The Versatile Blogger Award

Nev nominated me for The Versatile Blogger Award. After I had mentally done hundreds of back-flips and front-flips and splits, the panic set in. How am I supposed to share SEVEN facts about myself? The horror! It felt like I had just been asked to scrutinize myself and share my darkest secrets.

After a few breathing exercises and much help from the least person I expected to know things about me, I was made to realize that it isn’t such a tough exercise after all.

I don’t like being the centre of attention; I prefer to be behind the scenes. Like one of those awesome people that make awesome things happen and people just hear of you… I think I am just shy.

Once upon a time, I beat the boys during The Battle of Producers. The battle was held at the rooftop at Garden City Mall in the upper side of our beautiful Kampala. The producers were tasked with crafting a beat from scratch; the best beat was that beat that had the revelers dancing and screaming the most. I made that beat. And sadly, that was also the time I realized that having everyone’s eyes and ears on me was a pretty scary thing.

I love fitness and I love people who love to take care of themselves. Embarking on a healthy lifestyle instills discipline, commitment.. Now, I know they say that a guy with abs isn’t working on his abs for just one girl but I am one of those people that likes to see the best in people and since when do we believe everything we hear? Plus it never hurt anyone to look great with and without clothes 😉

Three years ago, I took part in the Kampala Seven Hills half marathon run, that is 21.7 km for the non-runners. Our city sits on 7 magnificent hills; Kibuli hill, Nakasero hill, Namirembe hill, Lubiri Hill, Rubaga hill, Makerere hill and Old Kampala hill. With every hill conquered, you get a ribbon on your wrist. Three years ago I hadn’t learned how to pace myself – I breezed through the first ten kilometres in a little under an hour and I had only 2 ribbons on my wrists. By the time I got to Namirembe Hill, I was ready to die! You know how misery loves company; it was comforting to know that I wasn’t going to die alone. A number of runners decided to take a timeout and sit at the stairs leading to St. Paul’s Cathedral Namirembe while we strategized on how to take on the last hills.

Long story short, I decided not to die and just complete the run. Needless to say, I limped the last three kilometres but I am was so proud I completed it.

The experience taught me the need to plan; I hadn’t trained well, I hadn’t eaten well the days leading to the event and during the run, I found myself wondering if I would die if I ate some roadside grass – which wasn’t the first time.

I LOVE to travel. My daydreams, night dreams and hallucinations are filled with distant places where I lay lounging in a hammock listening to birds chirp, watching the tree branches waltz with the wind, a stream flowing, looking for a path around the rocks… I daydream about doing all kinds of adventurous things and meeting adventurous people from places I’ve never been but hope to go to.

I aspire to write with the ability to take my reader to amazing places through my words and because of this, I spend most of my spare time browsing, enviously at the places my favorite travel bloggers have been to. Since this award is also about discovering bloggers, here’s my list;

1. Safari 254 This is my favorite travel blog from Kenya.
2. Nomadic Matt – I don’t know where Matt hasn’t been. He has all this wealth of information on how to travel on a budget and he is one of the pioneers of travel blogging.
3. Dan and Casey – A couple that cruises together. They make me daydream about my future bae and all these adventures we will embark on.
4. Pieter Arnolli – An expat living the Italian life. His blog isn’t in English but going through the photos, I just WANT to go wherever.
5. Kach and Jon – Another travel blogging couple that met on a trip and decided to live a nomadic life happily ever after. SIGH
6. Will – Bae Three months ago, he started an adventure that might last a little over 2 years from the UK to Papau New Guinea via Europe, Iran, Pakistan, China, Tibet, Nepal, India, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, The Philippines and Indonesia with a $20 budget a day and without flying. How cool is this guy?
7. Bren – Former accountant, currently 100% nomad.
8. Scott Eddy – He’s listed as the 5th most influential in travel.
9. Juno – A very inspiring full time traveler and full time blogger.
10. Piers McEwan – This man has a way with words. I always read his posts in a British accent.
11. Joel Nevender Ntwatwa – This Ugandan knows his words too.
12. Beewol – For a dose of Monday awesomeness.
13. Kye – I don’t know how I’ve never met this lady.
14. Sleen Samme-Nlar – For fitness and just the prescribed amount of adventure.
15. David Okware – David, you need to write more.

And here are the rules of the game;

1. Thank the person that nominated you and include a link to their blog.
2. Nominate at least 15 bloggers of your choice. When considering a fellow blogger for the Versatile Blogger Award, keep in mind the quality of their writing, the uniqueness of their subject matter and the level of love displayed on the virtual page.
3. Link your nominees and let them know about their nomination.
4. Share seven facts about yourself