(Apologies for the title to the late Biggie Smalls). Fifteen years. Iri na ise. That's how long it's been since I've even stepped foot on Nigerian soil. The latter half of this December Lori, the kids and I shall be heading back for the holidays. Should be quite an experience for Lori and Osita. I expect Jide will just be generally aware that stuff's kinda different. Udoka will probably know no better than to squeeze the lungs when he needs Mom for that milk.
We'll mostly be staying in Calabar with my maternal relatives, since we're traveling with my mother, but we'll jaunt around some, including a visit to my father's home town. I hope to get to Nsukka, where I began university although that might not be realistic in the available time. It's a good time of year to go. Not only will there be a lot of folks to see, because Nigerians traditionally go home for Christmas hols, but the weather will be as close to Colorado's as it gets there, what with the dry season in full effect, the chilly Harmattan mornings and the intense midday sun. The mosquitoes should be at manageable levels. Should also be a good time for shopping. Thanks to Naijajams, I have a good sized list of music to pick up, and then there are all those books I just can't seem to find here in the U.S. Now that I'm finally starting to get over the shock of how much it's all costing us, I'm getting pretty excited.