A Kenyan nurse and social media influencer based in the United States has opened up about the emotional toll of life abroad, challenging the popular narrative that Kenyans living in America have it all figured out.
Nurse Judy shared her thoughts in an Instagram post on Sunday, July 12. She described the quiet loneliness that comes with building a life far from home.
According to her, everyday tasks that would ordinarily be simple, like getting a car serviced, often turn into painful reminders of the support system she left behind in Kenya.
She noted that she misses the ease of dropping her children off at a relative’s house or having someone check on her without warning.
“Money solves a lot, but it does not replace community,” she wrote.
Judy added that she can make more money than ever before and still cry over not having anyone to help her with basic errands. She pushed back against the idea that gratitude and struggle cannot coexist.
“I can be extremely grateful for the life I’ve built and still struggle with it. I can be blessed and lonely. I can be strong and tired,” she said.
The nurse also addressed the gap between what people post online and what they actually feel behind closed doors.
She said someone posting celebratory pictures one day could have cried themselves to sleep just two days earlier.
Her message to followers was to allow themselves to feel their emotions, take a moment to break down if needed, and then rise again when ready.
The post drew an outpouring of support from followers, many of whom said they related to her experience personally or through people close to them.
Judy has previously shared plans to relocate to Tanzania, where she hopes to become a stay-at-home mother while her husband’s career supports the family.