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Omaina

@sincerelyomaina

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📖 A storyteller, sharing reflections, romanticizing life & living intentionally
📍Toronto
Owner @zakilobakes 🧁
Host @thisisourspc 🎧

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Finally decided to get out of my head and post 🥹

Over the weekend at a vendor market, someone asked me if I was a writer and honestly, it took me by surprise.

It probably shouldn’t have, though.
She asked after reading my Instagram bio, which describes me as a storyteller,
a part of my identity I’ve been exploring more deeply over the last year.

I think the surprise came from this ongoing process of allowing myself to be a multitude.

Not boxing myself into one title.

Giving myself permission to explore,
and to define what these parts of me mean on my own terms.

So this is my journey.

My story of exploring, of figuring it out.
To those who’ve been here for a while, thank you for rocking with me ☺️

And to those who are new, I hope you stick around 🥰

I appreciate you all.

Sincerely,

Omaina 🤎

P.S. Consider this the start of the Toronto Diaries ✨

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#sincerelyomaina #myjourney #selfdiscovery #becoming #storyteller #lifereflections #sincerelyomainareflections #therapistthoughts #healingjourney #beingme #romanticizinglife #livingfully #blackgirlhealing #creativegrowth #iappreciateyouall #mentalhealthcreative #torontocreator #thisisme #hellohibeautifulpeople by @sincerelyomaina

I think the ultimate lesson of my 20s, and especially my 29th year, was the realization that the work I was doing was less about being able to accomplish certain goals and more about building a solid enough foundation to hold the bigness of my life.

I’m learning that I don’t need to have everything figured out to start building. That I can create a life on my own terms instead of constantly trying to fit into something.

So I’m entering this new decade not with all the answers (actually, far from it), but with the faith and belief that by the grace of God and the blessing of community, I will be more than okay 🥹

And I’m forever grateful to the friends of this page who have journeyed along with me and gifted me the space to share these reflections.

I hope that through them, you’ve felt even a little bit seen, heard, or validated.

I appreciate you all.

Sincerely,

Omaina 🤎

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#sincerelyomaina #sincerelyomainareflections #journeyofunlearning #notetoself #agentlereminder by @sincerelyomaina

One last addition from the birthday shoot 🤭

A little more joy, a lot of laughter and a grateful heart 🤎

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📸: @malz_fotoz
💇🏾‍♀️: @bimzhair
💃🏾: @valuevillage_thrift by @sincerelyomaina

30 is looking good from where I’m sitting. 🤭

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📸: @malz_fotoz
💇🏾‍♀️: @bimzhair
💃🏾: @zara & @winners by @sincerelyomaina

10.27.26: My Year of Bloom 🪷

Only by his grace and the blessing of community 🙏🏾

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📸: @malz_fotoz
🤎: @msbadmos (emotional and mental support)
💇🏾‍♀️: @bimzhair
💃🏾: @fashionnova by way of @miss.sesay by @sincerelyomaina

Like most people, getting laid off was truly one of my worst nightmares. The idea that a world could exist on the other side of it where I wasn’t hiding under my bed was just…

That, alongside a lot of other factors, has made this last year one of the hardest I’ve experienced. I’ve been tested in ways I didn’t think possible, and if I’m honest, there were moments I wasn’t sure I was going to make it.

But as I reflect on this new decade, the woman I aspire to become, and the dreams and goals the Lord has placed on my heart, I’m beginning to see this year differently.

Maybe this season wasn’t about having everything figured out. Maybe it was about building the foundation for the life I’m praying for, even when I couldn’t see what that was going to look like.

I’m learning that you don’t have to have all the answers. You don’t have to know how everything will work out to keep moving forward. To keep showing up. To stay on purpose.

It’s definitely easier said than done, but I’m grateful to God for the grace not just to have survived it, but to have been changed by it.

I appreciate you all.

Sincerely,

Omaina 🤎

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#sincerelyomaina #notetoself #trustingGod #faithjourney #journeyofunlearning by @sincerelyomaina

Toronto, you really do have a way of coming through. ☺️

On this very random Saturday, my friend date got cancelled last minute, and instead of heading home, I decided to see where the evening would take me.

Somehow, I ended up at a distillery, listening to the wonderful sounds of @jams_jellys , making a couple of new friends, and having a delicious cocktail made by @ejiro___og

Honestly, it’s evenings like these that remind me why I love living here. You really never know how a night is going to turn out unless you give it a chance.

Consider this your gentle reminder to see what the city has to offer.

I appreciate you all.

Sincerely,

Omaina 🤎

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#sincerelyomaina #TorontoDiaries #exploretoronto #spontaneousplans #littlemoments by @sincerelyomaina

As much as I’d like to say the comment rolled right off my back, it didn’t. It played through my mind for a lot longer than I would have liked.

It had me reflecting on perception. How we see ourselves, how we think other people see us, and how much of that is shaped by the content we consume, the people we listen to, and the expectations we’ve internalized along the way.

Sometimes, we’re so focused on becoming who we think we’re supposed to be that we forget to question where those expectations came from in the first place. Or we become so fixated on the outcome that we forget to let ourselves exist in the gift of the journey.

In this season, I’m learning to slow down instead of pressuring myself to become a version of myself that doesn’t exist yet. I’ve found that chasing that version of me can rob me of so much of the life I’m living right now.

A little reminder for you, and for me. 🫂

I appreciate you all.

Sincerely,

Omaina 🤎

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#sincerelyomaina #notetoself #bodyacceptance #becomingher #reflections by @sincerelyomaina

Some of the tables Zakilo Bakes has had the pleasure of being part of. ☺️

From special gatherings to corporate events, getting to be part of your celebrations will always mean so much to us.

The blessing of existing alongside your big and little moments is never lost on us.

Planning an event and need something sweet for the table? We’d love to hear what you have in mind.

Fill out our catering inquiry form through the link in our bio to get started! 🤗

Sincerely,

Zakilo Bakes 🤎

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#zakilobakes #torontocatering #eventdesserts #dessertcatering #corporatecatering by @sincerelyomaina

EP 3: Making Life Your Own ✨

I don’t think we talk enough about how much unlearning is required in the journey of building a life that feels like your own.

Unlearning the idea that your job, your achievements, your accomplishments are what make you who you are. Untethering them from your self-worth and sense of self. Because if there’s anything this past year, especially, has taught me, it’s that these things, which are often outside of our control, can change. And when they do, it’s important to know who you are outside of them.

In a recent TikTok video titled “Reject Me Please,” author and poet David Larbi shares the line, “Like shoes, we’re not created for our souls to stay pristine.”

Maybe the shoes don’t get scuffed if you never wear them out. But what’s the point of keeping them pristine if they never get to be appreciated to their full potential?

Reflecting on that, I’ve come to realize that the goal can’t be to protect myself from every no so much that I rob myself of the opportunity to express my potential.

People often say we shouldn’t care about what other people think. I’ve never thought it was that simple. We are communal beings; we live in relation to one another.

It’s less about not caring what others think and more about learning to take their opinions as data. To hear what others have to say without automatically abandoning ourselves or drawing conclusions about our fundamental sense of being.

Like most things in life, this is a process of unlearning. It takes time, and it requires allowing yourself to be imperfect along the way.

I appreciate you all.

Sincerely,

Omaina

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#sincerelyomaina #notetoself #enteringmy30s #selfdiscovery #journeyofunlearning by @sincerelyomaina

Living in Toronto has taught me that you have to be willing to create the experiences you want to have.

Unfortunately, folks often come in with certain expectations of what living in a major city should look like. And when Toronto doesn’t quite measure up to that expectation, it’s easy to conclude that there’s nothing to do.

Toronto has its own unique rhythm, and I’ve come to appreciate that there’s a lot happening here that we might not necessarily stumble upon.

Like a Saturday at the AGO, stumbling into a Chinese bakery, and then finding yourself at Nathan Phillips Square celebrating Mexican Independence Day.

Over the years, some of my favourite memories here have come from random plans, unexpected invitations, and deciding to go somewhere simply because I was curious.

It’s honestly one of the things I love most about living here. There’s always more to explore, and four years in, Toronto still manages to surprise me.

I appreciate you all.

Sincerely,

Omaina 🤎

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#sincerelyomaina #torontodiaries #livingintoronto #romanticizinglife #exploretoronto by @sincerelyomaina

Morning walks ft my gospel playlist 🤗

I’m craving Abula actually 👀

Officially a commuter 🚊 ft. Ms. CN Tower

You would think he is a calm somebody🐱😒

Been a while 🏊🏾‍♀️

Here comes the bride 👰🏾‍♀️🎵

Your sign to order @zakilobakes Zobo Jam ☺️

We are truly here by the grace of God and blessing of community 🥺🙏🏾

Spiced apple cupcakes with vanilla buttercream, stout Milo glaze and boondi streusel ✨

All packed up for @sopluggd Black Market 👩🏾‍🍳

BTS: Cupcakes and Conversations with @jacentre4girls 🧁

@ctrlaltbeatt Season 1 Finale. Such a joy to grow alongside @chelsi_campbell and @tiisania 🤎 by @sincerelyomaina