Life is Beautiful, Even with All That Hunts Us

 

Life is beautiful… with all that hunts us from within and outside.

Now, stay with me, dear reader. Don’t just read with your eyes read with your heart. Because while haunted houses are creepy, what’s truly haunting is what we carry within.

I found myself standing before a haunted mansion nestled high up in the clouds Obudu Mountain Resort, 6,000 ft above sea level, in Cross River State, Nigeria. A land of fog, beauty, and missed opportunities.

I had heard about the “hunted house” (yes, hunted, as the locals call it) from the moment we arrived. My ears perked up like a cat that heard tuna. Haunted house? Say less. I was in. Not because I was looking to meet any ghosts (God forbid), but because something about it called to me. A strange resonance… like a familiar wound waiting to be acknowledged.

My Morning Mission: Coffee, Sun & Ghosts

That morning, I woke up to the chilling cold. Not Lagos cold o this one touched your soul. If you have stubborn fat, Obudu will humble it. I got dressed, teeth chattering, thinking of only one thing coffee. My cabin was warm, but the coffee I needed was spiritual. 😅

I stepped outside to greet the morning and my cabin neighbours. And ah, what a gift the sun was out! I stretched, faced the warmth, and whispered a little gratitude to the heavens before the fog swallowed it up again like it usually does.

Just then, I saw Mr. Emmirine, and casually mentioned my curiosity about the hunted house.

He didn’t blink. “Let’s go.”

Before I could say Bismillah, the sweet and gracious Mrs. Vee offered us a ride. I hopped in, and Mr. Jossie joined us too. We drove through winding roads that made me feel like I was in a Nollywood-meets-Hollywood production. Honestly, I half expected to hear dramatic soundtrack music and see someone running in slow motion with a suitcase.

The Mansion in the Mist

We arrived at a massive, white-painted mansion. And when I say mansion, I mean a house that looked like it had once played host to kings and queens or at least very rich Nigerian uncles with offshore accounts.

It had marble finishing, a separate transformer (haba!), and an exterior that screamed “I was once the dream.” There were six rooms, all locked, but we could peep through the glass into its memory.

Inside, I saw:

Plush, luxurious armchairs that once held powerful backs.

A dining table grand enough to host both Jesus and the disciples.

Golden-plated lion artwork on the walls (because of course, Nigeria).

Wooden furniture carved with precision.

Heavy draped curtains, once majestic, now slumping like tired eyelids.

A clock that had stopped, just like the attention and care it once received.

And the view?

Ah, the view.

Green mountains rolling into the horizon, sunbeams breaking through like a heavenly kiss. If peace was a place, this back porch was it.

I stood there, humbled. I imagined waking up there every day writing, sipping tea, doing yoga (or pretending to), and feeling like the main character in a story of redemption.

And just when I thought the scene was complete… boom. Right in front of this majestic (yet forsaken) house, sat a tractor. Yes, a real farming tractor.

We laughed and posed for pictures, as one does when life hands you a plot twist. Because what else can you do when a mansion and a tractor share the same front yard? 😅

But then reality slapped me gently on the cheek.

What Happens When We Don’t Maintain Beauty

This house… this potential tourism goldmine… was abandoned.

Cracked walls. Rotting wood. Furniture eaten by time. No sign of care. Just neglect.

It broke my heart.

This place this billion-naira investment had been left to decay.

And in that moment, something clicked. This isn’t just about a house. It’s about us.

Are you still with me?

What the Haunted House Taught Me About Us

We are just like that house.

Many of us are God’s masterpiece beautiful, intricate, uniquely designed yet we abandon ourselves. We neglect maintenance. We ignore our emotional plumbing until it bursts. We pretend like everything’s fine while the wooden parts of our soul rot quietly.

Just like tourism in Nigeria, we have so much inner wealth creativity, softness, ideas, brilliance but we don’t invest in maintenance. We say, "E go dey okay," as the ceiling falls on our dreams.

Nigeria’s hospitality and tourism sector is full of potential, yet plagued by poor maintenance, mismanagement, and an alarming lack of vision. Beautiful locations like Obudu could attract the world, generate revenue, and create jobs. But they’re ignored.

And many of us do the same to ourselves ignoring our mental wellness, our healing, our passions because we don’t know how, or worse, because we’ve been conditioned to see care as weakness.

As we drove back from the haunted house, still lost in thought and overwhelmed by the beauty and the heartbreak, we decided to pass through what they call the International Restaurant on the resort grounds.

Let me just say this Nigeria will show you pepper and still ask you to smile for camera.

This place? Fully built. Fully equipped. Stainless steel commercial kitchen setup. Industrial ovens. Fridges bigger than some Lagos apartments. A chef’s dream.

But everything was gathering dust.

Not a single stove was turned on. Not a pot in sight. No sizzling. No aroma. Just silence and shiny machines sitting like forgotten ancestors waiting to be remembered.

You see those equipment? Ehhn, if put to use, they could empower dozens of people chefs, waiters, local farmers supplying produce. It could generate consistent revenue for the resort and boost tourism.

But no.

They built it… and then abandoned it.

I legit put hand for my head. 🙆🏽‍♀️ My heart broke a second time.

How do you invest millions and just let it waste?

Two Possible Solutions

1. Intentional Maintenance Culture (National & Personal):

Just like a house needs repairs, our tourism sites need regular funding, trained personnel, and structured management. The same applies to the self we need to check in with ourselves regularly, reflect, declutter mentally, and nourish our spirit.

2. Adventure-Driven Healing & Economic Revival:

Create structured programs that combine adventure tourism + wellness experiences. Imagine turning haunted houses into story-telling hubs where tourists learn history, write letters to their fears, or sip cocoa while listening to folklore. These experiences can attract global attention and serve as safe spaces for emotional reflection too.

Nigeria is not lacking in beauty it’s lacking in systems. But we can create those systems.

Why I’ll Keep Exploring

I left that haunted house heavy, yet full of hope.

I didn’t meet any ghosts, but I met myself.

I’m grateful for the journey. Grateful for the reminder that maintenance of both soul and structure is not a luxury, but a necessity.

I’m passionate about discovering more of Nigeria’s hidden gems, not just for Instagram or the vibes, but for the awakening it brings. Because every trip, every view, every unexpected detour holds a mirror to the soul.

And I want more of that.

Are you still with me, just one more last paragraph.

Final Words, Dear Reader...

We must stop abandoning beauty be it in places or in people.

Let’s repair what is broken.

Let’s love ourselves enough to maintain our soul’s foundation.

Let’s tell better stories about Nigeria.

And yes, let’s keep chasing sunrises, haunted mansions, and our highest selves.

💛 Gratitude Corner 🙏 🥹

1. I am grateful for humour that softens heartbreak. For friends who say yes to spontaneous adventures. For sun-kissed views that still shine, even on forgotten grounds.

2. I am grateful for eyes that still see possibilities even in ruins. For the kind of heartbreak that awakens purpose. For the divine nudge to ask, “What can I do about this?”

3. I am grateful for every abandoned place that reminded me not to abandon myself. For every still, cold corner that whispered, “You are still worthy of care.” For every adventure that mirrors my own healing.

💌 CALL TO ACTION

If this story stirred something in you, share it with a friend who needs to be reminded of their own beauty even if it’s been neglected.

Let’s start a conversation.

👇

Have you ever been somewhere that reflected how you felt inside? Tell me in the comments. And if you’re planning your next adventure please, take me along 😄.

Photos credit goes to Sir Emmirine 👏 

Peace ✌️