It Is Time to Go Back
“History in its broadest aspect is a record of man’s migrations from one environment to another,” Ellsworth Huntington
I am heading back to North America in a couple of weeks. I have mixed feelings about my trip. Pros: I miss certain elements of my life in North America like shopping. I also miss the friends I left behind. Cons: Travelling now is not like before. There’s so much to do besides buying your plane ticket. Things can’t be the way I left them. Change is constant and some things might have just changed in my absence. For starters, the pandemic dynamics in both cities are not the same.
While in North America, I lived in Toronto and some parts of the Greater Toronto Area[GTA]. In Nigeria, I mostly live in Lagos Metropolitan city. Toronto and Lagos are major cities. Is life in both cities the same? No! For starters, traffic rules/etiquette aren’t the same. In Toronto, when there’s a zebra crossing, you walk confidently across. The cars wait for you. The pedestrian has the right of way. In Lagos, when at a zebra crossing, you look left, right and left again before you cross. Most cars do not wait. As far as the drivers think, they have the right of way. So, I’ll need a brain reset while in the GTA.
Then, there is a cost to travel. I am referring to money that leaves the bank solely for plane tickets and covid tests. I have not factored in compulsory shopping. In my mind, I know this trip needs to be worth my while to justify the money spent at least. So now, I have an unusual focus.
Having been away for so long, my responsibilities and commitments in North America piled up. I need to deal with these. And when I remember how much my plane ticket cost and the opportunity cost of leaving my husband behind, I’ll try to make it count.
In North America, organic foods are pricey. To eat well, you’ve got to spend well. In Nigeria, organic foods are more accessible and aren’t as expensive compared to the former. Most times, you are most likely eating wholesome meals in Nigeria.
Before the pandemic, I had met people in North America who always shuffled between their home country and their destination country. I wondered why, but realized they had ties and investments back home. Some of them had some sort of shuffling schedule between their countries of residence. They had worked out something practical to meet their needs.
I think migration is a right, but it should be an option, not an obligation. Nayib Bukele
I have also realized that it is useful to have options of residence. If I preach any gospel at all on migration, that’s it. I have a husband now. He is a major reason to fly home more often. Other people fly for business and others for family. Things will develop with time. Well till then, I’ll take each day as it comes and perhaps in the future, I’ll let you know what changed while I was away from North America or Nigeria. Take your pick!
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