Young Adult in a Coffee Shop Abroad

I've been working abroad for a little over a year already but it still feels a little bit surreal at times. I've always known that I will be practicing my degree in a different country, particularly here in Singapore, one day but I never thought I would start this early.

I went to Singapore a few months after my 21st birthday. It was a last minute decision. I just wanted to get away from everything. I told everyone that I wasnt going away to run from the bad things that have happend but I was. Of course I was.

I was supposed to stay in Singapore for only a month but I started trying my luck to get myself a job. To be honest, I wasnt completely serious in my little job hunting. I've had a few phone and face-to-face interviews but I wasn't very eager to actually work here. Few days before my flight going back to Manila, I got an email from my current employer about an interview scheduled on the day of my flight. Prior to getting that email, there was World War Z in my head. Half of me wanted to go back to Manila to deal with everything I left behind but the other half felt like giving Singapore a chance. So when I got that email, I took it as a sign.

I went to the interview. The office was small and home-y. I liked it. After the interview, I went to Suntec for my overpracticed alone-time in a coffee shop (fyi, most of my biggest decisions are made in coffee shops). So yeah, in my head, I was like "If this works out for me, then I'm staying. If not, I still have 2 more months to kill before I get back."

Two days after the interview, I got a call from the employer. They wanted me to join the company. After that phone call, I sat beside my big bedroom window and hated myself for awhile. Honestly, I was half-wishing that I wouldnt get the job... But I did. So, I started weighing things. Listing Pros and Cons. My Con items were just half of my Pros. I was happy about that... and sad at the same time.

A year after, well, I'm in a coffee shop right now... Still feeling quite the same but I think things are so much better for me now. I've become more independent, open-minded and stronger. My indecisiveness is still there and my mood still changes every five minutes but I must say that I've grown in so many ways.

I am quite proud of myself for making this decision. It is a very big leap for a young adult who got accustomed to a carefree life in her hometown. To be honest, I still have those half-hearted moments. At times, my heart still wants me to go back home but my head knows better.