I've been on more trips than I can remember; some were fun, while others were just meh. One place I'll not be forgetting anytime soon is Jos, because I had so many awesome experiences there.
I'm not what you'll call an adventurer but if the opportunity to have one presents itself, I never shy away from the challenge. Going to Jos from Bayelsa is still the biggest adventure of my life, and you know what? I loved every minute of it.
I can't remember what day of the week it was, or even the specific date but I remember it was a chilly morning in March 2017. I was sat at the back seat of my dad's Toyota Highlander, while my mum sat beside him in prime mummy mood, headed to a Taxi that would take me on a trip that would literally span halfway through the country. Mum was expectedly very emotional and sobby about her son going on this long trip.
After all the hugging and mushy stuff were out of the way, I got into the taxi and embarked on the longest and scariest trip of my life. In an ideal condition, the trip takes about 14 hours, but this wasn't one of those days. We left the taxi terminal in Bayelsa around 7am, and got to Jos around 2 am the next day.
I remember getting into Jos that early morning and feeling this weird rush; it was like voice inside me saying "this is the place for you". It's even sweeter when you consider the fact that I got into the town very early in the morning, so I hadn't even seen the structures, roads, and all that shit. I reckon it was something in the air that spoke to me that day, and even until today, that voice keeps drawing me back to the city.
My time in Jos was a mix of sweet and sour moments, but the good times edged the bad times by a mile. NYSC took me there, so I had to wear that annoying uniform around the city for CDS and clearance. People were generally nice to me, and no matter how many times I told them my name, they preferred calling me "Copa". The name stuck with me throughout the service year, and sometime after.
I live in Kaduna now, and despite being only 4 hours from Jos, the vibe I get is lightyears apart. I've spent a longer time in Kaduna than I did at Jos, but for some reason, I've never felt like I was a part of the city. Meanwhile, I spent around 11 months at Jos, and it feels like a place I can call home. I really immersed myself in the city and felt like I was part of the furniture, unlike here(Kaduna), where I'm always reminded that I'm not from around here. I remember how I use to stroll around my area in Jos, taking deep breaths, and random photos of pretty flowers littered all over the city.
Jos really feels like home to me, and for good reason too. There are abstract and intangible reasons that attract me to the city, but there are also the obvious ones; like how people are generally nice, easy-going and mostly alcoholics, like me. It was like everywhere you turned, someone was offering you a beer, or some cheap piece of shit gin that will fuck you up after three sips; exactly how I like it.
Out of all the fun times I had during my service year, I think the one moment that stood out for me was going hiking in Shere Hills. The thing is, Jos is a city on a Plateau and the capital of Plateau State. Giant rock formations are a common sight, and that was new to me because I'm from the south, where we have mostly rivers, lakes, and canals. I climbed giant rock formations for the thrill of it, but the mother of all climbs was Shere Hills.
Shere Hill is sort of a monument since it is literally the peak of Nigeria. It is the highest naturally occurring point in the country that a human being can stand on. In hindsight, a tour guide would have saved us a lot of stress when we got lost in the "trail", but in a weird, "opening of a horror flick" sort of way, it added gloss to the experience.
After going through suicide slopes, dangerous crevices, and jumping between ledges with nothing but a plunge to certain death beneath you, we got to the highest conceivable point of the hike and decided to camp there. We took a few pictures, drank some whiskey I had stashed in my backpack and just soaked in the feeling.
I can't place my finger on it, but there's a rush that comes from standing at the peak. You look down and realise how everything that used to seem so big becomes so tiny, and while I stood there, soaking it all in, I felt victorious. I conquered Shere Hills that day, but I also conquered fear, overcame many obstacles and for a moment in my short life, I can say that I was on top of the World.
