
09/09/2020
Wholesomely Cozy ☕️
I watched Mom as she convinced the immigration officers to allow her travel with BULGING excess luggage without paying the exorbitant fees. Ironically, Mom was an immigration officer herself so she knew better. Luckily some of the officers knew her and allowed her some leeway...as long as she pared down.
Dearest Mama proceeded to open up all 8 suitcases to offload items and give to relatives who had accompanied us to the airport. I heard snickers in the background from some of my aunties (side eye 👀). I saw Tupperware, pots, blankets and toilet paper. My 11 year old self wanted to die of embarrassment.
Unbeknownst to the airport officials, Mom was 8 and a half months pregnant. Daddy had already resumed work in Austria a month before so she singlehandedly oversaw all the final relocation logistics in Nigeria. Years later, I marvel at how risky it was to have travelled across continents while heavily pregnant.
She wasn’t meant to travel in her state (she wore a huge boubou to hide her baby bump) but she didn’t want to deal with having a newborn and 3 young kids alone without my dad.
She knew she was inching closer to her due date and wouldn’t have time to go out shopping for new things in a new country. She also realized we would be staying in a hotel for a while before we found housing and really wanted to create a home away from home for us. Needless to say, Mom went into labor 5 days after we arrived Vienna and baby’s first home was in an Extended Stay Hotel. We had everything we needed during those first few weeks, thanks to Mom.
I recount this story because I inherited her superpower - the ability to create a home away from home, regardless of location. I’m now in Mom’s shoes - moving regularly, saying goodbye to friends, setting up in a new environment. My number 1 priority is making sure my family feels comfortable and secure and creating a home they feel loved in, where ever they are.
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