Because tell me why I’m waking up at 4:30 a.m. to resume work by 8 a.m. and still getting there late. The traffic is ridiculous. Places that should take 45 minutes somehow turn into two or three hours. The bad roads, the noise, the air — half the time you’re inhaling dust and generator fumes. And don’t get me started on transportation. I genuinely wish there were more BRTs so we don’t have to queue forever or squeeze into those other buses that honestly should be banned or at least properly regulated.

Then there’s rent. I live in Ikorodu, and I’ve been trying to get a place outside, somewhere closer to work. But the stress? The prices? Self-cons being listed for around a million naira, and then almost paying double because of agent and agreement fees. I know Lagos is a “megacity” and all, but sometimes it feels like the chaos has no off button.

I didn’t use to think I could live anywhere else until NYSC took me to Cross River. I spent a day in Calabar, and please, I was ready to relocate immediately. The difference was so clear. The roads were smooth, the buses were clean, and everywhere felt peaceful. Shops were closing by 8 p.m. — imagine that happening in Lagos! The self-con I stayed in was so spacious, so nice, and when I heard the price, my jaw dropped. That same money in Lagos wouldn’t even get me halfway through house hunting.

And maybe not every state is perfect, but that one day in Calabar convinced me that life can actually be gentler somewhere else. Even one of my former roommates who went to Port Harcourt for a few months said they had 24-hour light where she stayed. I had to laugh because, honestly, it’s been days since we’ve even had light in my house. She’s already planning to move back there after school.

I know Lagos has its perks — there’s energy, opportunity, connection — but sometimes I catch myself wondering if this city still fits me. Maybe it’s just the stress talking. Maybe it’s the rent. Or maybe, deep down, I’m just craving somewhere calmer, where I can breathe without the constant rush.

Who knows? Maybe I’ll stay in Lagos. Maybe I’ll move to another state. Maybe even out of the country someday. But lately, I can’t shake the thought that I might be outgrowing Lagos — not because it’s bad, but because I’m changing. Maybe I’m just tired.

Do you ever feel that way too?

The post Maybe I’m Just Tired or Maybe I’m Outgrowing Lagos appeared first on Queen moremi.