Right on Time: Finding Alignment in the Unexpected
A Week of Culture Shocks & Joyful Discoveries
Dear Human,
How did you fare this week?
If you’re like me, you might quickly say, "I did well" or "I powered through." But I invite you to spend a minute acknowledging the fullness of how you fared this past week.
Here are three questions that are helping me build a practice of acknowledgment:
Am I downplaying any hard or exciting moment?
How many moments was I grateful for this week?
Is my answer to “How was your week?” just one sentence long? If yes, how can I expand on it?
As usual, I invite you to say this with me:
“This week was something. I was impatient in some moments, agitated in others. I almost cried a few times. I was distracted a lot, but in some moments, I was fully present. Like ingredients in a Caesar salad with prawns, these are all part of what make a full week, and I appreciate them.”
I would really love to know how your week went.
Here’s a little about mine:
On Monday, I experienced culture shock. Moving from Lagos, Nigeria, to Budapest, I didn’t feel much of a pace switch—everything was always open, and there were endless options. But Barcelona? Not quite the same. Banks close at 2 PM! Seven days later, my brain still struggles with this. How can a bank close at 2 PM on a Monday? On a Friday, I understand, but Monday? And then, the other shock—the lack of coffee shops and the fact that very few places open before 10 AM. There I was, out of my house at 9:30, looking for a café to get some work done, only to find the streets deserted! I’m sure some people looked at me like I was crazy with my work bag that early.
I definitely took it slower on Tuesday.
Taking it slow had its downsides—I stayed home in my pajamas most of the day, and the loneliness of living in a new country caught up with me. By evening, I was drowning in sadness until something magical happened. As an adventure lover, I decided to try the Too Good To Go app (it helps fight food waste by allowing restaurants, grocery stores, and hotels to sell excess food at a cheaper price). I had toyed with the idea for a while, but I finally pushed through the resistance of doing something unfamiliar and placed an order from two places.
On my way to pick up the food, a man waved at me from a cozy, quaint-looking space. It was the first smile I’d seen all day, so I smiled and waved back. Then, he waved me inside. Surprised, I obliged. He introduced himself as Micheal, his friends, and the space—the Free Music School. His energy was contagious! He invited me to join them, and I said I’d be right back. After my food adventure, I returned. I spent two hours hearing his story, sharing mine, and describing in perfect detail a show idea I’d had for a while. He loved it and said, “Let’s plan it.” Tuesday went from sad to the start of planning a show… Deep down, I know moving to Barcelona was a good idea. But even good ideas have hard moments, and that’s okay.
On Wednesday, I worked from a library Micheal recommended—one of the few places open from 9:30. It was a magnificent workspace! I studied for two hours, went home for lunch, and chilled for a bit. Since school is 45 minutes away, I planned to leave home at 6 PM for my 7 PM class. But then, I made a detour to buy an umbrella from a basar. Fun fact: I had seen this basar the day after I arrived but thought it was small, so I walked farther to shop elsewhere. Imagine my surprise when I noticed this week that it actually had three back rooms! It had everything I needed. If I had just looked a little deeper, I would have saved myself the stress of shopping all over the city. I ended up buying everything I needed, running home, then running to catch the bus to school. In retrospect, not the best idea!
On Thursday, I went back to the library, studied, came home, and started a TikTok page where I’m sharing my journey to getting my Master’s in Project Management.
On Friday, I met the coolest people! I attended a worship event in the morning, and the team lead has the same name and is from the same country as one of my closest friends in Budapest! It was crazy. We had amazing conversations, and I may be volunteering as a project manager for two of their events in April—I love it. Friday was slow and chill. I got home, cooked up a storm, and remembered how much I love cooking.
On Saturday, I viewed two apartments—both beautiful, both functional, but one was more aligned with who I am and my goals. I chose that one. It was a beautiful realization: things can be beautiful but not aligned for you. How do you identify what is aligned for you? For me, it was joy—joy in the adventure of reorganizing the room, joy at the endless possibilities it afforded me. It might not be a fancy room, but it sparks joy. I also attended an art class, which was really interesting.
Today is Sunday, my slow day. I spend it writing to you and enjoying space—something this week made very clear: the need for space to just be, without doing anything.
Voice Memo: The Story Behind This Memo
Have you ever felt behind? Have you ever looked at people your age, your industry peers, or people who share similarities with you and felt like you’re not moving fast enough? I have. Every few months, this feeling creeps in.
This voice memo is from November—I had just finished grad school and felt incredibly behind because my story was (and still is) unraveling differently from everyone around me. And this morning, I feel the exact same way. Why is my timeline different? Why do I feel so behind? This song is a beautiful reminder that I am right on time, and I can make this place beautiful.
Lyrics:
You’re right on time, my darling,
You’re not behind, sweet baby.
I know you think you’re behind,
But you’re right on time.
This place that seems so lonely,
This room that seems so empty,
Just needs some love and some of you.
Stop looking left and right,
Use what is in your hands
To make this place beautiful for you.
Upcoming Shows
No upcoming show this week, but if you know any bars or places I can perform at in Barcelona, I’d love recommendations!
Till next week,
With love and laughter,
Oibiee.
Finalllllllllyyyyyyy. Oibiee is hereeeeeee.
So yes yes yes. My week was amazing. I had a retreat and it was profound. I received the gifts of tongues twice.
I'm born again Oibiee. I'm born again.♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️
Read this article right on time! I was feeling a bit behind myself but you reminded me to look for beauty and the small wins that are happening rightnow.