The sheer idea of moving to a new city and starting over again made adrenalin pump through my veins. This signified change for me, something I was desperately reaching for at that point in my life. So, when the opportunity came to move to Abuja, I jumped at it. Not just for the new environment, but for a fresh start in my career and the people around me.
The day of the move was great, the bittersweet goodbyes to family and friends and the butterflies in my tummy which represented excitement and fear. But nothing was going to spoil this day, it was my fresh start.
One year later, I couldn’t have been more grateful to myself for making that decision to pack my bags and move to unfamiliar territory. It wasn’t all great the past year also, I had moments of doubt and frustrations, but these are the thre things that hit the hardest:
Making friends will take time
Everyone seems to have friends at your new city and is ever willing to link you up with them… hard truth, 90% of the time, that bond isn’t formed, your schedules are different, and the awkwardness is often times not worth it. Twelve months later, my only friends are those in my workplace and I am grateful for them. I have learnt that making friends will take time, I just have to take it one day at a time.
Making a “home” of your new city takes time
My initial thoughts about Abuja were “Why is this place so empty” everywhere seemed… well, empty. Compared to the hustle and bustle of Lagos, this just made it feel so new! I still feel that way by the way. Shortly, after moving here, I got an apartment close to my workplace to avoid travelling the “express” when I close from work at odd hours. I had found the perfect place I thought, I will buy all that needs to go in and my soul will be settled at once. News flash, my house still has only most of what I brought from Lagos with me, I have had a hard time filling up the house to feel like a home because of different reasons. But I can say, I still haven’t warmed up fully to Abuja and my rented apartment still needs some getting used to… but it’s slowly working its way into my heart.
You will feel alone
Eating takeout all alone on my bed seemed to be the other of the day, with no friends and little knowledge of Abuja, that seemed to be my best option. But looking on the bright side, it has made me feel comfortable with my own company and depend on myself more to look after me. I am learning that growth is not easy or linear, but when we take risks, we stretch ourselves, even when the immediate social benefits are slow, we still come out with an advantage.
What huge risks do you plan to take this year?
