Digital Nomads Transition: Journey from Lagos' Tropics to Fargo's Biting Winters
In the heart of North Dakota, Fargo stands as a city known for its extreme weather conditions, a stark contrast to the warmer climate of Cleveland, Tennessee. This is where Beauty, a Nigerian woman, found herself after a long 13-hour flight from Lagos, Nigeria to Atlanta, United States.
Before moving to Fargo, Beauty lived in the NEPA staff quarters in Ijede, Ikorodu, a residential estate for employees of a now defunct unit. Her world growing up was small, quiet, and peaceful, unlike most people's chaotic Lagos experience.
Adjusting to life in Fargo was not without its challenges. Beauty found her first semester in Fargo to be one of the worst winters the city had experienced, with constant blizzards. The temperature in Fargo typically varies from -18°F to 90°F, with frigid, snowy, and windy winters. During these cold months, people in Fargo work overnight to plough snow and salt roads, ensuring the city is well equipped to handle extreme weather.
Learning in Fargo, however, was easier compared to Nigeria, with a focus on understanding rather than cramming information. Beauty cried on her way to school during her first winter due to the cold, but she soon adapted to the new environment.
Despite being a small, white, Christian, pro-Trump state, the people in Fargo are known for their kindness and warmth. Beauty often hitchhiked, used Uber, or took the bus before getting a car, and she found the locals to be helpful and friendly. The bus stands in Fargo are often equipped with heating for passengers' comfort, providing a small respite from the cold.
Beauty's mother decided for her to study in the U.S., and she first visited family in Cleveland, Tennessee before moving to Fargo, North Dakota. Interestingly, the weather in Fargo is significantly colder than in Cleveland. Fargo, being more influenced by continental climate factors, experiences colder Arctic air masses, flat plains, and less moderating influence from large bodies of water compared to Cleveland, which is affected more by humid subtropical conditions and proximity to the Gulf of Mexico.
University students in Nigeria have been home for nine months due to an industrial strike, and Beauty often finds herself reflecting on her life in Lagos. She is hesitant to compare her life in Lagos to the average Nigerian experience, but she does long to return to Nigeria at some point in the future.
Despite the challenges, Beauty has found a home in Fargo, North Dakota. The NEPA staff quarters, though a relic of the past, provided a comfortable living for its residents, with constant electricity and a well-planned layout. Beauty's journey from Lagos to Fargo is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the ability to adapt to new environments.
