The United States of an African

Originally posted July 2017.

Living in the states, my family tends to mix Nigerian culture with that of the American. For example, Backyard BBQ with Jollof rice, thanksgiving with Jollof rice, ski trips with Jollof rice etc…I’m totally kidding about the last part. There was no Jollof present. But nothing screams American summers louder than grilling, fishing, roasting s’mores, and camping. Well, this is the America I grew up watching on TV. 

This past weekend was one of the most stereotypical American weekends I’ve ever had. I went up north Michigan and stayed in the cutest cottage ever that overlooked the lake with its own private “beach”.

Side note: To all those who believe sand around a lake is a beach…it’s not. Unless the lake is as huge as a sea, but even then, that’s stretch.

Below is the timeline of my activities:

Friday evening: I fired up the grill and cooked some salmon, sweet potatoes, and asparagus

Friday night: Pitch dark outside, no moon in sight, with nothing but a flashlight, took the row boat out into the lake. I can’t say I enjoyed this part. I don’t trust dark waters.

Saturday morning: Took the boat out for my first ever fishing experience. I hooked my own worms and everything! AND caught a fish!

I “caught” a second one, but I had a struggling match with the fish ending up ripping off the hook from the line. 

Saturday afternoon: Took the canoe out into the lake for some exploration. I decided to leave all technology behind for this one, so no pictures. Okay, so I had actually dropped my phone in the water earlier that morning. It literally slipped right through the cracks of the dock.

Saturday late night: Made a bonfire, roasted some marshmallows and made s’mores. The night sky was glittering with a million stars. It was a perfect night.

Sunday morning: Went out fishing one last time before heading back to the city.

As a woman from River State, Nigeria, I am particularly proud of myself for catching my first fish!!