eat ANYTHING. What they want to know is  where to get great tasting agoyin beans and stew. That agoyin beans and stew that burnt my mouth and throat and landed me in the hospital. At least, I ate it for you. My pleasure.

But I love to blog still. I love my blog and the interactions. I love the likes and comments on Instagram. I enjoy the retweets on Twitter. I enjoy the comments on this blog. I’ve made new friends and acquaintances since I started this blog. I’ve gotten a new nickname thanks to this blog. God willing, I hope this blog becomes bigger than my expectations. Either way, I’m happy that I started this blog.