inching closer to dreams

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Even though I've never met Lola in real life, I've been a fan of her amazing work for some time.  Over the last couple of years, we've developed an online friendship, through each other's blogs and on Twitter.  So when I read the story I'm sharing with you today, about her becoming a National Geographic photographer, I was so immensely proud of her.  

I love stories of resilience and dogged determination.


story of the day:  on celebrating milestones and inching closer to dreams from lolaakinmade.com.  

"... Not preparatory schools we see portrayed through the lens of the wealthy, but true grit boarding schools.  Ones where you entered as a child and left as a resourceful independent adult ready to take on whatever the world throws at you -- from water shortages and food rations to pushing yourself to constantly produce and excel in whatever you do.

But when I was done and ready for college at 15, I was scared.  Scared because, even though boarding school had armed me with enough resilience to face challenges head on, I now had the opportunity to pursue those dreams with no clean blueprints.  And in pursuing those dreams, I started to realize just how outlandish they seemed.

Did I honestly think National Geographic would ever come knocking? Me? Onòaràloláoluwa from Nigeria?  How delusional did I think I was?"  (read more