TwoCents | MOVING TO A NEW CITY ?? Challenges you’d most likely face before relocating

Moving to a new city for whatever reason can be an exciting but also daunting experience. I’ve lived in Port Harcourt all my life and moving to Lagos is something I’d thought of for the longest time; executing, however was the problem. I woke up one day and decided “Aiite, I’mma head out”. Reasons for moving out will be shared some other time. But for now, I would love to share the challenges I personally faced before moving to a new city incase you were wondering ! 1. Money. Kudi. Ego. This is one thing that held me back for the longest time. Money is THE purchasing power. If you don’t have money, first of all “How will you pay for the transport fare to wherever you’re going to ???”. You would need money to eat, get an apartment, move about, EVERYTHING! If you don’t have enough money or a place to get money from, please kindly remain where you are else, you will suffer. Literally. 2. Family Expectations. I’m an Igbo Nigerian woman, let’s face facts. “Where do you think you are going to??” Ideally, in a Nigerian home, a woman is supposed to live in her father’s house until her husband comes to “pay her bride price” so where do you think you’re moving to?. My mum literally said “the only place you’re moving to, is your husband’s house.” I died. And rose again, obviously. 3. Fear of “losing” connection with friends, family and lover(s). For some people “out of sight, out of mind” while others “absence makes the heart grow fonder” which is fine still. Disconnecting from person(s) you love because of distance is not easy and let’s be real, nothing beats seeing a person physically- not face time not texts not phone calls, Nothing. 4. Fear of the “unknown”. Let’s face it, you’re going to a new place. I thought of things like “What’s it going to be like?” “What’s life going to be like?” “Will I achieve what I’ve come here for ?”. So many questions and little to no answers. It’s normal to feel scared and wonder if you’re doing the right thing or making a huge mistake. One thing is for sure though, you can never really know until you try- and here I am, trying. Overall, moving to a new city can be a thrilling adventure, but it's important to take the time to prepare. Ask yourself valid questions like; - Why am I doing this ? - Am I ready to do this ? - Am I financially ready for this ? - Am I mentally, physically and psychologically prepared for this ? - Is doing this really necessary ? If you can answer all these questions or At least most of them and deal with the challenges stated above then you can confirm that you are READY to move.

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