“Beauty is eternity gazing at itself in a mirror.”

— Khalil Gibran

A little about me…

I hail from the cold north but carry my heritage from the temperate eastern coast of Africa. Many people ask what my parents were thinking when they made their big move. Well, I’ll tell you. As a second-generation American, I have gratefully had so many enriching opportunities to learn and grow beyond their wildest dreams, albeit having to withstand below-zero temperatures (not so grateful for that). I was a precocious child with a love for music, fairytales and language learning, four of them currently in my toolbox. I started studying classical voice at the age of 10 and am still an avid singer.

My favorite movie growing up was 13 Going on 30, starring Jennifer Gardner. Thinking back now, the plot was nearly a prescription for the rest of my adolescence; I was always yearning to experience life and explore the world, beyond the barriers of my suburban upbringing. Some may say that I’d tried to grow up too fast, but I think I did it just right. I knew I had plenty of time to stop and smell the roses, I just wanted to smell them all, and no one could stop me. A prisoner to curiosity, I did exactly that. My adventurous spirit couldn’t be contained in a medium-sized town that I already knew inside-out. So I made other plans. Upon graduating with honors from my alma mater, I prepared to pack up my life and to say goodbye. The adventure continued from there…

After 5 years on the east coast, still intoxicated with so many glamorous east coast memories, I packed up my world and headed South. That’s when my next chapter brought me to Houston—a city that doesn’t just welcome you, it pulls you in.

At first, I only knew Houston from headlines and pop culture references…cowboys, NASA, Beyoncé. But when I landed, it offered so much more. The moment I stepped onto the streets of Montrose and heard the blend of languages, music, and life swirling around me, I knew I’d found something special.

The thing about Houston is that, just like me, it’s got range. You can find me sipping martinis in a dimly lit barroom after catching the current season’s ballet or opera at Wortham Center…Puccini, Wagner, Sleeping Beauty… or at the Museum of Fine Arts checking out the latest exhibition before heading down to Le Jardinier (1 Michelin Star, 2024) for a decadent lunch with a view of the sculpture garden. We can dine in at one of the many renowned steakhouses or devour the best crab and crawfish in the Gulf at the local seafood shack. As for my fellow equestrians and bougie cowboys, let’s catch a match at the largest polo club in the United States—Houston’s! Everything’s bigger in Texas, so I hope you bring your appetite.

After spending over a year calling Houston home, I’ve come to the conclusion that there’s a bit of Texas in all of us. Cultural richness and diversity, spontaneity and adventure, but also slowness and a simmering calm. The perfect mash-up for my personality. My intrinsic sense of optimism begets my need for exploration. It’s my most redeemable quality and the more you get to know me, the more you will understand and admire it. When it rains, some say that it pours. I just call it wet sunshine and dance in it anyway, uninhibited. For there is always a reason to smile during the thunder, to laugh through the tears, and to kiss deeply, with no regard to tomorrow’s weather. Come out from under your umbrella and dance with me…if you think you can keep up. ;)