It is often said that life is a journey. But only few such journeys are worthy of any recollection, and fewer still hold any memorable markers. Abiodun Ladepo's life is a journey complete with its twists and turns. And this book, A Journey, is a chronicle of the known and the unknown, the predictable and unpredictable, the routine and the extraordinary. Then there are the tales of the bizarre, the unexpected, the total befuddlement with a foreign culture that bears no resemblance to anything the author learned where he was born, and for which he was ill-prepared to handle. But it is the story of a life determined to accomplish things. Ladepo admits that his desire to go to America was not to fill the curiosity of the young or satisfy the excitement of 'also been there'. He knew from the onset the reason he was going there. He wanted to make something out of his life. The expectations were great for the first son in a Nigerian family, who lost his father when he was still young. He mustn't only succeed, but he should set a pattern for his siblings and relations.Ladepo tells his story with honesty and integrity. As a newspaper reporter, he was assigned, at his expense, to cover a boxing tournament in America, but told his boss upfront, that after the tournament, he would like to scout for possible opportunities. If one turned up, he would stay back and work hard at it. If he found none, he would simply return home. In the event, he ran into other migrants struggling to earn a living, and possibly build a future. And he didn't see any reason for not joining them. That same honesty is evident throughout the book. He does not attempt to paint either an alluring picture of life from Nigeria to America, nor does he write with any hint of complex in his new country.This book says something else about Ladepo: that though he made well with his life in America, sought for and excelled in the opportunities that came his way, deep down in his heart and head, he never really left Nigeria. He expresses what a top Canadian diplomat said once was their reason for generously issuing visa to Nigerians, something Nigerians do somewhat unconsciously: that wherever Nigerians are found, irrespective of their socio-economic attainments, their country of birth, with all its challenges and disappointments, was still home. Successes mean little to a Nigerian abroad until he has come 'home' to show his kin how successful he has become. In A Journey, therefore, Ladepo seeks to reinforce a very Nigerian character trait that is not talked about much these days, but remains a dominant distinctive trait of Nigerians born at 'home' but now dispersed in distant lands.Ladepo tantalizes the reader with hints of the exotic places he has been, challenging duties he obviously faced, without ever lifting the lid on what his job there was. Or could it be that for him the duties in his chosen profession were not powerful enough to define his persona, but only served to prove just how being born in Nigeria toughens anyone to face any challenge in life and excel anywhere on earth? Although so much is left unsaid about that chapter of Ladepo's life, in this book, it is a wonder that you hardly notice it.A Journey is the story of a boy who was - and is still literally - on the road. It is riveting and exhilarating, and at times confounding and inspiring all at once. It is a personal story, the story of an ordinary boy who made good out of his life by a combination of focus and integrity, hard work and excellence. Many readers might just picture themselves in this story, too.
