What's been going on with me? New country, my first digital game and the return of Show Me One Thing!

I am answering all the questions you've been asking: where did I go, why have I been so quiet, what projects am I working on and will I ever come back to Twitter?

Hello My People,

Phew! What a year it has been. So much is going on in my life and I’d like to share some of it with you. I especially would like to share because I’ve received so many emails from this community and I recognize that you’ve been a gift to me. Yes, I have shared a few articles on here in the past few years, including my journey to Mount Everest Basecamp, but these articles have been few and far between.

Many of you noticed that I left my almost 80k followers behind on Twitter about three of four years ago. I deactivated the account because it just was not fun anymore. Twitter used to be so much fun with a little bit of poison and then it became full-blown poison. I told myself that there was no way I would continuously stay in such a place in real life, so why would I do so in my virtual life? I took the bold step and left.

Then, with all my expertise with TVP, Dusit, my FIFA experience, and global tourism and hospitality, I was hired as the Director of Signature Events at a 140-year old hospitality company in middle Canada, bearing responsibility for multiple departments including signature events, marketing, sponsorships, agriculture, and even a large sports restaurant and bar for a while. To get some context, one of our annual events had attendance of 230,000 people over 6 days. I was the director in charge of building our sponsorships and partnerships for the organization, all our marketing and communications and all our self-produced events. It was such an experience and I thoroughly enjoyed doing something so up my alley but also so different. I have been busier than ever in the last 3-4 years. Now, I have taken a short sabbatical to soak in this life I’ve lived, and power up for the next decade of my life.

What’s next?

Games: Last year, I launched my first digital game called Boju Boju. It is an exciting daily crossword puzzle and the first edition is the Naija Edition. Everyday, I look at the backend and I see hundreds of people playing it and I smile. Thank you to Zikoko for including the puzzle on their daily newsletter so more people can find it! This year, I am hoping to build out an app for Boju Boju and eventually have the entire world playing digital games across different categories inside the Boju Boju app.

Show Me One Thing: Remember when Show Me One Thing used to feature weekly videos and articles that share a fascinating discovery from around the world or explain a curious topic? Yea, we’re bringing that back and better than ever. Please follow Show Me One Thing on Instagram, TikTok, and subscribe on YouTube. This year, I am going to travel far and near, exploring the world and sharing the stories of the most fascinating people, places, professions and topics I find.

Social Media: I am back on Twitter and starting from scratch (0 followers). I need to write, I need to engage with the world in order to use this gift of storytelling that God has given me, and it still remains the best platform for microblogging. So, I hope I am able to carefully curate who and what I consume on there because I simply want to share my work with games, travel and tourism, global marketing, and whatever else I am putting out into the world. God abeg o. Please follow my personal Twitter.

My Next Job: I have not yet decided what I will be doing after my short sabbatical is over but I really want to build. I have excelled in operations, administration, global partnerships, events, hospitality and travel and tourism. I want to work in an organization that has a global outlook and preferably one that is doing something bold and innovative. I am keeping my eyes open but making sure that it aligns with where I want to go and who I want to be.

What I need from you: Just three things, my people:

• Play Boju Boju for 3-5 mins every day

• Watch Show Me One Thing shorts everyday on TikTok and IG and our my long form videos every week on YouTube

• Follow and Subscribe

That’s it! My promise in return is that you will come with me on the adventure of a lifetime, exploring the fascinating places and people on Earth. And you will feel more knowledgeable and more connected to the world.

Remember, my mission is to help people discover the world better, to help people connect with each other better, and to deepen our understanding of our shared space and humanity. Right now, I am doing this with games and Show Me One Thing. I want to do so much more.

Thank you so much!

My warmest regards,

Funmi Oyatogun.