Spending a week in Abuja, Nigeria in October was a once-in-a-lifetime experience on many levels – both good and bad. While I can’t ignore the obvious dangers that plague the country, I also feel like I’d be missing the opportunity to share real life lessons I took away from the trip.

Nigeria is an amazingly beautiful country that is severely underdeveloped, which makes it a place far off the typical tourist’s path. It’s a catch-22 because on the one hand the tourism industry desperately needs foreign dollars, yet as a tourist it’s a tough place to navigate.

Thankfully the guys from the Sheraton were incredibly sweet and helpful – they were the reason I felt comfortable leaving the hotel and venturing out of the city after the bomb scare.

1. Never underestimate the power of infrastructure.

Most people (myself included) walk through our lives without noticing all the services that enable us to get educated, pursue careers, and grow a family. I’ve often taken for granted garbage collection, electricity, piping that delivers fresh water and removes waste, safe and driveable roads, reliable transportation networks, fire departments, postal service, access to hospitals, etc.

It’s truly those ‘little’ things that make all the difference – they give us the ability to make choices. They free up our time to pursue other interests. Just the fact that we have clean, fresh water in our homes is an enormous luxury.

Just imagine having to cart home all the water you need to use each day for drinking, cooking and washing.

2. Despite the fear mongering on the news, we live in one of the safest countries in the world.

Our concerns are minimal at best. The odds of war breaking out in our neighborhood, being kidnapped by a militia, or even encountering a check-point where armed men determine your fate are so infinitesimally small that we don’t even have to worry about those things happening.

Sure, there are sick people and unsafe neighborhoods but our concerns about school shootings, terrorist on planes, or the possibility of gang-related atrocities do not impede our daily lives.

Just the fact that we can drive at night without the fear of bandits or kidnappers is amazing.

3. Africans are among the friendliest, most resilient people on the planet.

I can’t even fathom what it’s like to live with constant uncertainty, in extreme and hopeless poverty, governed by people who are selfish and brutal.

The history of Nigeria is heartbreakingly full of war, disease and devastating corruption.

Yet against all odds the peoples’ spirits have not been broken.

There’s a warmth and beauty that is undeniable – they are proof that humanity is overwhelmingly good.

They aren’t just victims.

Nigerians are optimistic overcomers.

They’re innovators and entrepreneurs who work day and night to bring in the few dollars it takes to feed their family and keep gas in the generator.

4. I am damn lucky and better continually help raise others up in my city and around the world.

There’s no rhyme or reason why I was born into this obviously privileged life.

I could just as easily have been born into very different circumstances. But here I am.

I’ve seen too much to be complacent. I need to continually push myself to give more generously of my time, talents, and resources to help those in need… because if I were on the other side of town, or on the other side of the world, I’d hope that I wasn’t so easily forgotten.