The Illuminous One @illuminousone - Tumblr Blog

Year in Review Goals and Accomplishments

My word for the year of 2017 is transitioning. A lot of little things happened that shaped me into the woman I am at age 25. This post will serve as a reference for the years to come for the goals I will achieve and accomplishments I have overcome.

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Accomplishments:

Got awarded for top urban blog (SEO is important)

Participated in Above All Sports for Nashville bloggers

Did a sponsored post for Cars.com and Seventh Generation

Launched course, got exactly one student - will relaunch again with a better plan and copyediting

Moved to my hometown of South Florida during the winter months

Attended my first blogger award show

Networked and met new people

Consistently hosted a guest post series all year.

Published 50 new blog posts. Nowhere near my goal of 120, but it’s a step up from last year

I have been working on my social media growth as often as possible. Social Media Accomplishments:

1300+ Instagram Followers 6000+ Twitter Followers 1800+ FaceBook Followers with another 1100+ Facebook Friends (I can't believe I have been on Facebook for 10 years as of June 2017!) 200+ Pinterest Followers These goals I wrote down and accomplished! The power of planning, strategizing, and speaking it into existence!

Personal accomplishments:

Procrastination - it wasn’t until my laptop was stolen out of my car that I had a wake-up call on just how much procrastination was affecting me negatively. Self Care - I have been vegan for a good 30 days which was a first for me. It’s also easier for me to say no to the things that don’t make me happy, don’t make me money, or don’t make me a better woman, partner, and businesswoman. This year I’ve been told many times that I am a good woman. It only motivates me to be an even better woman next year.

Personal and Business Goals for next year:

I will become a six-figure-aire by touching millions of lives. I will have seven streams of income including affiliate/sponsorships, book publishing, online courses, workshops and seminars, five new social media marketing clients every on 90 days on a recurring basis, photoshoots, which will all be aligned in my digital marketing agency. I will also be migrating over to the podcast world. As a result, it will reduce the stress on my husband as I also receive my dream car of a Lexus and my dream house of at least 2,000 sq ft 3 bedroom, 2.5 baths, 2 car garage, backyard and upstairs porch.

Be better organized - I am subscribed to so many platforms. Now I just need to focus on continuing to minimize them down to the ones I definitely utilize.

Cook Less - Ever since I have moved back to South Florida, I can understand why people eat out so much, it’s much more convenient. Now I just need to be able to make and maintain a budget for it.

Of course, I’m not going to exclude writing things down in a journal. Sure sharing things here and in Google Docs and in these respective apps help me to be accountable, but nothing feels truer that writing it down in a physical journal.

Travel Goals:

Brazil

It was actually one of the first countries my husband said he wanted to visit. There’s a lot of culture and history in Rio De Janeiro. A couple of my favorite Black travel bloggers have shown me that. I cannot wait to witness the beauty for myself especially since they are removing visa requirement for U.S. Citizens. If I can squeeze in a visit to Bahia, that would be cool too.

Caribbean (Cuba, Aruba, Barbados, Belize, Virgin Islands, Bahamas, Turks and Caicos, Curacao, Dominican Republic, Trinidad, Tobago) I’ve been told it is easiest to accomplish visiting a majority of these countries by cruise. Ever since Cuba has reopened its “arms” to the U.S., I have seen blogger friends take advantage of that opportunity by visiting. Cuba has a long, amazing history. As a photographer, it would be a perfect opportunity. I am especially interested in visiting the Virgin Islands because that is where my maternal grandfather is from. I look forward to learning more about that side of my ancestry.

Toronto, Canada

I have yet to visit Canada, not even as close as the Niagara Falls. Toronto is becoming a more popular music scene thanks to Drake. I am also a big fan of diversity. So I would love to see for myself just how multi-cultural it is.

Los Angeles, California BET Awards Weekend Experience, Coachella, or NBA All-Star Weekend occur there. It is full of events, history, and landmarks that I would like to see before they completely float or burn away.

San Diego, California I had the pleasure of photographing my first social worker's conference in 2016. For their 60th anniversary, they will be in San Diego. I have heard a lot about San Diego so it would be a pleasure to see it for myself.

New York City Hubby has not been yet, so I look forward to creating memories with him for my return to New York City. The Grammys and Operation Crossroads Africa 60th Anniversary Celebration are both happening in the City that doesn't sleep.

South Africa for a Photography Workshop When I traveled in 2016, I met some amazing ladies, one of them who has a side gig as a travel event planner. Together we will host the National Geographic workshop for people of color.

Visiting as many African countries as possible such as Zimbabwe, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Lesotho, Swaziland. Participating in Yacht Week East Africa will cover The Seychelles.

Operation Crossroads Africa Group Leader Ever since I returned as a volunteer at the ripe age of 18, I knew I wanted to return as a group leader. Now, I am finally old enough to participate this summer.

United Arab Emirates, to be more specific, Dubai, Oman, Qatar.

Aside from my husband’s home country of The Gambia and the towns surrounding Larabanga, Ghana, I don’t know what it feels like to be in a predominantly Muslim country and I would like to know.

Italy I would love to return to Italy and visit Venice before it is no longer there.

With that being said, that basically sums up my remaining countries needed in order to achieve my goal of 30 countries by age 30. As of 2017, I have five years and 20 countries left.

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#travel #bucket list

2017 Travel Blog Goals

Wow! Can you believe another year has flown by? Every year is the opportunity to be better!

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If you look at my list from last year, it’s been like this for me naturally all my life: whatever I didn’t accomplish, stays on the list until it is accomplished. Sounds like the perfect vision board to me!

Here are the things I did accomplish this year:

Traveled to South Africa; I attended Essence Festival and visited Germany for the first time

Two Sponsorships with Groupon

Featured on: Griots Republic, Barristourista, Tiffany Eat World, Be F.E.A.R.C.E

I moved to the Nashville area

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Warning, this is a 5-minute read! 2016 was the warm up, 2017 is game time. I am doing my best to make myself accountable for my goals this year.

Goals for 2017:

Attend:NBA All-Star in New Orleans - It is back to New Orleans. I will never ever forget the biggest business lesson I ever learned. I had the chance to travel to New Orleans in 2012, but I formatted my memory cards as soon as I uploaded my images to my computer, before losing my computer on the airline! I hope to relive the livelihood of Bourbon Street and French Quarter to document and share with you!

Attend the Grammys Award festivities in Los Angeles. Of course, while I am there for a weekend, I would like to go to the places that would make me feel like a local for a day, such as eating at In N Out Burger.

Attend SXSW in Austin, Texas. I have not been to Texas since I was a child riding around in the 18 wheeler truck with my dad. This time, it would be an honor to network and learn. I’m going to continue to network until I no longer have to introduce myself.

Visit:

Essence Music Festival in New Orleans - I enjoyed my first ever experience in South Africa, I can only hope it goes up from here! Otherwise, I would love the opportunity to return to South Africa; I can see myself and my family living there for a few months.

The New England area - The fact that I have not been to all the states above New York, aside from West Virginia, the only state on the East Coast that I have not been to, reminds me that I should not forget about what right here in my home country. If I can persuade my husband, I would love to take a road trip during the spring or summer. Otherwise, I will like a road partner.

Morocco - I read in an article that in 2017 it's one of the cheapest countries to visit; I cannot wait to experience the colorful culture; luckily I know someone from there. I value my connects.

Take a Caribbean Cruise - I’ve been told that it’s the best way to visit all the small islands

Cuba - Southwest, My favorite airline, now has direct flights there, so this vision now seems closer than ever; especially since I know someone from there!

Kenya - It would be ideal if I travel with Operation Crossroads Africa as the team photographer. Otherwise, I do know someone who is from there. Who knows, I may be there the same time the President returns.

Tanzania - Beautiful beaches and people

Egypt - Pyramids before they dissolve

Toronto, like on my other list, it would be nice to drive to Toronto from Niagara Falls which is only an hour and a half away, especially since I purchased a Free Canada Parks & Recreation Pass

Hawaii - a city that was forgotten about in my mind, that’s also a part of the U.S. and still beachy.

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Personal:

Procrastination - This year I learned to stop letting fear of results or failures get in the way, which causes me to put things off. So many times this year, I have put things off, only to realize, once I did complete it, how much better it feels to get it over with.

Health - I’m not the most healthy. As health-conscious as I can be, I am looking forward to being better.

Immigration Case - If you have seen my post where I talked about my immigration journey with my husband, you will learn that it’s not over yet; 2017 is the year where we step back into that craziness. It is my goal to get back into research and investigator mode this year. This time it’s not just me, it’s hubby’s green card, so he has a lot more work to do this time around. Last time, it depended on more on my finances and evidence, now it’s the both of us.

Moving into a Home - I have always wanted to live outside of the U.S., but it makes sense for my future kids to have a place to come back to or as an investment while overseas.

Not cooking every day - I’m learning how to do this frugal living thing by couponing, stockpiling, bulk cooking and getting hubby out the African mindset for a fresh home-cooked meal every single day; ain’t nobody got time for that!

Writing as soon as I feel like it - Be in the moment during my busy times of the year (I will have six social media clients - on the way to creating my own boutique agency) I won't have as much free time to spare so I should write as soon as thoughts come to mind.

Business:

Launch Products: I have so many incomplete products; This year while in research mode, I learned so many things and answered so many questions as to why the products I did launch beforehand did not succeed.

Blog Consistently with a minimum of 1 post every week - On a Good Day, 2 posts per week, the number of blog posts this year: 20 I am tripling that amount in 2017 to 120!

Continue to Advise & Consult Artists

Take Sponsored Travel Trips

Host Guest Blog Posts on my page - I will have a better outline for guest posting on my page this year to introduce you to the many amazing women travelers I know!

So, there you have it! Happy Holidays! I look forward to seeing you in the New Year!

A week ago today, I returned from NYC serving as the photographer, social media manager, and volunteer alumni for Operation Crossroads Africa’s 58th annual orientation. ♡ Five years ago this time, I was the one who, at age 18, was departing for 7 weeks in Ghana as a volunteer teacher. ♡ As I helped the fellow Ghana volunteers prepare, advised them and answered their many questions about their projects, where they will be, and what they will see, it brought back so many memories of my time at the same school and location in Ghana where they will be. ♡ Every year since 2011, with the exception of 2012 (I was in school), I have traveled to New York City to show support to the organization that forever changed my life, provided me with a different perspective on the continent of Africa, gave me a different definition of service, and provided me with opportunities for growth and leadership that partly make up who I am today. Some of my best and closest friendships, not to mention the fate of meeting my husband, were an indirect correlation of being a part of this organization. ♡ As the Peace Corps before the Peace Corps, said by President John F. Kennedy, volunteers spent 24 hours training for cultural differences, group differences, living situations, health and medical safety, all while developing new friendships. ♡ Crossroads will always play a huge role in my life and have a place in my heart, thanks to the legacy of Rev. James Robinson. Www.operationcrossroadsafrica.org #operationcrossroadsafrica #nayyarphotography (at Pratt Institute)

#nayyarphotography #operationcrossroadsafrica

2016 Travel Bucket List

Can you believe the year of 2015 has close to ended?

I’m sure you have seen many posts already, and hopefully you are not sick of them, but I too have a 2016 travel list. I am bad about making a list and usually just wing it, which has worked for me in the past, however, I have learned that it’s more of a probability of things happening if you write it and speak it into existence.

So...here goes! My Top 5 Countries for 2016, in no order:

Brazil: I’ve put it on my bucket list ever since I saw Gabby Douglas be amazing during the 2012 Olympics, to attend the 2016 Olympics in Rio De Janeiro. The idea to attend the Olympics started before then. You see, before I was this globe-trotting lady behind the computer, I had some powerful legs as a child. My swim instructor believed me to be in the 2012 Olympics if I kept at it. I had similar compliments as the lead track star in middle school. And well, we see where that lead. But nonetheless, attending the events would be exciting. If I can squeeze in a visit to Bahia, that would be cool too.

South Africa (Lesotho, Swaziland): I have an amazing history with Operation Crossroads Africa. I first volunteered with them for a summer in Ghana 2011. Ever since my trip, I have been actively involved with them locally by keeping the legacy alive. That’s how I found my husband in a way, through Operation Crossroads Africa, because I left at the same time at the Gambia volunteers summer 2014, and it is a mutual friend we have, who I met through Operation Crossroads Africa. The organization travel to various parts of Africa. Even though this year, the country the closest to South Africa that they will be traveling to is Zimbabwe, the final deadline for applying and for me to determine isn’t until February. That’s enough time to get a feel for if I will be able to spend at least a couple of weeks of my summer in Africa. But if not with Crossroads, I have seen some favorite shows and events expanding to South Africa: Diner En Blanc, Black Girls Rock!, and Essence Music Festival. Ever since I have joined a travel community, I have learned that even though South Africa is quite big and you almost need to take a plane to get from one side to the other, I still would like to visit Lesotho and Swaziland since they are both technically within South Africa.

Cuba: Ever since Cuba has reopened its “arms” to the U.S., I have seen blogger friends take advantage of that opportunity by visiting. Cuba has a long, amazing history. As a photographer, it would be a perfect opportunity to do what I have always done: teach the youth and photograph the country. Even though we are limited to the type of tourism we want to do to in order to visit, I have no problem with that because out of the 12 options, my intentions cover at least two of them.

Caribbean: Earlier this year I won a free cruise. Although I no longer believe that it is true, haha, it was a friendly reminder that I still have yet to visit the rest of the Caribbean, especially islands of the Virgin Islands, where my maternal grandfather is from. I have already visited Jamaica and Puerto Rico, but I am ready to see more of the West Indies.

United Arab Emirates: My husband was able to go to the amazing Dubai airport before me as he flew home to me in the USA, haha, but God willing with or without him, I will be able to see Abu Dhabi and Dubai. It’s amazingly affordable to get there, despite its portrayed luxury that is displaced in the Instagram photos of celebrities and recent action movies. For example, there has been a Groupon floating around for an 8-day stay....

Canada: I have toured almost all of the East coast, and have yet to visit Canada, not even as close as the Niagara Falls. Despite Toronto becoming more popular thanks to Drake, I am a big fan of diversity. Another thing that has been on my bucket list is attending the NBA All-Star Game. I am a huge basketball fan (Go Miami Heat!) so naturally, I would like to check that off my list one year. This year in February, they will be in Toronto. I know this makes the 6th country...technically..but I just thought I’d throw that out there...hint...hint….

Europe: Yes, yes, I know Europe is a continent. But while the euro is still in its good currency value, I would like to go to the European countries that are the most talked about that I have not seen (the U.K., France, and Italy) yet, such as Germany and Switzerland. I thought I would have my honeymoon in Venice, Italy, haha, but either way, it has not been checked off nor removed off of my bucket list. Will it happen this year? We will see.

So that summarizes my travel list for 2016. Anything can happen if you just believe.

What are your travel goals? It doesn’t have to be international. It can even be discovering the town next door.

Just as an added bonus, here are some In-country states that I would like to visit:

California is full of events, history, and landmarks that I would like to see before it completely floats or burns away.

West Virginia is the ONLY state on the East Coast that I have not been to, excluding the New England Area, so, of course I would like to visit there. What is there you say? Well with me being both a city and country girl, there are lots of winding roads and pretty green trees as well as small town hospitality!

P.S. Happy New Year! :)

All images sourced from Flickr

#africa #dubai #brazil #toronto #caribbean #europe

Watch the amazing performances from the 2015 NAN Triumph Awards hosted by @tichinaarnold tonight at 8pm EST on @tvone!

Photos by Nayyar Photography, www.nayyarphotography.com

#nantriumphawards #triumph awards #atlanta #awardshow #jazmine sullivan #tasha cobbs #stokley williams #Chante Moore #ledisi #estelle #mint condition #tichina arnold #tyrese #robert glasper

Watch the honorees accept their awards at the 2015 Triumph Awards tonight at 8pm EST on @tvone.

Photos by: www.nayyarphotography.com

#atlanta #event #Awards #nantriumphawards #nayyar photography #tyrese #wanda sykes #tichina arnold #carl payne #al sharpton

Tune into the 2015 5th Annual National Action Network Triumph Awards on TVONE October 3rd. www.nayyarphotography.com

#nantriumphawards #atlanta #event #nayyar photography #eva marcille

Happy birthday Mr. President! @BarackObama Photo by Me #Potus #president #BarackObama #obama #happybirthday #happybirthday #nayyarphotography #ALC #cbcfalc #event #photo

#happybirthday #cbcfalc #nayyarphotography #alc #photo #president #barackobama #potus #event #obama

Guess Where I am? Meetings, meetings, meetings. #vscocam #squaredroid

#vscocam #squaredroid

3 Things I Learned About Love | Anniversary Post

We find love in the most unexpected places, in the most unexpected ways, at the least expected times. It’s something I’ve always wanted, dreamed of, that was my motivation in life for making it through the tough times. I never did actually know how my wedding day did go, I had dreams here and there and I just knew what I wanted but never truly knew. My wedding day ended up being super low key. I had about 15 people with me at the justice (also known as the civil court) all from my husband’s family. The evening ceremony had about 40 people in attendance; a majority of my husband’s family and friends, in addition to my extended family, my Operation Crossroads Africa family. There was dinner with music, and everyone mingling and chatting. I grew up an only child. I have half-siblings, but they are twice my age. I have always dreamed of having a lot of brothers and sisters, so I can say, that wish is now granted.

All the quotes you see about strength, and pain, and love are true. Once you let go and let God, all things are possible. Put your faith and your hands in God and watch what happens. Your tears, your calls, and your prayers do not go silent. If it something He has also wanted for you, He will give it to you. Not on your time, but on His, which is always, always, always right on time. I often find myself asking, “How did I come from such a place of pain, turmoil, heartbreak, a place of consistent unhappiness, to being with the man I have always dreamed of in such a short span of time?” As I reflect on my one year anniversary, here are three things that I have learned:

1. God's plans are always bigger and better. I went to West Africa summer of 2014 with the goal in mind that I would improve myself as a travel and portrait photographer, teach photography, and immerse myself into a new country. Little did I know that this trip would end up mainly being a trip for personal discovery, personal growth and for personal relationships. Around the same time that I decided that I was going to be traveling to Senegal and The Gambia, I was connected with my husband to be on Facebook. We have mutual friends; his best friend, who is also Gambian, is my close friend’s husband. This close friend of mine is someone I met through my Crossroads trip. He and I communicated every day for a few months. It was not until our first Skype call that I thought, “He could be the one, there is something so real about this.” Once I arrived in The Gambia, it was his family who took me in and gave me a place to stay during my one-month stay. It was he who helped me throughout my whole trip, taking me to the places I needed to visit to get the photos I wanted to capture, to learn about the history, and to make sure I was okay. We clicked the first day we met. Despite language differences (English is his second language; English was my best subject in school), we just get each other. I feel safe and comfortable with him, and we know how to have fun together and make each other laugh and smile. Everything after that was a whirlwind, but I can say we are both truly happy with just rolling with God’s plans.

2. You never know how strong you are until being strong is your only choice. Long distance in any relationship is hard, but it is even harder with an immigrant spouse. I have witnessed the hardships of having a long distance and cross-cultural marriage but now it is my turn to experience it. The struggle is so much better with the right companion and support system by your side, who can be there for you if not physically, then spiritually. It is a simple feeling that just automatically gives you strength when the love is mutual and reciprocal. All I knew was that I wanted to be with a good man who understands me, who lets me be myself, who mutually wants a happy, adventurous, monogamous, and long lasting marriage, where we also build each other to be a better version of ourselves. I never expected to marry an African man. To find him halfway across the world, in the smallest African country, one I barely knew anything about, was very unexpected but I’ll take it! God has already dubbed me one of his toughest soldiers.

3. Lessons are always to be learned, every day. There is always room to grow. Every person is not perfect, but the right person is perfect for you. There is a reason why the one you are meant to be with is called your other half. This, however does not mean that they will know everything that is on your mind. The keys are patience, communication and respect, which will help to make the love everlasting. The older you get, the smaller your circle gets. I now understand why married couples prefer to hang with other married couples, because it is a completely different world. This is something you grow to realize as you move through the different chapters in life. Be careful who you trust and who you talk to. Not everyone will understand your relationship as it is your journey only.

If you don’t remember anything else from this post… Be open to love, expect the unexpected, and be patient. If you are truly ready for love, and you love yourself, you will not know which direction it will come, your responsibility is to just be prepared.

#love #gambia #Africa #travel #story

The Year I Caught the Travel Bug

My first memories of traveling are from the age of three. My dad was an 18-wheeler driver a majority of my childhood. I was constantly on the road with my dad before I started school. Before I could even remember, I visited five states in the Midwest. The trucker road trips continued regularly until I was in middle school, then they changed to road trips in the car every spring or summer break to visit family.

My first time out of the country was as a sophomore in high school with a group called Global Explorers and we spent a week in Costa Rica. I loved it! I was with a group of deaf, hard of hearing, and those who were interested in learning sign language and how to interact with the deaf/hard of hearing. It was also an eco-system trip as we spent a day planting a garden at a local school.

My next trip was during that summer break. It was a two-week tour through Europe with People to People Student Ambassadors starting in England, France and ending in Italy. As tiring as it was to travel to three countries in 2 weeks, I caught the travel bug then and there. It was so amazing to see the landmarks I had only seen in books or movies.

I did not travel during the summer of my junior year because I wanted to participate in the Yearbook Club which goes hand in hand with my love for photography. Instead, I ended up connecting with other student ambassadors at the People to People Global Youth Forum in Atlanta.

During my senior year, I was at it again. I received the opportunity to travel to Africa for the first time through Operation Crossroads Africa. My mother instilled Africa into me as a young girl. I watched plenty of movies and documentaries based in or about Africa, so it was a blessing to be able to finally see it for myself. This by far was the longest and hardest yet best trip I’ve ever taken. I was fresh out of high school, the youngest in my group and was away from home for a month and a half in a new environment. This trip set the tone for what the rest of my life would look like as I discovered my devotion to international travel, connection to Africa, gift for photography and passion for giving back.

My first few out of country travels were always with groups. That changed when I traveled with one girlfriend from high school on a spontaneous weekend trip to Negril, Jamaica. The following spring, I went to Puerto Rico for four days on an all girls getaway trip. That trip was the most fun because it was my first girls trip with six of my closest girlfriends. We had a good time!

The most life changing trip came when I traveled to The Gambia for a month, while spending one week in Dakar, Senegal during the summer. It was my first solo trip. I knew for a while that I wanted to visit The Gambia. One friend whom I befriended from Operation Crossroads Africa traveled to Gambia the same year I traveled to Ghana. She spoke so fondly of her trip upon her return, it drove me to go. I had not heard of the country prior until then. Having had some money saved, it was an epiphany that came about that made me realize, “I want to go to Senegal this summer.” I have a family friend who lives in Dakar whom I met in Tampa, and I missed her dearly. I did my research and learned that Dakar and The Gambia are in close proximity to each other, I booked my flight and made it happen. Little did I know that this would be the trip where I would find my King. My life was forever changed knowing dreams do come true. I connected with him before traveling online before meeting in person. My host family was his family. I had a photographic itinerary, but it was easily shifted and the focus became getting to know my new extended family and their culture.

I am so grateful to have a chance to see 8 countries at such a young age. I plan on visiting 30 countries before reaching age 30; 22 more to go! It is just the beginning.

#Zaakirah Nayyar #travel #Africa #Costa Rica #France #England #Italy #Senegal #Gambia #Ghana #travel bug

Life is too precious.

As a photographer, it is not often that you get to have the honor of capturing the special day of someone close to you. It is an even more rare honor to capture what would be known as the last photos.

About a month ago, I had the honor of attending and photographing the wedding celebration of Almaz and Segun. Almaz and I literally grew up together. She is only a year and a half older than me, so she is like a big sister. She had already been married for a couple of years, but she finally got to have her dream ceremony. It was such a great sight to see her so happy and surrounded by love. It is a gift to be able to capture the beauty in someone I know.

I have a newfound definition of love. I have a newfound calmness about life. I worry too much about the smallest things. Almaz, on the other hand, was the definition of a free spirit. She was also a fighter, figuratively and literally, haha.

She loved to sing, loved to dance, and loved to laugh. She was a great woman, friend, sister, aunt, and wife. The kids loved her and she loved the kids.

I know she’s gone physically, I am not in denial about it, but I also know she is still here. I cannot grieve for too long because she lives on in spirit. She is such an angel. She was an angel on earth and now she is an angel in heaven, but she is our guardian angel now; I can feel it.

I am grateful I rarely missed the opportunity to tell her I love her.

I am grateful to have been there for her, seen her happy, sad, and mad. I have so many childhood memories that will forever be in my heart. I have seen all the faces of Almaz. Now, she is safe and she is at peace. I am grateful to have seen her at least 3 times this year.

I am grateful to have heard her voice as of recently. Our last conversation was a couple of days ago. She called me talking about wanting to travel to Lagos, Nigeria; she was so excited about the trip! Now, I want to go to Nigeria for her, for the love of Mazy. I am grateful to know she was able to celebrate another year of age right before God called her home.

She is my hero. If I just think, What would Almaz do? I know I will be just fine.

I love you Almaz. I hope you continue to dance. I’ll see you again soon.

#nayyar photography #love #friendship #good die young #rest in paradise #rest in peace #i miss you #i love you #photographer #yoruba #wedding #beautiful black women #sister #african queen #family

Key to My Heart

It was my freshman year in high school. I was enjoying lunch with my girls when I saw a table being set up right in front of us. As they were putting a banner up, I read the words “Key Club.”

I asked out loud “What is Key Club?” We ended up jokingly going back and forth for a while about what it could have meant. Then, I asked, do they make keys?”

Shortly after, a friend and I walked up to the table to find out what it was all about.

We asked they answered. “Oh no, we don’t make keys, we are a service club. If you want you can sign up to attend our meeting to find out more about volunteer projects. Most of them are on the weekends.”

My friend brushed it off, “Oh, no, I don’t have time for that.”

But I was slow to move and respond because something really resonated with me, so I took a brochure.

As I was reading it later, I became really intrigued by all that I was reading. Founded by Kiwanis, there is an elementary school level (K-Kids), middle school (Builders Club), high school (Key Club) and even college (CKI) level. I excitedly blurted out a fact I just read about the organization. “Did you know Brad Pitt was a Key Clubber?!” None of my friends seemed as enthused as I was.

Fast forward to a few months later, I am volunteering at numerous service and fundraiser events on the weekends. I even ran for a club leadership position during elections. I didn’t get the one I wanted, but I ended up being nominated for an even better position: Sophomore Class Director. During the end of my freshman year, I received training for my role. I was responsible for maintaining communication between the sophomore Key Clubbers and the board of directors. I ended up only holding it until the end of winter semester due to moving.

When I moved to South Florida in the middle of the school year, it was almost like a drug. I could not stand to be at a school that had a service club nowhere close to Key Club. I missed having those interactions and the instant connection with people who genuinely enjoyed serving and leading like me. So, with the help of my classmates Stefano and Whitney, a Key Club was formed at McFatter Technical. We were sponsored by a local Kiwanis Club and attended regional and district events in the first year. I was nominated President for both years of school. It was a huge part of my life, it taught me a lot about people, planning, leading and initiating. It was hard work, but it all paid off. Unexpectedly, I received an outstanding Key Club President award at the end of my second term. I recently came across photos of my sponsoring Kiwanis Club still hosting meetings and events at my high school with my school’s Key Club. Talk about a proud legacy left behind!

I did not want to miss out on being a member of the Kiwanis Family so once I moved to Washington D.C., I immediately connected with the alumni network to find local clubs of interest.

After a little bit of research, I became a member of the D.C. Young Professionals Kiwanis Club and remained an active member for the two years that I lived in D.C. Ironically, the president of the club was also a Florida Key Clubber in high school. It was full of great service projects and fun, outgoing people. I became an Eliminate Project Club Coordinator for a year. I was also Member of the Month for my active participation. Before I left, a new member joined a meeting, and we recognized each other: I met her at DCON (District Convention) as a Key Clubber when she was a CKI (Circle K International) president. What a small world! This year makes four years since my last attendance at DCON.

This year makes Key Club’s 90th anniversary and Kiwanis’ 100th anniversary. I would encourage any parent who wants to get their kids involved in their community and to gain leadership skills to allow them to join. I would encourage any teen who is looking for someplace to fit in and make a difference while in school to join. The skills, memories, and friendships carry on with you throughout life. Even though I have taken a brief hiatus from being a Kiwanian, I will always be a proud Key Clubber and Kiwanian. The will to serve is forever instilled into me.

#key club #high school #writing #kiwanis100 #volunteer #service #give back #zaakirah nayyar #cki #kiwanis #life #stories #make a difference

It has been a little over a month since I joined the #TNDistrict and I’ve made so much progress in my life and felt even closer to my dreams with all the inspiration from this amazing group!

This community has helped me to gain the idea and motivation to start my photography newsletter course. This group has also helped me to realize how perfect it is for me to become a travel agent and travel blogger considering the countries I have been to and the experiences, stories and photos I have and the ones I have yet to share. I’ve even gotten to meet some of the members and have brunch together (hence the group photo taken with me in it). Bet you wouldn’t know that this is a group of young people of color that have been to many places in the world, would you? The ages range from 18-40, men, women, single, married, with and without children with all kinds of jobs and careers, but we all share one thing: An open minded passion for traveling, and not just international traveling. There are groups (also called channels) that can help you plan out that U.S. road trip you have always dreamed of taking or even to find a buddy to go to a summer music festival with! It’s truly an amazing and inspiring community. I communicate with them a lot more than I do with my people on Facebook, simply because we have a lot more in common to talk about!

If you are ready to bring out the inner traveler in you, and overcome your thoughts of “How will I be treated because of the color of my skin?”, or “How can I go if I don’t have any money?” Then this is your first step and well worth the investment. The end result: lifelong memories and great travels!

There are two options for being a part of the District: 1) $8.99 a month, no cancellation limits or fees 2) $60 a year, plus an all you can ask AMA with the Travel Noire Founder, Zim, about any travel questions you have ever had that you may not find anywhere else!

Hurry! This great offer expires Tuesday, June 2nd at 10am! The countdown begins now!

www.tndistrict.com

#black travel #travel noire #tndistrict #black adventuristas #travel #international travel #travelisthenewclub #world traveler #black people travel #nomad

March 2015 I visited Birmingham, AL for the first time!

While there, my family and I visited the Civil Rights Museum located across from the Kelly Ingram Park intersecting the 16th Street Baptist Church (home of MLK’s congregations and the KKK killing of four little girls).

This trip happened days before the 50th anniversary of the march to Selma. I do wish I was able to stay or even get media access to the event. However, there was a photo exhibit that just opened featuring the work of one of the only photographers that were able to be amongst the walkers. Amazing photos and amazing experience.

The most impacting parts of the tour are seeing the constructed statues and remaining artifacts from the era, such as the bus that was taken by the HBCU college students (Scene was shown in The Butler) that was burned by the KKK. Dogs were much bigger back in the day, so I can only imagine how terrorizing they seemed. It was a lot of history to take in at once so it was an emotional experience. But to this day, I am still confused as to why we, as beautiful people of color, and as some of the original people of this country, get treated so horribly.

But I know in the end we will conquer.

Photos by: Nayyar Photography

www.nayyarphotography.com

#nayyar photography #birmingham #alabama #civil rights #martin luther king #selma #selma50 #16th street baptist church #blackhistory #photography

My Memorial Day Weekend was spent with a road trip to Memphis, TN! I finally got to visit Memphis! I now feel accomplished that I have visited all three parts of Tennessee (East: Chattanooga, Middle: Nashville, West: Memphis) It is only right considering my dad is from Tennessee and I learned that he also lived in Memphis for six months at one point. Being the music head that I am, I had to see what this music city was all about. I stand corrected, Memphis is Blues City, Nashville is Music City. It was rough getting there, but I am glad I was able to spend four hours in the city while visiting with my track star friend from high school. As I tour the states, I easily see how the southeast was once all formed together. We drove through Mississippi and I visited Alabama for the first time since childhood on March 2014, and I can honestly say they look and feel the same. Based on my visit, here are five of my observations:

It is definitely Blues City; blues, blues everywhere! They honored B.B. King everywhere.

It’s one big circle. I had this visual that the FedEx Forum is a super long walk from wherever my hotel or place of stay would be if I ever got the chance to see the Memphis Grizzlies play, but boy was I wrong. Walk up and down Beale Street, you will get to everything in a one stop shop.

It is soo close to Mississippi and Arkansas. With me being a Florida girl, you can travel four hours and just be in a different part of Florida and feel like you have been someplace new, but that is one of the biggest learning experiences I learned once I moved outside of Florida. We drove through Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi and Tennessee in approximately 6 hours. I was so fascinated when we drove across the bridge (with the Mississippi River underneath us) to get to the Arkansas state line before turning around. I also understand why Memphis was the city for the big break for the musicians who were born and raised in the country coming from places like Mississippi such as B.B. King. Memphis is also not too far from that good southern home cuisine with numerous food choices along Beale Street. I had lunch at Blues City Cafe!

It needs A LOT of work; high crime rate, not so booming businesses, buildings outdated and torn down. But like a lot of metropolitan areas that I have been to, MLK Blvd is on the not so well kept parts of the city but also where most of the people of color reside.

It’s like other parts of the south as far as the scenery. When it comes to bright colorful lights, it closely resembles Nashville except downtown Nashville’s bright lights are on a few more streets within Downtown. In my opinion, Nashville is the place where most country musicians go for their big break, Memphis has been the spot for blues and R&B artists, with the exception of rap (Three6Mafia). No wonder Justin Timberlake always stood out growing up because of his music tastes.

All in all, it is a place like no other. I encourage you to visit! I always encourage you to go places you have never been to or never or have always imagined visiting; it will open your eyes!

Photos by Zaakirah | Nayyar Photography

#travel #memphis #tennessee #memorialday #bbking #bluesboy #bluescity #music #photography #nayyar photography #soul #bluescitycafe #stax museum

I spent my Memorial Day Weekend on a mini road trip to Memphis, TN! I finally got to visit Memphis! I now feel accomplished that I have visited all three parts of Tennessee (East: Chattanooga, Middle: Nashville, West: Memphis) It is only right considering my dad is from Tennessee and I learned that he also lived in Memphis for six months at one point. Being the music head that I am, I had to see what this music city was all about. I stand corrected, Memphis is Blues City, Nashville is Music City. It was rough getting there, but I am glad I was able to spend four hours in the city while visiting with my track star friend from high school. As I tour the states, I easily see how the southeast was once all formed together. We drove through Mississippi and I visited Alabama for the first time since childhood on March 2014, and I can honestly say they look and feel the same. Based on my visit, here are five of my observations:

It is definitely Blues City; blues, blues everywhere! They honored B.B. King everywhere.

It’s like other parts of the south as far as the scenery. When it comes to bright colorful lights, it closely resembles Nashville except downtown Nashville’s bright lights are on a few more streets within Downtown. In my opinion, Nashville is the place that most country musicians go for their big break, Memphis has been the spot for blues and R&B artists, with the exception of rap (Three6Mafia). No wonder Justin Timberlake always stood out growing up because of his music tastes.

All in all, it is a place like no other. I encourage you to visit! I always encourage you to go places you have never been to or never or have always imagined visiting; it will open your eyes!

#memphis #tennessee #photography #Blues #blues city #bbking #travel #nayyar photography #50states

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