A lot has happened since I last wrote here. Before I kick off though, did everyone get a chance to catch my feature on CIC news? If you did not, here’s a fine chance to go ahead and click the link and read up!
When I first heard about the Trump travel ban, I felt so many emotions. First one was just deep sadness, that again, my people and I are being profiled for all the wrong reasons. Then, I felt irritation because surely, with indications that global climate change is real, and our world is slowly dying; instead of galvanizing as one people, one global village, one planet to find a permanent solve for our collective problem; the focus continues to be on dangerous capitalist regimes that enrich a few and impoverish the vast majority. Finally though, my mind immediately began to analyze the possible solution that Canada presents to Nigerians and other newcomers all over the world, looking for legitimate ways to get dual citizenship in a shorter time when compared to the US, and to live a fairly comfortable life.
And so, I tweeted this, and two weeks after, a writer on the CIC news platform reached out to me because she had seen my tweet and wanted to interview me. We connected the next day, got the interview done, and voila- here it is. I really spoke from a super honest- like I always do- and I trust you will enjoy reading about it.
Now to the main gist of the day. Since I returned from my holiday trip to the UK, I have been deeply immersed with work- both my main & side hustle. So many changes have happened at my main hustle, and I have had to take on a whole lot more responsibilities, that now has me working 12-hour days, and on top of that, managing my side hustle on the weekends. Between managing my two jobs, prepping all my home cooked meals for the work week, and catching up via phone with family and friends back home 6 hours ahead of me here in Toronto, I am barely keeping it all together. So last week Saturday, I decided to engage in some long overdue, well-deserved self-care routine. I went to a spa for a facial and a massage. This was my first time getting a massage in the 22 months of my moving to Canada, and this lady came highly recommended from my hair stylist- who I talked about here.
This masseuse really worked out all the kinks in my sore muscles and gave me a super duper facial that one week after, still has my face glowing. I am so glad I decided to go do it, and especially because my private insurance from work covered 90% of my massage charges. The full cost of my facial sadly had to come from out of my pocket ☹. This pleasant experience really got me thinking about how for a great number of us newcomers, we are so involved with the hustle and bustle of surviving, that we may not always be prioritizing self care.
So, this is your Sunday reminder to do a little something to care for yourself. It might be a massage like I did, a trip to the movies or a social media break. The statistics are alarming and show a steady decline in the health of newcomers when they move and continue to live in Canada. Yes, we want to succeed. Yes, we want to make enough money to send back home. Yes, we want to build a successful life here in Canada. All that and more is doable, only with a sound mind and body.
Therefore, be kind to yourself this week… please…
Take care & cheers 😊
4 comments
This is so true, newcomers always get caught up in the hustle. It is vital for mental and physical wellbeing to take a minute to relax.
A pro tip I suggest is to get into activities you like, if you like a sport get involved in it. I play flag football and got into a team and my partner loves reading and got into a book club.
Hey Onome, thank you for your comment. You are definitely on point with your suggestions. Spend time on the things you love and you’d be able to relax better. thanks for stopping by, and hope you subscribed to the blog 🙂
Hi, I came across your page an hour ago, through a link on CIC news. You are so real and I feel much better reading your tweets. I hope to immigrate this year, still processing at the moment. Your tweets make me realise I won’t be alone in any struggles I may face when I get there. So thank you and thank you. I’ve sent your Twitter link to five friends already. It’s like Gospel.
Hi Sholape,
I am so so glad this blog resonates with you, and thank you so much for sharing the ‘gospel’ with your friends. All the best with the Canadian immigration process. This time next year, we will be celebrating your arrival to Canada as well. Cheers.