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Nancy Ben Arbia | نانسي

@nancy.benarbia

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✨ curiosity inspires creativity
✍🏽 reflecting on life, pages & places
📻 program director @npoblend - classic r&b, hip-hop & soul
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✍🏽 October highlights 🍂

Here’s a glimpse of what my October looked, sounded, tasted and felt like. (Sound on!)

I started the month swimming in the ocean under the Lanzarote sun, before returning to autumn in Amsterdam.

Back home, the days got shorter, the air a little colder, but October still had plenty of good stuff in store.

Like unexpectedly seeing Stevie Wonder perform live for the very first time! Up close and personal. What an honor. And yes, I absolutely got knocked off my feet and felt it all over! 🥹

Or vibing to one of my favorite storytellers, J. Cole, two nights in a row. A beautiful reminder that there really is no such thing as a life that’s better than mine.

So here’s an appreciation post for the big and small gifts, all arriving at just the right time. Some of the best moments aren’t planned. And somehow, everything came together so effortlessly.

I like to believe there’s more to life than coincidence. That some things find their way to us when the stars are aligned. And to me, that’s living my life like it’s golden, as Jilly from Philly would say.

October looked like rays of sunshine mixed with autumn leaves. It sounded like the songs I’ve loved for years coming to life right in front of me. It tasted like churros with cinnamon sugar and hot mint tea. And it felt like an unexpected warm hug, just for being me. 🤎 by @nancy.benarbia

✍🏽 A birthday note

I have this box filled with handwritten birthday cards, postcards, little notes and old love letters. Every once in a while, I open it and travel back in time. Five, ten, sometimes twenty years, revisiting different chapters and versions of myself.

Some of the people who wrote me are still around. Others have become memories. I hope that when I’m an old lady, I’ll smile at all the lives I’ve lived within this one life, while reading the stories in this precious box of mine.

So here’s a little birthday note to my present and future self:

Dear Nance,

Never lose your curiosity. Keep falling in love with life, people, places, books and music, whether you’ve heard it a thousand times or for the very first time.

Have the courage to follow what feels right, the wisdom to recognize what no longer aligns, and the freedom to stand up for what you believe in.

Don’t get so caught up in figuring it all out out that you forget to live it. Have fun, embrace the unexpected, and leave some room for Allah, subhanahu wa ta’ala, to surprise you.

This October is showing you, whether in Lanzarote, at a J. Cole show, or during this birthday weekend, how many beautiful energies surround you. And that somehow, you keep finding yourself in moments that make you feel incredibly alive and blessed. None of it is a coincidence. They really seem like curated gifts, especially for you. All praise to The Most High, for the big, small and unexpected blessings. May you never take them for granted.

And the year ahead? I have a feeling it’s gonna be one for the books!

With unconditional love,
The 2026 version of you ♥️
18 October 2026, Amsterdam by @nancy.benarbia

✍🏽 A story about volcanoes, aliens and unexpected views

Consider this your sign to just GO. Take that trip. Recharge. Breathe. See something new. Have fun. Because sometimes a change of scenery is just what you need.

There’ve been moments in life when I felt like an alien. Different, not completely fitting into one group or box. Misunderstood in the way I experience the world within and around me. I’m sure I’m not the only one who’s felt that way.

But when I picture myself standing on a mountain, looking back at the view that has been my life so far (the paths, the people, the patterns, the love and the losses), I look at it in complete awe and gratefulness.

Lanzarote kinda felt like my life in landscape form. Volcanic craters. Black lava fields. White, Caribbean-like beaches next to golden desert landscapes that made me feel like I was back in Tunisia. Night swimming under a full moon. Visiting my ultimate dream house, LagOmar (slide 7), hidden between rocks, caves and palm trees.

Every time we thought it couldn’t get more spectacular, it did. Another breathtaking beach. An insane view from a cliff. Another ridiculous sunset. Me and Rose just kept looking at each other like: ‘How is this even real?’ At times we really felt like two aliens walking around on another planet, with no one else in sight.

Not fitting in perfectly has taught me to feel at home within myself, wherever that may be. To connect with others with an open mind, while holding on to what I believe in, what I stand for and what moves me.

You start to recognize other aliens too. Storytellers. Artists. Dreamers. Questioners. Believers. The ones who are also curious about the world and give a glimpse of their inner world.

I have no idea what the next view will look like. I don’t need to know, just as long as the path feels right.

If life taught me anything its that it gets easier, then harder, then beautiful again. Just like climbing those volcanoes. So let’s keep going. Feeling outta this world hits different when you’re in good company and take some time to enjoy the view. 👽😘✌🏽 by @nancy.benarbia

✍🏽 Summer of ’26

If life had a rewind or fast-forward button, which one would you press? Would you go back and change something you regret? Or would you take a sneak peek into the future to see what’s waiting for you?

I used to be a film student in college, and I’m still fascinated by stories and movies about time travel and multiverses.

If I could go back and talk to my younger self, I think I’d mostly tell her not to worry or overthink so much. That the things that once made her feel quirky or out of this world would one day actually be the very qualities that’ll open beautiful doors, without having to force them. And to always listen to her intuition when it comes to people and places.

My curiosity and let’s-do-it-for-the-plot voice have definitely taken over sometimes. Not everything turned out the way I hoped. But this summer, today, in this very moment, I wouldn’t want my life to have unfolded any other way.

My mind wanders to the “what if’s” sometimes, but my faith keeps reminding me to stay present. My path is already written by the Greatest of Planners. And I choose to believe that what is meant for me will find its way.

I have no idea what life has in store for me a year, two years or five years from now. But maybe I don’t need to know. I trust that I’ll be okay, guided, and protected.

Kinda funny for someone who’s always been fascinated by time travel. The older I get, the less I want to rewrite the past or get a glimpse of what’s next. I can see how those decisions and detours were all part of the plot and character development anyway.

So for now, I’m good. The summer of ’26 is one of spontaneous trips, long days at the beach, warm evening swims, slow mornings at mi casa, late-night walks, time spent with my favorite people, and eating lots of ice cream.

I’ve just been here, enjoying it all, curious about what the next plot twist might be. Because if there’s one thing life keeps teaching me, it’s that the best parts of the story are often the ones you never saw coming. by @nancy.benarbia

✍🏽 BLEND live at North Sea Jazz

Music, travel and storytelling have always been important to me. Over the years, North Sea Jazz and other concerts & festivals I visited abroad sparked a desire to capture not only what I saw and heard, but what it all felt like: the vibe, the musicians and the stories behind the music.

That’s why broadcasting live from North Sea Jazz with BLEND felt both surreal and also deeply personal.

We’re building a new home on Dutch radio for people like us. A place where R&B, hip-hop and soul aren’t treated as a niche, where the people and stories behind the culture are represented, and where listeners can hear something that feels familiar, exciting, grown and soulful.

Seeing my team, my people, represent BLEND live at North Sea Jazz, producing, filming or doing their thing behind the scenes, behind the mic, on camera or on stage (for 3 days straight!) made me incredibly proud.

There’s something só powerful about helping create the kind of space you once hoped to find yourself. I think that’s why I was smiling all weekend. The crew, the music (sooo many gifted musicians), and being in Rotterdam gave me the energy I needed.

Thank you to everyone who helped make it happen. We did that. What a weekend! ✨ by @nancy.benarbia

✍🏽 What I found instead

Have you ever been on a journey that didn’t go as you pictured in your head? Not in a bad way. Just differently.

I imagined this solo trip through the south of France would bring me rest and nourishment. Two and a half weeks of no meetings, no emails, no obligations. And it did relax me in a way that it fed my curiosity. From Lyon to Montpellier, Marseille and Nice, I wasn’t bored for a moment, even when it was just me.

Unfortunately in Montpellier I had an allergic reaction to a bunch of insect bites, felt feverish, and couldn’t relax as much as I’d hoped. The French doctor advised me to stay out of the sea and be careful in the sun for the next 10 days.

And then came a fun plot twist: my solo trip turned into a girls trip for a couple of days when my amazing friend @tessaly.f spontaneously flew to Marseille for her birthday!

We ate crêpes, explored the city on scooters, took naps, ate some more crêpes, watched the sunset and even caught a sunrise.

Her visit was a reminder that some of the best moments of a journey are the ones you didn’t plan. Just like some of the best places we discovered weren’t the TikTok hypes, but the spots we simply stumbled upon.

After Tess flew home, I continued alone along the gorgeous Côte d’Azur. And during the last days of my time off, I thought of something:

Maybe the point of travel isn’t necessarily to find exactly what you’re looking for. Sometimes it’s about being open to what finds you instead.

This trip didn’t give me the kind of rest that comes from slowing down and doing nothing. It gave me unexpected adventures, some good old alone time with my thoughts, and a deep appreciation for the people in my life. The friends who call just to check in, show up through life’s curveballs, and pick me up at the airport when I get home.

In retrospect, what I found instead is even better than the plan I started with. by @nancy.benarbia

✍🏽 Marseille: curiosity over conclusion

It sounded so cinematic in my head: tracing my father’s footsteps through Marseille. But my first impression of the city wasn’t what I expected.

I knew Marseille had a reputation for being raw, and I don’t mind places that are a little rough around the edges. But the worn down look, combined with struggling to get into my airbnb, dragging a 25-kilo suitcase (mostly filled with books I apparently collect more than read), and spending my first day here looking for a doctor, I didn’t exactly feel at ease.

For a moment, I thought I understood why my father didn’t stay here for long. Was I even meant to be here, with everything going differently than I had imagined?

But then Marseille started revealing itself: the narrow streets covered in incredible street art. The food. MY GOD, the food. Music playing from open windows. My dad definitely lead me to the hip-hop capital of France.

Something I didn’t expect was stumbling upon an alley called Garden of Gratitude, filled with plants, gorgeous murals, and little handwritten notes in French. There really is beauty to be found in the cracks. Like a rose growing through the concrete, Tupac wrote. To top it all off, I later passed a Pac mural. How about that. :)

Marseille is teaching me that first impressions rarely tell the whole story. And to choose curiosity over conclusion.

To be continued… by @nancy.benarbia

✍🏽 Couscous & croissants

I like to discover pieces of home in places I’ve never been.

So I decided to travel along the south coast of France for two and a half weeks, starting in Lyon.

Part of me does it for the smell of fresh croissants and bread in the morning. So I can eat French pastries, read & write in cafés, and take way too many photos of French buildings and cool details in the city.

But this trip has a deeper meaning too. I’m retracing part of the journey my dad once made, when he left Tunisia for Europe and lived in Marseille. So I’m going there too.

In Lyon I saw a beautiful blend of people, stories and roots from all over the world. Tunisian food, dresses from Senegal, lots of graffiti and street art.

So when I say I like to discover pieces of home, I mean Maghreb culture. Hiphop culture. Africanness and diaspora. That familiar warmth, but in unfamiliar places.

Being here around Eid al Adha made me think a lot about sacrifice too. Of what my parents left behind to build a new life together.

Because of them, I move through life with curiosity. I ask questions, think critically, love deeply. The older I get, the more clearly I see what I inherited through them.

I’ve been reminded that entire cities are shaped by people carrying pieces of somewhere else within them. Instead of reinforcing cultural identities and labels, maybe we should acknowledge how layered human beings really are. Also, it’s way more fun discovering what connects us.

So yeah, this trip already means so much more to me than eating pastries and relaxation (though they’re definitely a big plus!). It’s a reminder of the sacrifices, strength and courage of not only my parents, but a generation of (grand)parents and communities that left their homes, for whatever reason, to build a life somewhere new.

The older I get, the more admiration and respect I have for them. I wouldn’t be the woman I am today without my mom & dad paving the way.

Endlessly grateful, alhamdoulillah.
Eid mubarak.
🤍 by @nancy.benarbia

✍🏽 From Ghent, with love

Every year, my mom and I take a city trip to spend some quality time together. Exploring a new place, finding hidden gems, and indulging in food, bookshops, record stores and small boutiques.

This time, we went to Ghent. A city that feels like an old library, with poetry written on its walls and windows (literally!). We spent the weekend wandering. Making memories in the simplest, yet most fulfilling kind of way.

And still, there’s that awareness. Because nothing about what’s happening in the world right now should be considered normal.

Sometimes it feels powerless to witness. For me, embracing Arab and Persian cultures is a way of honoring them. Reading their stories. Listening to their music. Eating Lebanese mezze in a restaurant filled with songs I grew up with, and photos of icons on the walls, reminding me of the movies my parents used to watch.

We also went to a restaurant called Rumi, named after my favorite poet. Their ‘soulfood’ was an homage to Afghan flavors and their tradition of sharing dishes.

We’ve seen it before. Homes, schools, libraries, places of prayer, hospitals, a people and their culture being attacked or erased. May their heritage also live on through their diaspora.

Here are some highlights and hidden gems in the beautiful, old city of Ghent. by @nancy.benarbia

✍🏽 Full circle

This story starts in the 70s, when my mom & dad left Tunisia and found their way to Amsterdam.

Their first home together was a small apartment overlooking a canal, in a village-like neighborhood with trams crossing the bridge.

Last summer, after a long time of searching, waiting, being very selective and trusting that I’d find a place of my own that felt right, I actually found a little gem I now call a home.

The monumental building I partially grew up in was being renovated and restored to its original state from the 30s. And just weeks before I had to leave my old place, there it was:

This new apartment. A two-bedroom blank canvas, overlooking the same canal where my parents shared their first memories in Amsterdam. Only a few doors away.

It took a while before the space felt like home. Things didn’t go as planned, and my patience was tested. But slowly, it became what I had imagined: a lil’ oasis, a warm sanctuary in the city, filled with plants, art, records and books. A place to rest, slow down, let creativity flow and share with the people I love.

On Eid, it finally felt real. My nieces and nephew running around, a dinner table full of food, my mom, brothers and sis-in-law talking and laughing in the home they helped me put together.

I think my dad, may he rest in heaven, would have smiled seeing us like that. His legacy gathered together in that lil’ oasis in Amsterdam, celebrating the end of Ramadan. Life coming full circle.

Elhamdoulillah, all praise to The Most High for what prayer, patience and trust have brought. May Casa Ben Arbia be filled with beautiful new memories. 🤲🏽✨ by @nancy.benarbia

✍🏽 For the in-between’ers

I’m writing this for the ones who are currently walking without a map. Who are feeling a shift before they understand the direction. Who are sensing something changing, but can’t put it into words.

Let this be your loving reminder: it’s okay not to know what’s next.

Maybe you’re standing at a crossroads, stepping into something new, or simply trying to understand where you are right now. And yes… not knowing can definitely feel uncomfortable sometimes. Even frustrating.

Somehow, we’re taught to chase clarity, to have answers ready and to move with certainty. But some seasons aren’t about knowing. They’re about becoming.

A week ago, I returned from Fuerteventura with my longtime friend Rose. It’s been five years after our first visit. The island had changed, and we realized: so had we. Shaped by seasons, by experience, and by time doing it’s quiet work. Still beautiful, but more layered.

And somewhere between those majestic mountains and the ocean, side by side with Rose, I felt it again: the permission to pause. To stop searching for immediate answers. To let life reveal what can’t be rushed

Nothing forced. No need to hurry. Just allowing.

And maybe that’s the real reminder. You don’t have to rush the phase of not knowing things for sure. There is no timeline you need to follow. Doubt is not a weakness. Questioning doesn’t mean you’re losing your way. They’re signs that invite you to listen more closely and honestly.

So if you find yourself in that space where your past is meeting what is still unfolding, and you’re figuring out which way to go: breathe. Walk. Pause when you need to. And most of all, stay curious. This doesn’t mean waiting it out. It means moving in alignment with your own timing. Just listen, respond, and take the steps that feel right for you.

You’re not behind.
You’re not lost.
You’re simply in between, and that is part of your journey too. by @nancy.benarbia

✍🏽 Moroccan glimmers

Recently, I learned a new word that spoke to my soul: glimmer. It’s the opposite of a trigger. Glimmers are those small, miraculous moments you only notice when you’re truly present. The ones that soften you, open your heart, and make you feel alive.

For a while now, I’ve been so caught up in surviving rather than thriving, that many of life’s glimmers seemed to pass me by. And even when I did notice them, the feeling faded quickly, clouded by stress, sadness or the weight of my triggers.

I could see how absent I was, with a mind wandering to worst-case scenarios instead of simply letting life be and trusting the process. At times I even felt guilty, aware of my blessings, yet unable to feel the way I thought I should.

So, in search of some peace, I spent a long weekend in Tétouan (Morocco), reuniting with Dunja (who’s currently living there) and Ginette. It felt like entering a safe space, free from explanations, expectations, obligations.

My glimmers looked like:
✨ Chilling and talking on the sta7 (Arabic for rooftop), watching stars peek through the clouds.
🌈 Rain at the beach, followed by rainbows.
😂 Laughing so hard at ourselves, we cried.
🍵 Moroccan breakfast, mint tea, couscous, tajine. Moroccan soul food = life.
☕️ Sleeping in, then waking up to Dunja’s aziza (grandma) or Ginette making us coffee.
🚕 Shared cab rides to the beach, palm trees and mountains passing by.

North Africa has a special way of grounding me, reminding me that I’m guided, I’m held, and to keep looking for the glimmers. Thank you Dunja & Ginette, for sharing them with me. 🤍 by @nancy.benarbia