Black Girls Abroad: Finding Sisterhood in London

By Tise Ojo

A trip to a new country is like stepping into a world of infinite possibilities. Every turn promises a new adventure, a new story to tell, and a new memory to cherish. But the true magic of travel lies not in the sights you see or the food you taste, but in the people you meet along the way. And if someone had told me before my journey to London that I would return home with a new friend, much less a sister, I would’ve laughed it off as a far-fetched fantasy, but as it turned out, that’s exactly what happened.

I’m an introvert. As a child, I stumbled upon the definition and immediately knew that it was a perfect description of who I was. It’s not that I’m a quiet person, those close to me would undoubtedly object to that claim. I’m simply needed to stick together. It was as if we both knew the challenges that lay ahead of us, and we were united in our determination to face them together.

Even though we both sensed the need to stick together on that first day of class, we didn’t become friends until much much later. We made some plans to hang out outside of class but they fell through. It’s not that I didn’t want to hang out, trust me, I was very excited to get to know Mari and have a new friend, but my crippling shyness made it difficult to step out of my comfort zone and push past the anxious thoughts and feelings that held me back. However, as fate would have it, circumstances beyond our control would soon bring us closer together than we ever imagined possible.

Mari had a sad start to her trip. She was out shopping solo and her phone got pickpocketed. I hadn’t even reached London yet, so I felt pretty helpless about the situation, but my heart went out to her. I mean, who wants to be all alone in a foreign country and have their phone someone who prefers quiet contemplation to the noisiness of big groups. I’d rather be alone than in a crowded space. But, as if by cosmic design, I was drawn to Shamaria Massenburg’s effervescent extroversion like a moth to a flame. Her magnetic personality and my shy introverted nature were like opposing forces that somehow collided, creating a bond that would last forever.

I remember my first day of class in preparation for the London trip. As a black girl attending a predominantly white institution, I can’t forget the jolt of excitement upon spotting another black girl in my class. Without exchanging any words, there was an unspoken understanding between us that we stolen? It just made me wish even more that I had been there with her, so this never would have happened. Although she never explicitly expressed her disappointment, I could tell that Mari was feeling down after her phone was pick-pocketed. I wanted to put in much more effort to be a better friend to turn this trip around and make this the day I was sat by myself for dinner and she was running late after a soccer game. Don’t get me wrong, I loved all of my classmates, but by this point, everyone already had connections made and my connection had evilly left me all by myself and gone to a soccer game without thinking about me. (She was 10 minutes late and begged me to come but I refused lol).

London trip one for the books for the both of us. What really blew me away was how positive Mari stayed throughout everything. She hardly complained and she was still determined to have a good time. I remember thinking, ‘This girl is so much better than me because nothing would’ve been able to drag me outside after getting my phone (the love of my life) taken from me. I knew then that she was someone I wanted to spend a lot of my time with, and do this trip together. One of my favorite things about my friendship with Mari is the fact that we both share a carefree and adventurous approach to life. We’re such bad influences on each other when it comes to shopping. I always tell her not to ask me about buying stuff cause I’ll always encourage her to buy it if it makes her happy. So when on the second day, she wanted to buy this super cute luxury Uggs bag, I was all for it! She was feeling a little down about her phone so once I saw how happy she was at the bag, I went with her to pick it up.

By the last day of the trip, Mari was no longer a friend to me, she was my sister and I genuinely had so much love for her. I loved the way she always had my back and I loved being someone she could trust enough to confide in. Once we touched down in Lawrence, we were basically stuck at the hip. It made me happy to see that our bond didn’t fade after we returned from London, and to top it off, fate had us living just a minute away from each other.

Well, that’s the story of how a shy introvert like me found a sister in a city far away from home. It’s a good thing I didn’t let my anxiety get the best of me because I would have missed out on one of the most amazing friendships of my life. Mari and I may have come from different backgrounds and had different personalities, but that didn’t stop us from forming a bond I pray will last a lifetime. I’m grateful for the way Mari pushed me out of my comfort zone and brought

That bag is like her new baby now!

That’s when Mari and I really hit it off. We were inseparable - you know, the kind of friendship where you do everything together. We’d scarf down spicy food together, chat about our families and childhoods, and even splurged on matching Juicy Couture sweatsuits. It was like we were meant to be besties. As we spent more time together, it was crazy how much we had in common. For one, we both loved spicy food, we loved sleeping in (me probably more than her), we were raised with very similar values and morals, and our birthdays are literally one day apart. You couldn’t tell me we weren’t meant to be friends. I knew our friendship was solidified out the best in me, and I hope I did the same for her.

Nowadays, Mari and I are living our lives as sisters should - hanging out with each for hours on end, going out to college parties, and doing silly stuff together. Our friendship has taught me that sometimes the best things in life come in unexpected packages, and that stepping out of your comfort zone can lead to amazing adventures.

So, here’s to Mari, and to all the new friends and adventures that await us on our next trip. Who knows what kind of magic we’ll find next?