Working Abroad .01

As I sit here in the comfort of my hotel room in Singapore, I can't help but feel a mix of relief, happiness, gratitude and exhaustion. After traveling for 14 hours to Taiwan, waiting out a 2 hour layover, and then flying another 5 hours to Singapore (plus waiting in multiple long lines for immigration and transportation) I am SO beyond relieved to finally be here. The excitement has officially kicked in.

The second I got to the hotel, I dumped all my bags on the floor (ditching my laptop and cell phone), put on my swimsuit, and immediately went swimming in the infinity pool by myself. For a few hours I literally swam, read my book, and soaked up the sun (and humidity) on this beautiful Saturday afternoon. It was the most exhilarating and invigorating couple of hours I've had in a long time!

I've felt some (ok, major) anxiety leading up to this long work trip, due to work being its usual busy self, trying to squeeze in seeing tons of family, and because leaving the comfort of my regular routine at home is a little scary. Right before I left for the airport to come here, I felt a twinge of self-doubt - a real moment of hesitation. My eyes actually teared up for a second as I realized that I was really leaving for a good chunk of time. Should I have said yes to this opportunity to work abroad? Was I up for traveling alone for 6 weeks? Most of all, was I going to fail at my assignment...and make a fool of myself? 

As I swam this afternoon in the beautiful Singapore sun, these thoughts raced through my mind again. But then I experienced a moment of revelation, where I just stopped myself from thinking and instead decided to simply be in the moment. To recognize the sense of independence and confidence I felt and to let that empower me. Rather than constantly worrying, I chose to let it all go and believe in myself and what I'm capable of. 

I couldn't be happier that I applied and decided to come here. Although I was completely alone when I left to study abroad in college (strangely enough, I came here to Singapore for 6 months), this time feels really different. I'm now a working professional, not a college student. I'm now focused on building my career, not on getting good grades. And I'm even more attached to my boyfriend and daily life than I thought I was. My mindset - and my life in general - are completely different from all those years ago.

These next 6 weeks are going to be amazing. I'm looking forward to meeting new people and collaborating. I'm excited to experience newness in the form of cultures, scenery, and environment. But if I'm being honest, I'm most excited to have the time alone to myself to focus, reflect, and do whatever makes me happy! I rarely have time alone to myself to just reflect and be. I came across this quote recently and it resonated so well with me: 

"There are some places in life where you can only go alone. Embrace the beauty of your solo journey."

I'm not scared to walk alone - and most importantly, I'm not scared to like it :) 

Xoxo

View from my hotel room, plus a great shot of the infinity pool that I'm obsessed with!