Name: Vanessa Acha

Hometown: Limbe, Cameroon

Current Location: Silver Spring, Maryland

Blog/Website: lovelyafricanworld.com

Tell me a little about yourself?

I come from a country in West Africa also known as "Africa in miniature" due to the cultural diversity. Cameroon alone, out of the 54 african nations has approx. 250 ethnic groups and each of these groups have their own dialect.

I now reside in Silver Spring, Maryland & am a student at Mount Saint Mary's University, double majoring in Biology & Nursing.

How old were you when you came to the U.S.?

I came to the United States at age 10, which makes it 9 years of me being here.

I commend you on your degree choices! What made you choose these fields?

Thank you, what made me pick this choice in degree is my love for humanity. I believe greatly in giving back, I believe in the concept of UBUNTU which means “I am because we are.” It is in a South African dialect called Xhosa. I want to be a pediatrician so that I can help those who suffer back home. Which again following the Ubuntu principle “I will be so my people will not lack." My biggest dream is to build a high-tech hospital in Cameroon because we lack those.

I love you also mentioned "I grew to embrace my culture, because it is what I identify by." Too many people today are hung on being what they're not. So, I once again commend you for embracing where you come from & actually making it apart of who you are. When it comes to being apart of such a rich culture, what makes you want to identify with your roots instead of the influences surrounding you?

Well as to what makes me want to identify with my roots instead of my surrounding is because Africa is my foundation, it is what I am made of and therefore I will claim it until the death of me. In this world I often tell myself we are all wonderfully made and there's that one thing that sets us aside from one another. My culture is one of the things that I hold dearly to my heart and I will forever cherish it. I come from a family who values culture as a whole. This is one of the things which led me to find myself having a passion not only for fashion but I gave myself a look that defined my being. I call it “My Afro-centric being.” Growing up as an African, I grew to embrace my culture because it is what I identify by. If it wasn't for Mama Africa I wouldn't be here today. I love being African, I love being me!

As you mentioned, your style is so beautifully Afro-Centric & eye catching, what are some of your staple pieces?

My style, like you said “Beautifully Afro-centric” is exactly what it is. I aim to inspire ladies to know that we don’t have to expose our assets in order to get compliments or be noticed. Although my style is very conservative, many love its simplicity. I dress up always because I believe it helps create a positive environment for yourself and others throughout the day. Some of my staple pieces would be my crown, high-waisted trousers, blouses and leather shoes. I too am a big fan of hair, like an African proverb says "a woman’s beauty lies in her hair." I love big hair and also natural protective styles. I also love the “Loc’ed up look” which is why I always have my hair twisted or braided.

What would you say keeps you centered? If you had to list 5 things or less that keeps your life in balance, what would they include? 

There are several things that keep me centered. One of them would be my desire to help others. Everything I do, I think of how it will impact the world around me. Not only with blogging but also just my attitude on a regular day. Another thing would be my “Golden book” the name speaks for itself. It is this gold notepad that I have in which I jot down every thought and new project that I’d like to work on daily. It helps me keep track of what I have done and what I need to do. Lastly, people’s responses as well. When I see that I helped someone in one way or the other I feel motivated to do so much more. These are just a few thing that keep me centered.

There you have it folks! Great words from a wise woman. I hope you enjoyed my first feature for this great series.

If you know anyone "Striving to achieve greatness", please send them my way. Everyone has a story & everyone has a personal legend, it's all a matter of if you believe in it wholeheartedly & stay on your path. Until next time!! <3

-Twanie

It's Monday, so you know I have some new tunes to set your week off right.

Usually i'll hit you with two songs, but today I brought you one badass Canadian (No, not Drake) with ton's of great music.

I've been vibing to this man for a while now. Must be something about Canada that produces swooning rappers like Drake & Tory. Don't get me wrong, these two are in their own lane. Drake's music as we know is more melodramatic compared to the ominous sounds of Tory Lanez.

Here you can watch the video for his latest single called "Say It", cleverly sampled from the Brownstone's 1994 hit, "If You Love Me."

Tell me. Talk to me. Reveal yourself.
Bare your soul, so I can know your intentions.
Shower me with the love I've been craving.
Let me know there's no question of my love, your love... Our love.
I'm scared to reveal my soul to you... ...Once more.
Now it's your turn to enlighten me.
If I'm not the fire that keeps you warm I beg of you to put me out.
Douse my flames with water as if my wildfire was burning rampant.
Huff & puff.... Blow my hearts foundation down like the big bad wolf.
Free me of this unwavering love.
If you're not for me, step aside & allow the love that is.
Let me long for this love in the right direction. Or direct me.
You see, I tend to think I'm crazy because I replay these scenarios in my head that I know may never pan out. Or they in fact have, but not in the way I imagined.

Dream world. Dream girls. Dream on.

Are you happy with the person you are right now? Is the life you're living, the one you actually desire?

I'm only 26, but I can tell you that I've been asking myself these very questions over the past few years. From what I've already experienced, we will have many transitions in life. I feel it's super imperative every now & then to stop and re-asses your life & the values you hold dear to yourself; re-evaluate where you are compared to where you want to be & so on...

It was that moment when the first ton of life's bricks fell on me about 6 or so years ago, that I found myself 3,000 miles away from home fighting the feeling of depression's darkness looming about. This moment became my first realization of how off basis my life was, compared to what I made myself believe. Even then, I didn't take the steps to bring my demons to the light, let alone change anything. In turn, I continued to get the same results & sometimes even worse one's. Luckily that initial sting of realizing "there's more to my life" opened up a portal that years later I would finally decide to step into.

Now my life is all about 'Simplicity'. I prefer the subtle breaks in silence when i'm reading at the park or the great loving energy I feel when spending time with my family & few friends. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy the occasional 'turn up', but even then my kind of turn-ups are simple yet great.

I've learned to appreciate the power of not complicating situations. It's in my Aries nature to enjoy a bit of chaos, but not at the expense of my sanity. Life to me in nutshell is INFECTIOUS. So infections infact, that I feel compelled to find a joy in everything that I do, because everything else is a waste of energy & time.

As I mentioned before, I am always re-evaluating. Sometimes I realize i'm having more consistent negative thoughts or am super irritable out of nowhere. These are times that i've learned to ask myself the hard questions. Am I really dedicating myself to the things that I love? Am I wasting my energy on distractions? Do I feel like I am where I'm supposed to be? If not, where do I want to be & how do I get there?

I understood that just answering the questions wouldn't do anything, I had to actually implement the work & the dedication into my everyday life. Fortunately, on my everyday search of random insight, I came across Brendon Burchard's short & easy printable workbook, Transforming Truths. Mr. Burchard asks you 8 simple yet very straight to the point questions about you, your life, and the people in it.

If you're looking to re-evaluate your role in life & how you play it, I highly suggest taking a little time to just scan through the questions provided. If anything pulls at your heartstrings, makes you feel defensive, or just makes you wonder, take the time to asses why you felt that way. I'm a firm believer in knowing where you want to be in order to know how to get there.

Aside from my 'Bon Melange' series, I wanted to bring you some more ongoing entertainment.

I've always been a die hard music head. I don't watch tv, I read a million books & I always have my headphones in my ears. Music is the catalyst for my happiness.

I'm always on the search for new music. Just like my style, I remain versatile with the sounds that I listen to. For me, music is more than just a stream of words made in-sync with a beat, MUSIC IS LIFE. Everyone has a story & i'm the ears that want to listen. There's nothing like a lyrical 'author' who can give me a raw glimpse of their story in a song.

With that said, at the beginning of each week i'll be posting my current favorite song or a recent release that you can most likely find in my playlist.

Check out my picks for this week! Let me know what you think about the songs or put me on to something new!

Alright... this first sound is for the love of Hip Hop & good summertime vibes. Hailing from Raleigh NC, rapping duo '9192' (Tre' Mars & Slam) plan on raising consciousness while dominating the summer with their latest mix-tape 'Namaste'.

'Summa Fling' brings that head bobbin, sweet talkin, underground feel. If you catch yourself looking for something to play at your next bbq or while sitting & sipping that ice cold lemonade on your porch this summer, be sure to put this on your playlist.

Check out more of 9192's music, as well as be on the look out for the official 'Namaste' drop.

"The reason I decided to drop this first, is because this sound will not be the route I go as far as my E.P. So enjoy it now."

Until next week!

Do you make music or know someone that does?? Send me your links & suggestions... i'm all ears!

Remember when you were younger & dreamt of being a lawyer, doctor, basketball player, singer, & whatever else we said we'd become? Did you achieve it your dream?

This isn't a trick question & if you answered no, than I'm right behind you my friend. Many of us grew up dreaming big about some type of life we wanted to achieve. We may have even had supportive people along the way, assuring us that if we believe in our dreams they can in fact turn into reality. So why are many of us not where we want to be today?

Even though, I grew up with the tools to become who I wanted to be, it wasn't until I had to strip myself of all the accumulated ways of my past, did I learn how to implement them. Quite honestly, this had to have been one of the most difficult yet fulfilling tasks in my life thus far.

Seriously, try UNLEARNING the way you write... then teach yourself a new method. Not so easy right? Why unlearn anything you ask?

I won't speak for anyone else but myself when I say this, but growing up I know I was very susceptible to my ever-changing environment. Which meant I probably consciously & subconsciously imitated the mindset & actions of the people around me. I feel, a majority of our young selves, if not all, at some point become sponge-like. We take in the things we like, the things we constantly see, as well as the things we don't like.

We grow up enraptured by the bright lights, instant gratification, & constant comparisons. The need of opinions & validation from & of others become second nature to us. If what you want & who you are doesn't fit the mold, it's no good or needs to be changed... or does it?

That's what i'm here for. I'm the young girl who didn't think her skin color was beautiful. I'm the kid who happily received church hand-me-downs because she knew she wouldn't be going school shopping that year. I'm the soul who grew up thinking it was normal to neglect self-love in order to keep those I love happy.

Can you see why re-opening Pandora's box in order for me to heal & move forward became essential? Once the hard part was done, I began to find joy in the little things I used to do & started paying attention to the new joys I was drawn to. I've started, painting sceneries, designing clothes, dancing freely, diving in books, & writing endlessly. If it brings me the most happiness, it gets the most time.

With that said, I now know & fully believe that each & everyone can achieve greatness. We can all be that of which we strive for, it just takes dedication & constant faith that what you want or who you want to be already belongs to you.

That's what i'm here to show off! There are so many different types of amazing people working towards their many dreams. We may all travel different roads, but ultimately they all lead to one place 'Authentic Happiness'. If you're striving towards your dream & becoming the person you want & are meant to be, KUDOS to you!

Everyone has a story & i'd love to hear yours. It's time to shine a light on those that aren't already beaming. It's your time to shine!

-Twanie