I currently live in Canada. I packed up my entire life from Lagos, Nigeria a year and a half ago. And I must tell you this: I never regretted my background until I moved here. I didn’t know it was possible for people to look and act so different, yet be fundamentally the same.

When I moved here, it was the trendy thing to do. It seemed like everyone was running away. Nigeria isn’t a great place to live if you’re not richer than its problems. One by one, people started to realize this and began leaving. It was quite personal for me too. Both of my siblings left, and so did a few close friends. I felt alone, left behind, and purposeless.

It felt like moving away was all they had to do to get their lives together. (This shows just how much perception shapes our reality.) After relocating, I realized that what it looked like from the outside couldn’t have been further from the truth. My life back home was fun. It wasn’t exotic, but it was full and joyful. I was blinded by the trend and didn’t see what I had. Looking back now, maybe I wouldn’t have stayed, but maybe I would have been more informed. More ready.

You know when you blow up a balloon and tie it to a string? As long as you’re holding that string, the balloon is tethered to you. Its freedom is limited. But when you let it go, it’s free to roam.

As a temporary resident in a foreign country, you are that tethered balloon. You are free, but not quite free. I didn’t know that security could mean freedom, and that freedom could also mean security. I didn’t understand the importance of having a plan in a place where you don’t quite fit in. I didn’t realize the cost of not being informed until I started paying it.

There are a lot of things I wish I had known or been prepared for. But at the same time, I wouldn’t have had it any other way. I wouldn’t have discovered that I was capable of far more than I ever gave myself credit for. I wouldn’t have learned to enjoy my small wins with giants looming over me. I wouldn’t have known what it meant to be truly present, or how much I had to be grateful for. I wouldn’t have realized how hard I could work, or how fragile my faith could be.

It’s true that a lot of this could have been avoided if I had come for the right reasons. If I had wanted this because I did, not because everyone else did. But I have met people who came prepared, who weren’t tethered, who had the security and freedom I wish I had. And I can tell you with certainty, there is no easy way through this. You do not want to be in anyone else’s shoes but yours.

However you got here, I want you to know this. You are truly here. And you have accomplished one of the bravest things anyone can. You’ve packed up and started over. Yes, there are ups and downs. Maybe you still regret it, or maybe this has been the best decision of your life. Either way, hold on to this truth. You did it. And when it all starts to feel overwhelming, when fear creeps in, remember this. The same you who had the courage to begin again is more than capable of seeing it through.

For Adeolu, tethers or not, it’s never been easy. But you did it, you unlocked a new level of bravery. Well done!

Song of the moment- Bnxn Tye – Pray. I hope you know you’re braver than you think. Till next time❤️