So would you make the big move back to Nigeria?

Did you notice that we dropped the '.blogspot' in our name? Yeah we're now about the .com life. Please who's the "our" that I'm referring to? Lol.  I feel like an adult blogger now. Not that it's a measure of anything, but I didn't like the blogspot part anymore and I did something about it! (Such an adult-y move eh?). Shout out to my web developer friend Lemuel for all the help...yes, go see his work.

Okay, moving on. Twice this week, I got asked if my nearly month long experience of being back in Nigeria has helped me decide on whether or not I'd like to move back to Nigeria for good. Has it? I don't know. I'm just taking stock of what I love and what I don't want to deal with, so that when it's time to decide, I'll have some things to consider.

I love that it's very normal to see beautiful, grand houses here! I love the architecture. I now want to build beautiful, grand houses with lots of chandeliers, marbles and art engraved in my walls. I could do this in Canada too I guess, but I like that it's an everlasting summer here. 

Here's one of the houses that has me dreaming of my future houses.

I love the food. I love that once I'm fully acclimatized, I won't have to wonder if people see me as foreign - I won't have to convince anyone of my Nigerianness. I love the parties ... lol! I've been doing some serious mogbo moya (party crashing) mostly for weddings. See my last post here for pictures from my most recent one.

But again, I would like the leisure to be able to stroll through the mall without being scanned for explosives and the assurance that there would be electricity when I get home. Then I think of how much I'd love to have variety in my vegetables. Not every time kale and spinach in my efo riro, sometimes ugwu and worowo too.  But it's Canada and Ill be at the mercy of whatever grows there or can be imported. I'd certainly love to not be bundled up for most of the year, but I think that's what Victoria, British Columbia was made for. If it sounds like I'm torn between choices, then you're on the same page with me.

Just one of the reasons why I'm happy I'll be headed into winter when I get back.. #WinterBody

I know that I strongly dislike these Lagos roads and that driving here is nothing to write home about. I hate that I have to be forever on my guard. I can't have a peaceful walk on my street without being interrupted by an Okada's honks or it's rider's catcalling. But I guess all these can be fixed by not living in Lagos, or by living in the super posh estates. Basically, all the things I don't like can be worked around. I can live in Ibadan, Ilorin or Abuja. If I must work in Lagos, I can pay through my nose to have my apartment really close to my job so that I don't have to deal with traffic. I just don't know definitively that it's the type of lifestyle I want. I feel like if I would need to grow a whole lot in terms of guts and pocket size, to be able to live the stress free life I envision. 

I'm such an Ajebutter [pidgin English for a person that isn't hardcore / hardy], that I think it's even biological. Like I can't sit in traffic without having a splitting headache and body pains too. It was like this too before I left for Canada, since my schools have always been far from home. My skin still breaks out in something new every few days. No not just pimples. As for traffic,  it's not as bad when all I have to deal with is the rocking of the vehicle as we hit pothole after pothole. But on the days when we can't turn on the air conditioner and I have to add the nasty fumes from vehicles that should be in dumpsters, and when I can't get my mind off whether or not the huge unsteady lorries will fall over and crush the car I'm in, I just stare at all the proper Lagosians that are sleeping so soundly in their cars while their drivers navigate through the chaotic mess we call roads.   

Before coming home, strange as it may seem, I had forgotten a whole lot. All I could remember were the highlights of my life in Nigeria. It's not amnesia. It's just that I wasn't very adventurous or rather, I had (have) very strict parents that made going out more stressful than fun. So, I pretty much grew up in my house. Then I went to boarding school for six years at 10, and was there nine out of the twelve months in a year. For the three months  each year that I was on holiday, I just read books and texted my friends. So I really hadn't gotten to experience life in Nigeria to the fullest. If I seem ignorant, maybe I am. That's why I'm trying to figure things out now.

I'm done with one third of my time here, so I guess you could consider this a report of sorts. I'll do this again at the 2/3 and 3/3 marks.

Until then, you can keep up with my Naija living on here or you can have me show up on your timeline by following me on Twitter @heyfopsy_ . There are also direct links at the top and bottom of this page.