Soft Living by Vanelle

  Yaoundé, known as Seven Hills, is Cameroon’s capital and the second most populous city. It’s smaller than the capital, Douala, but it’s still a bustling metropolis. People from all over Cameroon live and work in the city. Yaoundé is a city with a population of 2 million people and is the political capital of the country. It is located in the Central province and is bordered by the Mfoundi River, which runs through the city on its northern and southern sides. At an altitude of 700 meters, the city is encircled by hills, marshlands, and streams, and is situated on the ancestral homeland of the Ewondo and Eton peoples, although it is now a popular destination for people from across the nation. The downtown area is relatively small, consisting of a few high-rises around the  boulevard du 20 mai  and a quarter of ministries. The remainder of the city consists of a patchwork of small dwellings, including both commercial and residential buildings. The main axis of the city run...

P eople say the environment you grow up in shapes who you become. That said, if you grew up in a safe and loving place, you’ll likely be a positive, cheerful, and self-confident individual. However, if you grew up in an environment where expressing love felt like a burden, or if you were always left behind, you may develop into a negative, self-centered, or arrogant person. The environment and people that surround us define our identity. When I look back, I realize how much I hated who I was a few years ago. Life had turned me into someone no one recognized, not even my parents. It all started when my parents divorced on my 3rd birthday. At five years old, my dad married another woman who never wanted me. I felt like an intruder in my father’s house. I became lonely and abandoned. I realized at a very young age that there was no one to protect me. I remember my stepmother once saying, “ People you love will never love you back. ” She was right back then. But that statement is no lo...

  Softness is not a sign of weakness. It’s about choosing peace in a chaotic world. It’s about becoming.   Hello, beautiful soul! I’m so delighted that you’re here. My name is Vanelle, but my friends call me MissV. I’m a travel writer, journaling barbie, and soft living advocate from Cameroon, now living in India. This blog was born out of a quiet but powerful desire. It’s the realization of a dream, one rooted in purpose and progress. I started journaling back in 9th grade, during high school, not out of passion, but out of necessity. That passion came later. At the time, I was trying to escape the harsh reality of my broken family. I needed to release the frustration, anger, and disappointment that weighed heavily on me. I longed for a world that belonged to me, a world where love didn’t disappear, where love stayed, where people laughed, and where family was grounded. I eventually found that love in my journals. Through journaling, I discovered who I am, where I belo...