Hello People,

I'm broadcasting live from my rented apartment in New York. It was a very tiring journey. Sometimes I ask myself where I get this energy from. So, as a low budget traveler, as usual, we bought the cheapest tickets. Egyptair via Cairo, We had a 13 hour stopover in Cairo, but they checked us into a hotel where we passed the night, with free buffet dinner and breakfast.

The flight was not bad. If you ask me, I will fly them again. Majorly because of the price. You get greater value for your money. The lil lady was a handful! Ever heard of the terrible twos?? OMG! I've never had it this difficult flying with her. She was just all over the place. Her dad was practically exasperated!

Anyways, we landed in JFK at 3pm, there was a large crowd, but somehow we were able to get it all done in 8 mins or so... and for the first time in my travelling life, I got sent to Secondary Inspection!!!

The officer asked me about the US born child, and I had my receipts, but he did not ask to see it. Next thing I saw was an officer come up to us and say "Come with me"... They said it was contents of my luggage was what sent me there, which is what they claimed, but I can bet my left slipper that it was the US born child... or my first time traveler companion. Unfortunately, I had planned to travel light till a friend's mum gave me a bag of foodstuff for her daughter the day we were travelling and I could not say no! A part of me began to panic... what if there is something else inside the bags!!! HAAAA, see my life!

We sat in secondary inspection for about 20 mins while they took our passports away. I saw many people who were waiting there being taken to another I guess they went to verify our information. Then an officer came back and said he wanted to check our bags. I'm like, our bags are still at the carousel, and he was like he wanted to check our carry on luggage. Then asked what foodstuff we were bringing in... I told them what my friend's mother said she gave us, and he left, saying he was going to clear us. He came back with our passports and led us back out.

Nevertheless, it was all done so professionally, no hostility, infact, they were rather nice to everyone they interviewed, unlike the stories I have heard about secondary inspection.

So we picked our luggage and left. We forgot our jackets at secondary inspection... and decided to forgo them! Who would not

I've been MIA for a while.

Its not easy setting up a new business coupled with part time work and being a mom. The lil lady is a handful. She's going to be 2 soon. Time really does fly.

So guess who caught Wanderlust? Lol!

Yup, all these stories and pictures finally got to my husband and he's decided he is visiting the United States this summer, even though at first he wanted to go without me... Like really?

Anyways, we are going together, yipeee! And I'm starting this thread to chronicle the trip. We leave next week.


Stay tuned


originalsly
omoharry
smithsydny
Nepro
ekharry
GenBuhari
Wellendowed
Simababe
winnielle
abduldope
abimbawealth
DArey00
mexxy1
Chukxie
seguno2
fredyoooooo
ligxy

Europe is still in the plan. Hubby is focused on conquering the big Apple Europe can wait. Lol

wanderlustian:


OMG! I'm flattered!

Won't be a bad idea to do this again in 2017... with a group.

My baby is 16 months old now and a whirlwind! Wowz! I cant believe how much she has changed, but she still loves to travel. We were in Chicago from Sept to Nov and she took her first steps the moment we stepped out of the airport, was so emotional!

So holler me if you think touring Europe again is a fab idea! It's not too early to start planning. I will post visa requirements soon so those interested can start putting together paperwork... or do I start a new thread?

originalsly
omoharry
smithsydny
Nepro
ekharry
GenBuhari
Wellendowed
Simababe
winnielle
abduldope
abimbawealth
DArey00
mexxy1
Chukxie
seguno2
fredyoooooo
ligxy

Our friends at sheswanderful.com couldn't wait to hear about our travels together and how easy is it exactly to travel with a baby? So we were featured in the March 17 Edition of Sheswanderful.com stories. Read all about it in my signature.

Sheswanderful is a US based community of women who love to travel... and are sometimes called "The Sisterhood of Travelling Women"

seyema:
Pls try to get a dslr with zoom lens before touring

Lolz! I have no idea what that is, but I will accept it if you dash me

Osahon7:
LOOL,Bros i dont even need to sell my things to travel to America,
Even if i do, am going to America to Start chains of businesses and Employ People.
Am going there to have nothing less than 500 causians, Asian,Blacks,Indians working for me.
Abeg Whatsapp me let me tell you WHY YOU SHOULD CONSIDER LIVING THIS ZOO CALLED NIGERIA.07030681936

But you can do the same in Nigeria... which has been ilvugummybearz point from the beginning of this conversation. Why develop the US even further if you have the ability and mentality to start chains of businesses? Why not in Nigeria?

obinna5000:
H1-B visa cap limit is 65,000.
Also there are some H1-B cap exempted jobs.

Bros, pls shine your torchlight more on this topic

lakesidepapa:


Oops! Thanks for feedback, but which types of visa apart from visit visa is good to get a resident permit? I want to run this by myself without using agent. I can PM u if u want. Thanks in anticipation.

H1B visa, can only be gotten if you get a job in US and the employer files for you. It is almost impossible to get because it has a limit of 10k people that it can take in a year, Infact it is lottery

Student visa, If you study a STEM course, you may be lucky to get a 3 years stay after graduation if you work with the field. STEM is Science Technical Engineering and Mathematics.

kolnel:
@ wanderlustian
Pls I'm torn in between arik air and Egypt air
How was your trip on arik
What would you suggest
Thanks

Arik right now is note reliable. I hearing they have issues and you dont want to be caught in the crossfire. I suggest you go with Egypt, even though the stopover is long, they provide hotels and a tour of the city.

You can support my ministry and buy your ticket from me

ILuvGummyBearz:
and who is putting pressure on them 2 fix it?
Who is in charge?
how does the board work? Do u the people vote them in?

Nobody votes them in, truth is we are no longer interested in how they get into office. It is all a fraud. Just google elections in rivers state, or rivers rerun, you see a lot of violence we the elecorate just stay away from voting. Then they position themselves in there and loot the system dry while we look away because we dont want to be killed.

Anyone who dares they system at the local level may not survive to tell the story

lakesidepapa:
@Op, can someone on tourism visa use his/her visa for a resident permit in US?

Nope, it is an entirely different ball game

ILuvGummyBearz:
ok. How long has yer Bhuarai been in for? When is next voting?

And how do u handle water in 9ja? Is theree state water boards?
who addresses water issues?

Buhari is here till 2019, we hve waterboards, they are deserts. We pump our own water. I dont even know if we have a minister or commissoner for that. And I am sure there is an annual budget but it will be heavily embezzled, We dont hold them accountable. We just go and pump our own water. Then the idi.ot commissioner will donate boreholes to communities from the money he embezzled and and we celebrate them. Imagine such! I'm even angry sef

CFCman:

It's been a mixed ride so far, with ups and downs.
I recall the application process for my drivers license. I had to take the written exam 3ce and take the behind-the-wheels test twice to get my license

Meanwhile, most Nigerian drivers dont have valid licenses, yet we ply the roads without a care. Yu know why? No one is checking. No checks and balances.

ILuvGummyBearz:
oh u are nomadic

I like to call myself a Digital Nomad!

Originalsly:
Hmmm.... guess you should open a different thread....Visa Requirements would attract a whole lot of traffic! At the same time ..... don't limit your business to those wishing to tour abroad only.... there are lots of second/third generation Nigerians in the diaspora who have never ever set foot here and may be interested in visiting. As for me.... I have absolutely no interest in travelling to Europe... even for free!

To be sincere, I have considered it a number of times, but the security situation scares me. I would not like to be responsible for a group of foreigners. You remember my ordeal in Chicago na

ILuvGummyBearz:
CAlifonia? who is in finacial strain? Why eould u live there?
Or u have a very good job and are only caring for ye needs?

Hey ,did u live there when that movie start was govener of CA? Arnold Schwarzenegger?

CFCMan, come and share your experience about living in Cali

ILuvGummyBearz:
hahaha thank u . Ill consider it but my heart is with Nairobi,I think.

Anytime

Where in the USA are you based? Something just might take me to your neck of the woods

ILuvGummyBearz:
no.I modified my use of the word "run", it was unfair of me 2 use it

Every1 wants 2 live a good quality life u arent running way cause u go for 1 somewhere else. I was wrong

Naaa, it's what we call it here too. Infact, you get congratulated for exiting. Each time I travel and return, people wonder if I have my head screwed on tight. Like really, why return?

Personally, I can't stay in one place for too long. I like to jump from country to country and return to base. For 2017, I desire to visit Singapore, Argentina, France and Spain. If I run away to USA, I will be out of status and will be stuck, hence will make me very uncomfortable.

ILuvGummyBearz:
nope im headed 2 kenya. Gonna open up a shop and help the economy
AND improve on my living sistuation because if u arent middle class and above America is no dream


The challenges of living in my country and yers are diffrent.
I guess yer desire to live here and my desire 2live there are based on what we consider most important.

Please come to Nigeria. I will help you settle in easily. I've been to Kenya. They are a few years behind Nigeria. Infact, Nigeria left Kenya in the 1980s.

I will help u get accommodation in Lekki, get you a 7kva generator (diesel), assist you with immigration documents so you can open your shop (in Nigeria, just grease someone a few bucks and this is done easily). Your house will have pumping machine and we will hire one aboki to man your gates. (Just bring the dollars, and leave the rest to me)

You will love Nigeria, you dont need prescription for meds, a roadside chemist will sell everything OTC to you. So if you ever catch malaria which is inevitable, Obinna the chemist (who is most probably a high school dropout) will fix you in no time with Amalar or Coartem for $2 or less.

If you are not married, there will be a thousand Nigerians boys queuing to marry you. Don't worry, I can easily offer you one of my brothers.

And as a foreigner, you will most likely make money here. We favour foreigners over ourselves. Sad situation

I also support staying back to make Nigeria a better place but Nigerians have been battered and broken and beaten, they have lost hope. The remainder of them have plans to also embezzle if they ever get into power.

Nigeria needs a benevolent dictator. Someone who will enforce things with force. There is no punishment for misdeeds, thats another plus where America is concerned. I watch Crime and Investigation Channel on TV and see that if you commit the crime you do the time. In Nigeria, if you have money, you can get away with anything. Even mass murder.

ILuvGummyBearz:
school is not free U pay FOr it with taxes nothing in America is free .
everthing u see hervis paid

The only diffrence from yer 9ja and my anerica is the calue of the money and and the fact america has had years 2 fevelop off iof free labor of millions.

And bow cheap labor of millions overseas and pulling od money fromthe hands of the poor of her land.


Tap can be fixed and so can school
The silution is not 2 run but make yer countru a better place because every1 cant go like u

Personally, I have not given running away a thought because of my 'ties' to Nigeria which are really very strong, but how do we make our country a better place if there is no opportunity? I will have to be in a position of power to make concrete changes but have you heard of jazz? The kind of voodoo and political assassination going on in politics is not worth your life

ILuvGummyBearz:
America's Leaders dont have 2 embezzle money
They just tax u high and use the money as rhey see fit and its completely legal

But itz not only them but state governors who can pull for the povkets of the poor with state income taxes
Have u not heard of the Hortoblie state Califonia is in financial because of bad goverment? Who's paying 2 fix it all?
The people of califonia. And mainly the poor at that.
Thats the twisted thing with taxes the poor pay the most

Income tax Its basically a tax we pay 2 the state when they need money separte fro the taxes we pay out of our paychecks monthly.

.
•••
The naira 2 dollar is small . There would be no way for yer leader 2 embezzle the sum americans pat in taxe fir unused or unnecessary road/toll roads,Roadway cameras

U know they spent some millions for roadway cameras that caused mir s than stopped them?
http://abcnews.go.com/US/red-light-camera-backlash-cameras-causing-accidents/story?id=13925887


Its easy 2 look at another countrys President and prasie him when u dont have 2 live under his laws
Cliton was awful for the American people
And so was Obama healthcare plan

Really!!! I'm hearing these for the first time, and this discourse is quite a refreshing eye opener. But will you trade living in the USA for living in Nigeria? Will you trade places with me?

ILuvGummyBearz:
ive been tellin' u.
U want 2 be in America because u want what?

Better hospitals and protection?? Yer hospitals need 2 be built up there

I want to be in America because there is electricity, you open your tap, clean drinkable water flows, if Im paying taxes, Im seeing the taxes. MY kids can go to free public schools and get quality education, I can decide to work 3 jobs if I want to pay these bills as long as I am getting value for my money.

Here you are overqualified for the jobs available and underpaid. Your income cannot even take you through the week.

ILuvGummyBearz:
this is sad. My condolences for yer loss

This is ridiculous and not a mater of America being better but of[b] a goverment not doing its job.[/b]

Where in nigeria do u live? Is lagos like this??

sweerie, this is Lagos! lolz

@ bolded, this is my point exactly. The govt has failed us, and they dont give a sht

tescoman90:
@ ILuvGummyBearz please tell me about the annoying thing about your stay in America?

So @Iluvgummybearz pray, tell me why America is not the paradise we believe it is?

ILuvGummyBearz:


Point:8 people think our New presendent Trump is low scum 2
Bill Cliton wasnt a very good for America either

Wow! and on the outside, we felt Bill Clinton was a demi god! No matter how much of a scum Trump is, I doubt if he will ever embezzle up to 1% of the commonwealth our leaders have stolen from us.

Nigerians shouldnt be this poor. The country is so rich, I cant comprehend how a group of people will just decide to hold 160m million people ransom. And we have been so bent and beaten, the best option is to run away.

And when we manage to get out of this hellhole like Franknetter did, we marvel at the level of organization America has to offer. I don't mind paying your taxes. I dont mind paying for health insurance, I dont mind the expenses, I just need a system that works

Point:7 America actually has an excess of roads and tool roads that are unessicarry and who pays for this acess?
The people. We pay hundreds of thousands In taxes for roaways and toll roads that we dont use or need

Americans pay taxes to supplement the earnings from Natural resources. Nigeria makes a lot of money from sales of crude oil, there is actually a budget for these road but it is all embezzled.

If our leaders were in america, they would embezzle the taxes used to create these roads and tollways. What the heck they are unncessary arent they?

I have aquestion: why isnt the power supply stable in Nigeria?

My sister...I have no idea.

I guess its corruption.

There is a cabal that controls the sector, and they specialize in the importation of generators and petrol/diesel. If power is stable, we wont need to buy generators and the demand for petrol will reduce. So to keep up the demand, they ensure power is unstable and we dont have a choice but to buy these things.

In 2012, we had a minister of power who attempted to stabilize power, he was succeeding and guess what? he was frustrated out of the place and we never heard from him again. Bart Nnaji was his name

ILuvGummyBearz:
ok . I can uderstand all these but just as lagos has been built up so 2 can the rest of yer country.

Point:4 healthcare in America is not guaranteed
Nor is it free the goverment healthcare few poor people qualify for is paid for by thier own taxes

We pay into this from the day we begin working intil the day we retire but are not guaranteed coverage


Point:3 can 2 explain this futhur?
Protect u from what?

Point:4 healthcare in America is not guaranteed
Nor is it free the goverment healthcare few poor people qualify for is paid for by thier own taxes

We also pay taxes, if the taxes we pay is channeled to having a system that works. How can doctors not be paid their wages? This is unheard of in USA. I had a baby in the USA. I paid cash, and you know why I ran to USA to have a baby? I had twins born at 7 months in Nigeria that died at birth because the govt hospitals were on strike and the private hospital where I had my babies has only 1 oxygen tank which was in use. So the babies were oxygen starved and allowed to die like they didnt matter. I am a victim of a failed healthcare system, and guess what 1 in 10 Nigerian women have a story. We have one of the highest infant and maternal mortality rates in the world.

Point:3 can 2 explain this futhur?
Protect u from what?

Armed robbers, kidnappers, assassins, hungry boys who have no choice but to steal from you just so they can eat. The police is a big joke. They most definitely will not come if you call them until after the coast is clear.

And if the robbers are ever caught, they are released because they have insiders who make sure the cases never go to court. Even if the case goes to court, the judges are so marvellously corrupt, the case may never be heard. Welcome to our jungle

5. Education is a big joke. If you want your kids to be properly educated, they have to attend private schools which are ridiculously expensive

6. There are no jobs. The universities churn our more graduates every year, of which only 1% just may be able to manage to land good jobs with their connections. Like, the only way you can survive is to be creative. Creatively beg, steal or start a business and pray for God to pick up your call

7. Our roads are death traps. When I travel abroad, I confidently go on road trips. In Nigeria, I fast and pray before I travel. If you follow Nairaland, you will see episodes and episodes of avoidable road mishaps if only our roads were any better. Even if the govt gives out contracts to fix these roads, nothing is done. God help you when it rains

8. Our leaders are the worst scums in the universe.

9. The police is your enemy. Extra judicial killing is their specialization. You can get killed by the police for refusing to part with $0.50 cents. You can get arrested just because the policemen are broke and bored and you will need to pay to bail yourself. Those who have no one to bail them may remain in jail for years without trials, as in forgotten

ILuvGummyBearz:

.

ILuvGummyBearz:
what Im not gonna make a thread. Ill go dig up a old unsed 1 and we can discuss there.

Wait

ok, come into my old thread here and let's rub minds

https://www.nairaland.com/3460067/im-taking-train-ride-chicago

tescoman90
nefertitiram
AvsGot007