The Happiest People in the World

I think most of you already know this, but I will be spending two months this summer living, studying, and interning in Nigeria. I've always had a major interest in Nigeria, and I am so excited for this experience! I've never really entered the blogosphere before (except when required to by professors...), but my reasons for setting up a blog are twofold:

1. I want a way to remember this trip, and I have thus far proven to be a very shoddy journal-er. Perhaps I will be a more faithful blogger. We'll see.

2. Countless friends and family members have requested updates on my Nigerian travels and adventures, and I think a blog would be the easiest way to keep all of you informed, providing the internet works alright at AAUN (which it is theoretically supposed to do, but I've heard otherwise).

So it hit me today that I will be leaving for Nigeria one week from today. That is, of course, assuming that I survive finals first. Basically, I leave AU on Saturday, May 2 to go home to Minnesota for a couple of days. I'll finish up my last assignment, buy all the sunblock in the state, pack, and then leave on May 6. I'm going to be flying from Minnesota to Dulles to London to Abuja, which is Nigeria's capital city, on May 8. From Abuja, I'll take a region flight out to Yola, which is where the American University of Nigeria (AAUN) is located. It seems like I may first be spending a few days in Abuja before going out to Yola.

Yola is the capital of the Adamawa state, which is in eastern Nigeria, along the Cameroonian border. A couple of you have mentioned safety concerns about my time in Nigeria, and I know all the news you ever read about Nigeria is stories of kidnapping oil workers and blowing up oil rigs, but that's not the reality for the vast majority of the country. I'll be far away from the Niger Delta region, which is where are the unrest is happening, in a safe, small-ish city.

This is a map of Nigeria. Yola is located pretty much straight east of Abuja, the capital.


Also, there's always so much negative news about Nigeria, and Africa in general. However, I found an interesting BBC article that really bucked that trend. Apparently, the World Values Survey, after conducting research and surveys in over 65 countries found that Nigerians are the happiest people in the world. Don't believe me? Check it out: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/3157570.stm. I mean, it's quite hard to truly quantify happiness, but I think its about the values and priorities of different cultures. You'll notice if you read the article that not one of the countries in the Top 5 for happiness is in the "developed world." In fact, the researchers found that the desire for material goods was a "happiness suppressant." Just goes to show you that money truly can't buy you happiness.

Well, I suppose I should go prepare for my numerous papers, presentations, and exams, but I'll keep you all posted as I prepare for my study abroad!