No Wahala

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! 😉

Ps. No Wahala is “no problem” in pidgin english.