December 3, 2024

Kayleen Mandelik

Warmth Of Love

Why I Can’t Help But Fall In Love With Nigeria, Long-Distance

Why I Can’t Help But Fall In Love With Nigeria, Long-Distance

Introduction

I’ve always been a bit of an adventurous person. I’ve traveled around the world, I’ve lived abroad in a variety of different countries and cultures, and I love learning about new places. But there’s one place in particular that always draws me back: Nigeria. When my family left the country when I was just 7 years old, we moved from Virginia to Atlanta—and it was there that I grew up with Nigerian culture as my primary exposure to Africa (not counting the occasional holiday spent visiting relatives). It wasn’t until college that I realized how much this upbringing had shaped who I am today—and while many people leave their cultural identities behind when they get older and move away from home, mine is something that has stayed with me throughout my life as an adult.

Why I Can’t Help But Fall In Love With Nigeria, Long-Distance

The weather

If you want to know why I’m so in love with Nigeria, it all boils down to one thing: the weather.

Nigeria’s weather is absolutely unpredictable, which means that there’s never any way of knowing what to expect from day-to-day. Some days are extremely hot and humid (like today), while other days might be cool and breezy at night–but then again, those same nights could be unbearably hot during the day! It’s truly a crazy climate that keeps me on my toes at all times!

The food

Nigerian food is very diverse. There are a lot of different dishes to choose from, and each one has its own unique flavor. The food is delicious, colorful, affordable and healthy — all at the same time! You can find Nigerian cuisine in almost every corner of Nigeria (and even outside of Nigeria).

The culture

I love the culture of Nigeria. It’s rich, diverse and fascinating. You’ll find that there are many different languages spoken throughout the country, but English is the most common language used. There are numerous festivals and celebrations throughout the year too! For example, every July 13th Nigerians celebrate Independence Day by wearing traditional costumes (e.g., agbada) to school or work and dancing around town in parades with flags waving proudly overhead as we sing songs about being free from British rule over 100 years ago now…and it’s fun!

Another thing I love about Nigerian culture is its traditional ceremonies like weddings where everyone wears matching outfits together so it looks like one big happy family walking down aisle together hand-in-hand towards their future spouse at altar waiting patiently for them there on bended knee while everyone else watches closely before clapping hands loudly when bride finally arrives safely home again after exchanging vows with groom during ceremony held inside church building located somewhere near downtown area where everyone lives together peacefully side-by-side without fighting each other over territory issues like land disputes between neighbors who live next door but refuse sharing same space because each thinks theirs better than others’; instead these two types people would rather spend time arguing about something stupid like what color clothes should wear today instead?

The people and their attitudes

“Lagos is a city that’s full of life,” says the owner of my Airbnb in Lagos. He’s right–the streets are teeming with people, cars and motorcycles alike honk constantly, everyone seems to be out enjoying themselves. It’s also true that there’s a sense of openness and friendliness here that I haven’t felt anywhere else in Africa so far.

The people are very welcoming and hospitable; even if they don’t speak English well enough to communicate with me directly (which happens often), they’ll try their best anyway by using gestures or other methods like Google Translate on their phones. This can lead to some funny situations: once when I was walking down an alleyway towards my apartment building after dark, someone came up behind me holding an umbrella over my head for protection from raindrops–they didn’t say anything but just kept walking alongside me until we reached our destination!

Love from afar is a special kind of love.

Love from afar is a special kind of love. It’s different from the kind of love that comes when you’re with someone in person, because you can’t touch them or hear their voice or see their face. You don’t get to hold them or feel their warmth next to you at night, but that doesn’t mean your bond isn’t just as strong as any other couple’s would be in those circumstances. Love is a powerful thing, and if two people are willing to put in the work necessary for long-distance relationships (which includes communicating regularly and making plans to meet up), then there’s no reason why it won’t last just as long as any other relationship would!

Conclusion

I love Nigeria. It’s a beautiful country with a rich history and culture. I’m fortunate enough to have visited it twice, but I hope there will be many more opportunities in the future!