My guidebook on Lagos, Nigeria has left me with expectations and perceptions of the culture and city that I am sure just scratches the surface of actually breathing it and living it. Nigerians are apparently “snappy dressers,” and I recently bought some new clothes to prepare for hot weather yet modest attire so as not to show my knees and that will be washable by hand.

The streets I expect to be crowded with buses and taxis moving at a turtle’s pace in one of the largest cities in Africa. As I will be arriving June 1st at 5am from my connecting flight through London, I wonder if the city will be more quiet than usual or still bustling.

In casual conversation with two separate taxi drivers (one from Ethiopia and one from Somalia) here in Washington, DC, I was told by both that Nigeria is the worst country in the world. When I went to get my visa at the Nigerian embassy this past week the gentleman assisting me looked at me skeptically, laughed, asked me if I was really gong to Nigeria, and responded with more laughter when I told him indeed I was. This all leaves me more intrigued and curious than I had been before, and more determined to share the inspiring work that is being done and hopefully contribute to a more positive perception of the country.