Recovering and reaffirming my path

It’s been a while since I’ve written something personal. This year has been marked by numerous moments of recovery, uncertainty, travel, and small decisions that continue to shape what comes next. In May, I had surgery. It took time to heal and to find rhythm again. Also in May, I graduated from my master’s program, but what followed was a slower period of recovery and undergoing two more medical procedures following the surgery. Additionally, I had to decide what was next regarding work, considering moving back home, and trying to determine a direction.

I interviewed with *redacted* and was keen on moving back to Africa to work in Nigeria; for the most part, it was the only job I was looking forward to during my downtime. I was not applying anywhere else. I was only waiting to interview for a start date in September, which was agreed, but eventually that didn’t work out. I had decided not to move back home but rather stay and work in the US for the period of my allowable work authorization, save up, and then move back to do my own thing. Essentially, I aim to return home and make the impact I have always dreamed of.

I still had to go home to see family, considering I had undergone surgery, and also execute a photographic project that I had long been waiting to start. I was advised not to travel until I had completed my third medical procedure. Right after that was done, I started making concrete plans to go home. In a rollercoaster-like manner, I ended up canceling and rebooking flights until I finally left at the end of July and returned in August. When I returned, I decided to start traveling, beginning with a Bitcoin conference in Boston, which I had been eagerly anticipating. Throughout this period, I had interviewed with three startups in the US, hoping to secure a position with at least one of them. I also had a true Bay Area startup hiring experience, where I conducted three rounds of interviews within four days, totaling about eight hours of interview time, and also influenced a flight change.

After Boston, I was headed for New York next. With the plan to take a Flixbus from Boston to New York, I met someone who was also traveling and seemed lost. We figured the bus port together and got talking, and found out he was a founder. The only thing I knew about him then was that he was building a healthtech company. We spoke passionately about our ideas and startups, and he asked me a question that made me seriously consider what I truly wanted to do. "Why are you still interviewing and not building your own?". I gave him a response in that moment, but the question made me think the entire journey on the bus. Around that time, my friend Adrian, whom I had been discussing cofounding a startup for more than two years, and I had been encouraging him to move to San Francisco to build a startup, received some difficult feedback from an interview. That dawn morning, we were on the phone messaging and he ended up saying, “Charle, should we just start a company?”. I responded, "Honestly, I am thinking about it," and agreed to talk on the phone later in the morning, continuing to affirm the idea via text. I realized I was ready to take that path to stop waiting for the next opportunity and build something myself. I was in New York when I called my friend to talk about the decision. We discussed the financial implications, since I’ve been living off my savings since May, and what it could mean in the long term. It wasn’t an easy decision, but it felt like the honest one. After that, I spent several months traveling across different states in the U.S. I met friends I hadn’t seen in years, reconnected with familiar places, and gathered new ideas. By the last week of September, I was back in the Bay. I had just moved into a new apartment in Oakland, trying to settle again.

The following Saturday after my arrival, I was in San Francisco to catch up with my Boston FlixBus person, now a friend, over lunch. I visited his office space and met his team; afterward, I went ahead to pick up my bike rental. I went to the beach for a couchsurfing event, since I had tried it once when traveling across states. The next day, following my SF trip, I was involved in a bike accident after having brunch with a friend in Oakland. The accident kept me down for about three weeks. I’ll leave out the details, but it was serious enough that I had to pause everything. During recovery, I had a lot of quiet time to think about what I want to build, who I want to build with, and what kind of life I want to live. Adrian and I kept refining our ideas and eventually settled on one that we’ve decided to pursue. I’ve thought through many ideas and new businesses, and I feel genuinely obsessed with what we’re building now.

Yesterday brought a moment of reaffirmation. I finally booked a paid consultation with Victor Asemota, someone I’ve looked up to for years. I’ve followed his tweets and writing on business for a long time, and his approach has had a profound influence on me. Speaking with him for over an hour and half was a grounding experience. It wasn’t just a conversation about ideas; it felt therapeutic. It reminded me that it’s okay to do things in my own way, at my own pace, and to keep things open and his advice touch home. After that call, I went about my day and then cooked dinner and hosted a few friends, including three from my masters program whom I was in a group with in a final semester class, and two new admits whom I had been mentoring since they were accepted. It was a warm evening, full of conversation and laughter. Later that night, I went to Afrorave, where I danced my heart out, dressed as Luigi for Halloween. It was a light and joyful release after weeks of recovery and reflection.

Today is Sunday. I have a few things to attend to, mostly packing and preparing for the week ahead. But I feel steady. As I go ahead to take my first flight after my return to the bay and injury, I’m approaching the next stretch. 91 days to the end of January, and 72 days to my 28th birthday as a focused period. I decided to work out a showing up on Instagram to document my day. It’s my way of holding myself accountable to the path I’ve chosen: to keep showing up, keep building, and stay open and honest through it all as i build my own Ghanaian dream.

This is where things stand, calm, deliberate, and in motion.