Some people don’t just want to travel on vacation to another country, but experience living their life in another country. As much as it sounds nice, it is not always the prettiest thing.
Sadly, living in a different country often depends on your status. To give a little bit of context, my name is Peculiar Joseph and I am a Nigerian currently living in the United States as a student.
Living in another country, as I was saying, may be determined by various factors, most of which are usually not so good. First of all, if you are a Black person coming from Africa, with an accent, it is usually tough coming to the United States. It is clearly known that racism and “Accent De-value” are social issues we continue to fight in the United States. From my perspective as a Nigerian girl living in the United States as an international student, I felt the necessity to mention these issues since I’ve struggled with both, and I am still struggling with both as I live in the United States. I am not mentally ready to write about it all, but I will definitely drop insights for thoughts here and there.
The experience so far for me has been OK. I have learned a lot about how people think differently from one country to another, and I have been able to adjust where need be. But trying to learn the culture of a country you’ve never lived before might not be what you expect. Living in two different countries can also be a risk because moving away from family is usually not an easy decision. Also, figuring out what to pack when moving to another country can be difficult in itself. If you’re moving to another country, check out “What to Pack for International/Domestic Travel + What Can You Bring” to learn more.
One piece of advice I will give someone who is looking to move to another country is to have friends they can rely on over there. What keeps me sane in America are the meaningful friendships I have built over my stay here. It can be hard sometimes to stay without family, but you can have friends as a family wherever you are. However, if you are missing your family, being able to call them via WhatsApp or FaceTime is a great way for you to stay connected with loved ones.
The trick is not to panic. Wherever you are, everything will be fine and believe in yourself!
APN 