I am writing these first sentences while on the plane travelling back home to my beloved Philippines. It has been exactly six months when I decided to pursue a career abroad only to realize that all I wanted was a breathing space to be more aware of who I am.

Before I landed to a job in Singapore that I have waited for so long, I’ve been to other countries in Southeast Asia. I had a chance to visit Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Malaysia. With all these places that I traveled to, I grabbed the opportunities to observe and learn their cultures, history, behaviors, and beliefs apart from meeting a number of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) who also have their own stories to tell.

It was not my first time to travel abroad. Few years ago I had an excursion in Hong Kong with some colleagues and a family trip in Singapore to celebrate my sister’s 18^th birthday. But this one is different. I’d never thought that I would hop from airport to airport in a short period of time. The experience is valuable enough to know myself better, more than what I aspired for in terms of searching for a career.

The unfamiliar environments pushed me to gradually discern what really matters to me. The curiosity within me guided my footsteps to arrive at what the world offers – the beauty in diversity. It taught me to see humanity in different perspectives and I can still respect them. By trying new things, learning a new language, or even tasting strange delicacies, they reminded me that there’s more to life than looking back what didn’t work out. Saying goodbyes to the new friends whom I’ve just met showed me that there are people who would come and go, and that’s perfectly fine. Standing in the middle of the sea of crowds of different colors allowed me to appreciate the uniqueness of each one. I took time to reflect on my own strengths that I can maximize and weaknesses to humble me enough and refuse self-entitlement.

“He who returns from a journey is not the same as he who left.”

I would be returning home bringing with me not only the memories of travelling and advancing my profession, but most importantly, the rediscovery of my God-driven purpose in life. Wandering from country to country brought me to various destinations where I could breathe freely and listen to my inner voice. Dollars or any currencies in the world can’t buy happiness. Adding value to others is a kind success that cannot be compensated by what I can possibly earn in the foreign land.