I'm not dead ...yet

Nope, I haven't forgotten my blog.  In fact, I have somewhere between 7 and 10 new posts coming up. In the past three weeks though, I have been traveling quite a bit for work, often with unstable electricity and/or internet connection (and security, but that's another story). I usually have a computer with me though, so I just type my feelings into MS Word, and eventually I will upload them here. It takes a bit of work (not the typing but the editing) to make the posts presentable, and add in photos and links etc. Kudos to the people who blog professionally, and even more so to my favorite video blog of all time Eat Your Kimchi (Simon and Martina, I don't know how you do it, and although I don't watch your videos anymore because they make me miss Korea too much - coping mechanism, suck it- I have mad respect for you). Matter of fact I have took the day off work today, so I am catching up on much needed relaxation time.

Travel route in Nigeria so far

The traveling has been eye opening. I went from thinking Abuja was a sub-par city (compared toSuleja and Minna in Niger State, and Ilorin and Omu Aran (pronounced omaron as I learned the hard way) in Kwara State. I traveled by road from Abuja to Suleja to Minna to Kwara and it was the worst decision of my life. From now on, if the trip is more than an hour by road, I will insist on flying, or refuse the trip ( and again I realize I am lucky, that is a luxury I can afford).
other capital cities I've been to) to realizing it is an amazing even if artificial one. The smooth roads that exist in Abuja, the great coffee-shops, the supermarkets where I can buy my goodies; that all ends when I leave Abuja. Literally, Suleja, the next city over is a dump. But more on that when I post about my field trips in the near future. But just to summarize I've been to four cities in 2 states so far -

me being a dork my first week at work

I am finding my job rewarding. I love helping others, and I am flattered by how valuable I am considered. So, in Nigeria, getting a masters is an afterthought after a long career, but in the US I feel like masters are the new bachelors degree. Thus, I am respected for that... especially because I look am so young (wink). But it also puts me in a unique position, because I don't have any real peers if that makes sense. People my age are very unlikely to currently have their masters (non-expats I mean) and so to those who are older than me at my job (age is a big deal here)  often seem annoyed that I am getting treated like a peer by their bosses, or being asked to jump in on projects. And since I don't go around explaining my background to them, they probably think my parents are paying someone or something. Oh well.

Also, I survived a bout of malaria. I had it as a kid when I used to be here ( I was a very sickly child when I lived in Nigeria now that I think about it, but that's another story) so I don't take malaria as a big deal. But it is. It's responsible for 30% of childhood deaths in Nigeria. I remember a neighbor's kid dying of malaria a few days after her first birthday. Still people treat it like the common cold here. I just bought some over the counter drugs and took care of myself in my hotel room. 

Having to travel to places where there is barely any internet connection and sometime no phone signal is really teaching me a lot about myself. How to be OK with my inner thoughts and just myself for entertainment (it's still hard but I am trying), how not to panic if I can't reach the people I love immediately, and most importantly, that I am spoiled, that man survived without these gadgets once upon a time, and some people have never even seen them and will never be able to afford them.

I think being here is changing me for the better, and although it's hard sometime when I freak out because I can't get where I want, or do what I want when I want it, knowing I am doing what I dreamed of doing since I was three, makes me happy. On that note, I want to end the post positively. I spend a lot of time wondering, "what am I doing here? I could be somewhere else cross-fitting before grabbing a steak dinner with friends and dancing the night away" - not that you can't do that here, but it's different.

When I have that thought, I watch this video that inspired me at my job orientation

That, and this great article I read today, should keep me going for some time.

So, like they say in Korea (5 years is a long time OK? I'm not gonna shake it tomorrow)