I sometimes wonder why some people get the travel-bug and others never really show any interest. As humans, we need structure and security and invariably, moving around the world will impact that. Travelling, especially changing countries, can throw us out of balance. It can also hold a mirror up to us that perhaps our world views are not as wise and open as we like to think they are. But for those brave enough to give it a go, it can be a humbling, exciting, scary but an incredible experience.

Why I left London

When I first left London as an independent adult rather than just following my parents who moved regularly, I probably did so for all the wrong reasons. Like a good majority of expats, I was running away from many things … my divorce, my family, social expectations and myself. Getting divorced threw my self-esteem out of the window but it was also a god-send in the sense that I was now questioning all my assumptions about my world and reality. And god knows I had problems to fix. The first step was acceptance and the willingness to start the personal work.

Asia Called

But then Asia called. Changing countries made sense from a career point of view but the real reason was running away with the then boyfriend who was clearly psychotic but also great fun in a crazy party kind of way. And yep, it was tough. Moving in itself is stressful and I was also living in Singapore, one of the most expensive countries in the world, with a very low salary, mainly commission based. To top it all off, I’d just broken up with the boyfriend. But I grew to love Singapore and the other countries I’ve lived in across Asia …

So what did I do?

• I got myself out there again and joined the various groups to meet people
• I started looking for a job that actually had a proper salary
• I reconnected with hobbies and joined a dance club
• I travelled the region and discovered Asia and reconnected with the beauty of this world

Changing countries during the past eight years, including living in Singapore, Hong Kong and Thailand, all of which were beautiful experiences and mean that I am a very changed person today. I’ve met some incredible people. I’m still working on myself and still have my bad days but I keep reaching out to people for help and inspiration. I’ve also picked up quite a few stories along the way that you’ll hopefully find fun and interesting in the blog posts, including some new ones as I move again …