I know that I’ve been posting
photos and videos on social media (well more on Instagram lol) and that some
even had weird comments that I had to deal with, but not everyone knows how I’ve
really been since I got here. First of all, it’s not my first time in Africa
but it’s definitely my first experience in this region.
I remember searching everything
about Nigeria through hashtags on IG, Twitter, travel vlogs on YouTube, and
even watched this movie ‘Lionheart’ on Netflix to have more feels about the
country. Well guess what, I’m glad I did all of that because that’s how a paranoid
person would normally do.
So, I’m based in Abuja which is
the capital of Nigeria. I live in Asokoro, one of the major districts in Abuja,
and I swear this place is better than Las Piñas!! It’s clean, secured, wide
roads, aaaaaaaaaand traffic has been bearable. I suggest our Mayor to come and
visit lol.
I’ve been trying to fit-in which
has made me a social butterfly. Yes, and it’s kinda exhausting. Please don’t get me wrong. I like meeting new
people and trying new things but the last time I checked, I’ve decided to be a
boring person back home which made me a “Tita of Manila” until I stepped in
this country. From an oldie to a hipster.
I read an article about the
differences between travelling and moving abroad. It said that:
Traveling is like a whimsical
romance; exciting, unpredictable, and passionate. But moving abroad, you strip
the city and its local culture revealing its demons and angels. You become
vulnerable, dependent, and invested. The lust of wander is compromised by its
imperfections and challenges.
I don’t know about you but this
one is true!
I became vulnerable, dependent,
and invested. I’ve programmed myself to adapt to whatever is offered to me because
of the main reason of survival. I’ve been trying to meet new people, understand
the language (Pidgin English – please just google that) and try the food to survive.
Well, it’s not a negative word, right? Survival?
This is my life now, so I need to
deal with it and make new memories. And besides, I cannot just test the waters
and just decide to return to base if everything becomes inconvenient because first
of all, the airfare is freaking expensive and it’s not just how life works.
Anyhow, my first month went too
fast. C-R-A-Z-Y. Nigerian music is really catchy guys! Please follow my
playlist on Spotify 😊
I appreciate all the concerns
back home to check if I’m still alive. Folks, I’m more than OK. I know I’ve
been flexin’ a lot but I’m still standing! Maybe because I’ve embraced so much immediately
and got lucky for the people who have been making things easy. I still need to
push myself to cook though!
So, I guess it’s too early to
answer my question before coming here if I really made the right decision – perhaps
it’s ok to make a hypothesis. If I keep an open mind and trust the process and
have faith that everything happens for a reason, then I won’t have to regret
the decision I made.
Keep wishing me luck! 😉
