07/08/2026
π CAN I GIST YOU SMALL? π
One thing nobody prepared me for when I moved abroad was becoming the βrich relative.β
Because apparently, the moment your plane lands, dollars start growing on trees. π³π΅
Back home, people imagine your life like this:
β¨ Big house.
β¨ Plenty money.
β¨ Shopping every weekend.
β¨ Vacations every other month.
Meanwhileβ¦
Youβre standing in Costco calculating whether buying the bigger pack is actually saving money or setting you up for financial regret. πππ
The funniest part?
Many Africans abroad are living two lives.
The life people think we have.
And the life we actually have.
The life people see:
πΈ Nice family pictures.
πΈ New car.
πΈ Smiling faces.
The life they donβt see:
π© Working long hours.
π© Juggling schedules.
π© Missing family.
π© Constantly trying to stay ahead of rising costs.
I remember one time someone said to me,
βAhhh, you people abroad have made it.β
I just smiled. π
Because explaining that life abroad is not a magic cheat code would have taken too long.
Donβt get me wrong.
Iβm grateful.
Very grateful.
But living abroad taught me something important:
A higher income doesnβt automatically create financial freedom.
You can earn more and still feel like youβre running on a treadmill.
Thatβs why so many immigrants are starting to think differently.
Not because theyβre greedy.
Not because they want luxury.
But because they want options.
More time.
More flexibility.
More breathing room.
And honestly?
I donβt think thereβs anything wrong with wanting that.
My African people abroadβ¦
Whatβs the funniest assumption someone back home has made about your life overseas? πππΎ