The Album
THE PICTURES WORTH 125,000 WORDS
I created this album to help you visualize some things or events I talked about in my memoir. The pictures here are partially in chronological order, and I tried to follow the timeline in my book. That said, some galleries–like Miscellaneous–contain pictures from different years. Some pictures also have captions.
FIRST AND LAST DAY OF SCHOOL AT DEPAUL
This is me on my first day at DePaul University (as an undergrad student) in September 2017.
"I wasn’t wearing foundation, so my dark spots and acne were visible. However, I liked the way my turquoise sweater looked tucked into skinny jeans. My hair looked good too, still styled from my trip to the hair salon three days earlier.
I took a step back, turned around, then back around. I grabbed my phone to take some pictures. I don’t look that bad. Before I knew it, tears were rolling down my cheeks in disagreement with that statement. I quickly dabbed my cheeks with the back of my hand, packed my stuff in my favorite Aldo bag, and off to school I went." (Chapter 4: Draw Close)
MING MANG MOUNG’S VISIT
Here are some pictures from when my mom came to visit me in Chicago in December 2017.
"We went shopping downtown and took pictures at the Bean. We walked along Michigan Avenue and the Chicago River, looking at and taking pictures of the dazzling lights. We also took pictures everywhere we saw a Christmas tree. [...] We spent almost an entire night at the Lincoln Park Zoo, watching the ZooLights Christmas show." (Chapter 5: Turning the Page)
FIRST COMMUNION
Here’s me at thirteen years old when I did my first communion.
The cross I'm holding is what the priests at my middle school gave to students who received a sacrament (Chapter 9: The Pain).
I’ve kept this cross since that day in May 2009. It moved with me everywhere:
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When I changed rooms in my parents' house back in Cameroon.
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When I moved out for university after graduating high school and moved into three different student housing accommodations on two campuses over the three years I spent at the Catholic University of Central Africa.
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When I moved to the U.S. in 2017 and lived in three different places in my almost three and a half years in Chicago.
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When I moved to Canada in 2020 and lived in three different places in the Greater Toronto Area in my three years there.
That cross is with me now, in the bedroom inside my apartment in Montreal; I will bring it with me anywhere else the journey takes me.
THE PLANNERS
These are all my planners and two of my journals (black with gold dots) since 2017. There's also my prayer journal at the end.
I think you know why there aren't any more planners after 2022. 😉
Pictures #2, #5, and #9 have captions.
THE WALL
Well, here it is: The Wall of Motivational Quotes and Verses.
“One day, I wrote a few of them on colored pieces of paper that I glued to my wall, right above my desk. They served as motivation; as reminders to hope and continue holding on.” (Chapter 11: Back to Basics—Part I)
THE GRADUATION
The highlight of my first two years in Chicago: my graduation from Roosevelt University in May 2019, and not in December.
These pictures span a few days: from picking up regalia at school in April, to the mini photoshoot my sister Sophie (not her real name) did for me a few of days before graduation, to the actual graduation ceremony on May 10th and the festivities that followed, to receiving my diploma a few weeks later. (Chapter 13: Optional Practical Training)
SOME THINGS YOU MAY RECOGNIZE 😉
I got the leaf wooden sign (from Target as well) sometime in the last quarter of 2019, after moving into my apartment on West Sheridan Road in Chicago. By then, I already knew for certain I wanted to move to Canada. I first hung that sign as is next to the entrance to my studio apartment, then one day, I wrote the words “Oh, hey!” to mean something like, “Welcome!”
The first picture has a caption.
FIRST FULL-TIME JOB
Pictures from my first few days as an Unclaimed Property Analyst at Duff & Phelps in Chicago.
The pictures in front of the mirror are from December 2, 2019, my first day at the firm. Then there is the sky lobby, the main lobby with the atrium and its green fountain on the lower level, the plaque on my divider, my very first corporate phone, business cards, and corporate credit card. (Chapter 19: Renewed Hope)
AT LEAST I TRIED 🤷🏾♀️
Preparing for the CFA Level I exam and failing… twice. I have no regrets.
UNFORGETTABLE (WORK) EXPERIENCE
My experience at Siemens from October 2021 to February 2022 was such a meaningful one for me, both professionally and personally. I am forever grateful to have worked there at that exact point in my journey; I am forever grateful for the impact my manager had on me. I will forever remember my time at that company and cherish the memories created there.
Pictures #2, #3, and #4 have captions.
7 DAYS FOR 7 YEARS
My twenty-eighth birthday in Punta Cana (and Toronto).
“I’d taken with me the camera I’d bought in the summer of 2022, when I decided to try my hand at photography. I took pictures of the white sand, the blue sky, the clear water. I took pictures of the sunset. I tried mofongo for the first time, which reminded me a lot of food back home.
Back in Toronto, I bought myself a slice of chocolate cake at the grocery store after church, together with a few candles. I spent the day doing regular Sunday things and once the night had fallen, I took out my slice of cake and placed it on my coffee table. I planted two candles in the cake, lit them up, and turned the lights to my studio apartment off. I sat on the rug by the coffee table, then sang happy birthday to the rhythm of my sobs.” (Chapter 28: Continuing the Journey)
DREAMS COME TRUE, AND MINE WILL TOO
Sometime in 2023, I got a letter in the mail from the federal government to my company for the first time. I cut my hair on April 9, 2024. I booked my first-ever professional makeup and photoshoot sessions for June 18th. I moved (myself and my company) to Montreal and sometime in August 2024, I got letters in the mail from the Quebec government to my company for the first time. Later that month, the English edition of my book became available on Amazon (Belgium) for the first time.
Oh, to see the fruit of my labor up there, with my name on it!
MAKING MOVES
All the places I moved to and from over the last seven years. From Peoria Street to South Morgan Street to West Sheridan Road in Chicago, to The Pond Road in North York and the Annex neighborhood in Toronto, and now downtown Montreal.
Pictures are arranged in that order.
By the way, remember how I got Chick-Fil-A for the last time before leaving Toronto? Yeah, I ate that on the train to Montreal.
I've been missing it ever since. 😪
Several pictures have captions.
MISCELLANEOUS
The pictures of me at the beach were taken the day before I left New York City in July 2018.
I’d gone with my sister Naomi (not her real name), and we had fun. My smiles were genuine, but I was not well. A few days later, I no longer wanted to be alive.
Every time I see these pictures, it strikes me just how much I was hurting. I wasn’t faking happiness, nor did I post these pictures on my Instagram a few days later to show anything off. My smiles were genuine, but I was unwell.
I say this to say that depression is not always visible, and people are not always faking it. Sometimes they really are trying their best to hold on to life.
All other pictures have captions.
