Reality of relocation is often very different from the glamorous image many people see online, according to a Nigerian woman who shared her emotional experience of starting life in the United Kingdom.
In a lengthy post, UK-based Nigerian identified as Toniatuslim recalled crying inside an airport toilet shortly after arriving at Heathrow Airport during winter, saying the emotional weight of relocation hit her almost immediately.
She explained that while many people in Nigeria believe moving abroad automatically solves financial and personal struggles, the reality for many migrants is far more difficult.
According to her, the cold weather, unfamiliar environment, financial pressure and loneliness quickly became overwhelming after she arrived in the UK.
She revealed that she initially stayed in a crowded two-bedroom apartment occupied by six adults, where she slept on the floor beside a heater using a small blanket.
“That night, I stared at the ceiling and quietly asked myself, ‘So this is abroad?’” she wrote.
The woman said her first job involved cleaning offices overnight while also attending classes during the day, adding that exhaustion, physical stress and emotional isolation became part of her routine.
She also highlighted the hidden financial realities many migrants face abroad, including rent, transport, council tax, electricity bills and food expenses.
“Back home, people think once you earn in pounds, you are automatically rich,” she wrote. “They don’t understand that the UK can humble somebody very fast.”
According to her, loneliness was one of the hardest parts of living abroad, especially compared to the lively social atmosphere many Nigerians are used to back home.
She described moments of depression, emotional breakdowns during winter mornings and the pressure from relatives in Nigeria who assumed she was already financially successful simply because she had relocated.
The post also criticised the misleading impression social media sometimes creates about life abroad, noting that many immigrants who appear happy online are privately battling stress, debt, anxiety and survival struggles.
Despite the difficulties, she said relocating also taught her resilience, discipline and survival, adding that over time many migrants gradually adapt to life abroad and begin to appreciate small achievements.
She concluded by saying relocation can change lives positively, but warned that it also comes with emotional, financial and mental challenges that many people rarely discuss openly.
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