BEING SHE x Winnie. Written by Winnie Rioba (IG @expedition_196)

Being She for me means living authentically. It means waking up every day with optimism, being grateful for this beautiful life and taking a step, no matter how small it is, to achieve my goals in life. And believing in my abilities to accomplish those goals. My motto in life is appreciating the people I love, the places I see and the memories I make along the way.

Ever since I was young, I found it fascinating that while I was going to sleep, another part of the world of the world was waking up. Slowly becoming enticed by travel. As I got older, I realized that this childhood fantasy was actually what I wanted the most. And lead me to my first solo trip to Rwanda and Burundi. If I am not working as an analyst of Finance, you will find me travelling alone or with my friends. It is because of travelling that my blog http://www.justrioba.com came up.

Travelling has exposed me to a lot. First of all, travelling alone as African woman is something still considered very unusual. But best believe it has taught me the meaning of being independent, knowing when to speak and when to shut up, trusting my gut, being a good judge of character and respecting other people’s cultures.

Taking time to learn from others is a vital lesson I have learnt. And honestly, everyone I have met had something to teach me.

Being she, for me, is asking for a hand whenever I need it because I know I am not super woman.

Women experience different struggles. And I struggle with balancing my career and relationships with my family and friends; education and most importantly my relationship with God. I try putting 100 percent in all these aspects. Although sometimes I feel like giving up, because i may feel like it’s not worth the effort. But having a supportive system is probably one of the most important things in this life. I do not think I have ever given it 100 percent- I’m not perfect, but God knows I try.

Suffering and heartbreaks can either make you or break you. Choose to use every opportunity as one a learning experience in becoming your best authentic self.