Home Sweet Home

Scattered showers, 82 degrees

We have officially moved in to our flat - my home away from home for the next 12 months! After spending the first week and half living out of suitcases in a hotel , I was more than ready to get in to our new place and get settled. Don't get me wrong, the "Palace" was a fabulous place to stay - with constant running water, electricity, wireless internet, and a very hospitable staff - not to mention security guards that remain awake at all hours of the day and a great shawarma (my new go-to "Nigerian" dish when dining out) place in close proximity. I was simply anxious to start what I would say is closer to "real" life in our new place and more importantly, start cooking my own food! A week and a half of Nigerian food - and pretty much the same dishes due to limitations of the hotel restaurant - had me excited about the thought of vegetables (any and all of them) and steering clear of potatoes, yams, corn, and all other starches.

"Moving in" took less than 5 minutes and included only 2 trips up the couple flights of stairs to the flat on the 3rd floor. The beauty of only bringing 2 suitcases worth of belongings to your new home is that, although you may have a bit of shopping to do after your arrival, the actual "move" is pretty easy. This, I was thankful for, as it started raining just before we left the hotel in a cab loaded down with our "lives." I was also thankful to be riding in the nicest cab I have been in since arriving. This cab had seats that did not feel or smell of years of wear - soaked in rain water, covered in grime, and often smelling of fish or some other foul smell- had seat belts that worked (something I get excited about), and had enough room to carry all of our luggage without having to put any of it on our laps or smash in uncomfortably. True luxury.

The entire move - counting cleaning my room (a few hours of scrubbing/bleaching), unpacking, market-ing (a term I am going to use for the act of shopping - at the market), and doing a bit of decorating took a full 2 days. Although I was expecting the process to go a lot quicker and I was sick of being in my room after the first few hours, I'm now quite proud of it - all you crafty friends will be too! I used limited resources and a good amount of creativity to create little odds and ends (decorations, storage containers, etc) and have created a space that is comfortable and feels homey - something I think is very important and will pay off when I get homesick and/or fed up with the frustrations of living here.

On the topic of frustrations, although they haven't been all that frustrating yet, I wanted to answer a few basic questions about my accommodations that have been asked a number of times - some of which I didn't have answers to before I left.

Q: Are you living in a hut?

A: NO. The 3 bedroom, 2 bath apartment (flat) we are living in is similar to something you could find in the US or any other developed country.

Q: Do you have running water and electricity?

A: Sometimes. We are supposed to have running water Monday-Friday every week, but recently it's been known to be off for periods throughout the week. Electricity is off and on. As one of the most resource rich countries (in mainly oil) in the world, Nigeria, ironically, has major problems with consistent electricity. We are lucky in that the area we live in has a more consistent supply of electricity and I would say that it is on more than it is off, but we always make sure to charge laptops, phones, etc when the electric is working.

Q: How do you get around?

A: Taxis (called green cabs) are our main means of transport. There is public transportation available, but cabs are very reasonably priced - around $2 USD for a trip to work or the larger supermarket and when split among a couple people, are often cheaper than the "public" transportation system (buses) that run irregular schedules on irregular routes. We can also walk to a number of places for food or other basic needs - a farmers market, a few shops and "mama puts" (street food vendors) are right down the street.

I think that covers the basics. I'll share photos of the new digs soon. More to come next week as I start the next big chapter in life in Abuja - working as a fundraising advisor!