Every country has its own culture, customs, music and landscape.  In a city of about 22 million people, Lagos in many ways reminds me of New York City. In a fast paced environment every person has some sort hustle and the traffic is ridiculous.  You literally have to plan your entire day out around rush hour or you’ll be forced to spend most of day on the road.

I’ve been in Nigeria for the past seven days and things have been extremely busy. I’ve spent most of my time on the road, running from Victoira Island, Ikeja to University of Lagos. In a city that never sleeps, moving from one meeting to the next can be  exhausting.

In order to survive you have to learn the  art of negotiation. I’ve seen people sell almost any and everything on the streets of Lagos from oranges, flip flops, cell phone charges to grilled corn & plantain.

I am constantly observing everything, from the way men and women cross the streets to how quick people are to price something as simple as an apple. You are quickly forced to adapt in order to survive.

Although many aspects of Lagos life can be overwhelming, I can still somehow find the beauty in things as simple as children walking home from school alone or women selling goods in the market.

I wore my natural hair out for the first few days but the heat and humidity wouldn’t allow my twist outs to flourish. So, on Sunday I finally walked to a local shop close to wear I am staying called Exoctic Salon to get my hair braided. Mrs. Gbemudu Shola, her assistant and 3 daughters started at 5:30 and finished by 9:00pm. Not to mention in total it only cost me $15-$20.00.

They were so kind and gracious. Asking me questions about America like, if the second season of Empire has come out and why I don’t want to relax my hair to make it straight?

So far, I’ve found that I am mostly attracted to color and human interaction during my travels. Constantly inquiring and asking questions allows me to learn more about myself and the world around me.

#Thoughts?