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A Cultural Odyssey: My Experience Living in 3 Countries

Chineze Aina
Clear Yo Mind
Published in
6 min readJan 31, 2024

I relocated first from Nigeria to the United Kingdom, and then to Canada. Let me tell you, life is relentless.

In 2018, my husband and I started seriously considering leaving our home country of Nigeria. The country was in dire straits economically, security and health care were nothing to smile about. So we started exploring our options, albeit not seriously. We were both gainfully employed and lived a slightly above-average lifestyle. Our network included friends, family, and work colleagues who were there for us in good times and bad. I have a better understanding of the richness of our life in hindsight. When we were back home, we had very little appreciation for the privilege it cloaked us in. We just wanted out, and we were not the only ones. Some friends were actively trying to leave.

What no one tells you about leaving home forever.

Nobody talks about the emotional toll relocating takes on the mind, the severed family and friendship ties, and the slow but steady loss of identity. The fear of the unknown, the agony of showing new people who you are, that they can trust you, that you are not worth the effort. I have had to interview for jobs and leave the meeting mentally exhausted. Why do I have to tell anyone that I know what Google Drive is? The questions…

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Clear Yo Mind
Clear Yo Mind

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