By Chizuru Uko
I have a really interesting story with identity. On campus and almost everywhere in the world, small talk starts with “Where are you from?” and I always reply, Nigeria, because I was born in the states but spent the first 18 years of my life in Nigeria. However, 10 out of 10 times its followed with a string of questions about my American dual citizenship, how I currently live both in the US & Nigeria, sometimes it even wonders to my accent. This is conversation I have become familiar with, it’s almost a script that never goes wrong.
A couple years ago I watched a TED Talk by Taiye Selasi called “Don’t ask me where I am from, ask where I am a local” and she goes on to talk about how she is a local where she has her three R’s- Relationships, Rituals and Restrictions. Being Nigerian has always come with a source of pride, most times people are interested in the other side of the story- the beautiful local languages, history, food and nitty bitty details that makes my culture- and not the single story often portrayed in the media. Understanding this has greatly impacted me as I travel, I have an open mind about places I visit, I don’t expect any one thing from a new country, I simply try to soak in as much as possible and have conversations with locals about what life is like for them. It’s always important for me to read books about a place and watch movies set in a country to give me a better idea but I always keep in mind that it’s just one person’s version of the story.
Being abroad has also impacted my sense of self greatly, I am a lot more aware of my limits as well as my sense of curiosity. This past weekend I was in Lagos, Portugal and I paddle boarded along the coast of the Algarve’s with two friends. Looking back, it was probably one of the craziest things I’ve ever done mainly because it was me and the ocean for the first time. It was so liberating and calming stopping at private beaches. I see myself doing things I am proud of and pushing myself and this is everything I hope for. I probably don’t know as much about myself and its great being able to risk it all in a new place.
