My biggest NYSC culture shock wasn't the food or the language. It was realizing how strangers could become family in just three weeks.

Before NYSC, I had never been to Abuja. When I received my call-up letter, I was excited, but deep down I was scared. I didn't know anyone in the city. Arriving at camp felt like stepping into another world. Different accents, different languages, different lifestyles, yet we were all wearing the same khaki and sharing the same experience.

The first few days were overwhelming. Everywhere I turned, people were speaking languages I didn't understand. I felt lost and . Then I met a fellow corper who started as a friend but eventually became a brother. We queued together, marched together, complained about the early morning bugle together, and somehow made camp feel less strange.

One funny memory still makes me laugh. Like many corpers, I had a camp crush. I spent days admiring her from a distance, only to discover she was interested in my friend instead. The funniest part? He didn't even know. Looking back, it was one of those classic NYSC moments.

But beyond the laughter, NYSC taught me something bigger. I arrived in Abuja without knowing a single person. I left camp with friendships that felt like family. My biggest culture shock was discovering that Nigeria's diversity doesn't divide us, it gives us more people to call our own.

And that's a lesson I'll carry long after the khaki is gone.

i stil miss ABUJA