Adventures & Moments

On the 13th of September 2022, we took our oath which is the last stage of being Canadian citizens. The event lasted roughly for about an hour and that officially moved us from Permanent Residents to Canadian Citizens. Drum roll, please...Whohoo💃 Btw, there are roughly 4-5 steps that we had to go through prior to the oath ceremony but I skipped all the details because we are keeping our posts short and simple (lol). However, if you want to know what being a Canadian citizen entails, you can check this link here

That said, today I will be sharing a couple of pictures we took to celebrate that day & our timeline from when we moved from Sweden to Canada. Yay💃

So our journey to becoming Canadians (from the day we landed to the day we took our oath) took exactly 4 years and 3 months (June 13, 2018 - September 13, 2022). Yeah, I keep all the dates 😂

On the 13th of June 2018, we packed our boxes and decided to start a new life in Canada. Were we nervous about this decision since we were already permanent residents in Sweden? Of course, we were. The only thing was that my husband already had a job offer before we landed. Although we were nervous about other things like daycare for my girl, how my career will turn out, amongst others. However, we were a little bit confident that we will settle in asap since my husband already had a job. 

We left Sweden on the 13th of June, 2018 around 8:00am and landed in Canada on the 13th of June, 2018 around 8:00pm (hahaha, not that short. It was because of the time difference). Thanks to my sister and her family who made our first few months smooth and not too stressful. They picked us up from the airport, hosted us in their home, and guided us on the things we needed to do and how to go about them. We also needed to get accommodation before my husband's first day of work which was around 3 weeks after we landed. So our first few weeks were very busy. Within a month of our arrival, we had settled in a little bit and that was the beginning of our journey.

Our last picture in Sweden (June 2018). We were on our way to the airport

At the airport in Sweden

At Edmonton International Airport, Canada

My first picture in Canada (June 2018)

Our first apartment in Canada

Husbae's office & first job in Canada

Building of my first job (December 2018)

Day 1 of my first job (December 2018)

Looking back, it has been a beautiful journey for us. I wouldn't say perfect but we have been blessed in numerous ways that we never would have thought or imagined within this short period of time. 

The best part of moving to Canada for me will definitely be the opportunities here career-wise. I have seen how a lot of people have been able to successfully transition into better careers or even start all over including myself. This definitely comes with a lot of sacrifices and making the right choices but I have to say that I didn't get that in Sweden plus there was a language barrier as well. Although for me I always say that life moves pretty much faster in North America compared to Europe in terms of work, school, making choices, etc which I personally do not like (yeah, I'm more of a laid-back/conservative kind of person when it comes to decision making and life generally). I got that slow-paced vibes in Sweden (maybe a lil' too much sometimes though😂) but in life, I already know that you cannot get it all & no place on earth is perfect. So, all you have to do is pick what works best for you and your family. Overall, I have to say that Canada won my heart & I'm so happy we made the decision to move here. 

How my program started (April 2021)

How my program ended (yeap, I got an award💃)

The reward of my hard work & persistence came with a new job (November 2021)

And even a better job in October 2022 (How it's going)

I'm so grateful for our journey and how everything turned out. I cannot wait to travel the world with my family. Our journey actually started when my husband left Nigeria in September 2013 to pursue his Ph.D. in Sweden. I joined him a year later and the rest, they say is history. There have been delays, disappointments, letdowns, promotions, meeting new people, getting very good jobs, buying our first home, and expanding our family to mention a few. We have now officially decided to make Canada our home & I'm feeling pretty confident and happy about this.

My husband's Ph.D. graduation ceremony (May 2018 plus a month before we left Sweden)

Always super proud of my best guy

Congratulations to us aka #ZeIbidzSquad. I cannot wait to see all the amazing things Canada has in store for us while we continue to "adult", train our kids, plus grow and glow together. 

That will be all from me today. Thank you for stopping by & I will see you again at the next one..💋