wangluying/ chapter2 final draft/ tue1pm

First time for everything

Wang Luying

201401991

 

I moved to Singapore alone when I was 11, it was my first time traveling alone, living alone, and just do everything by myself.

You might find it hard to believe, before moving to Singapore, I have never even taken a bus by myself before, so moving there by myself was a huge step and life-changing event for me.

 

I have been through different stages after I moved to Singapore, and I would like to share my stories with you guys here today.

 

Stage one was hesitation. Where should I put all the dishes? How to decide what kind of cable provider to use? How to get around in the new country? Stage one for me was characterized by indecisions and endless questions. All of the sudden I am the one who choose where everything goes. I need to take care of my water bill, school tuition, and learn how to manage my own money for the very first time; I felt wary of everything and was overwhelmed by anything.

 

Stage two was joy. I find everything so fascinating, and after settling down, I started to enjoy this exotic new country and started to meet new people and made some friends, they've made the hard time easier and the good time better.

 

And then it was fear. The euphoria of stage two starts to wear off. Loading the dishwasher is a little less exciting because let's face it, it never was really exciting. I had just temporarily lost my mind with my new found freedom. And life got more real here, schools, relationship with friends and not to mention, homesick. Many times, the only person in the apartment was me. And by this stage, all of the starry- eyed wonder of living on my own was gone. I felt like the people who are supposed to love me the most on the world have picked up and left me all alone. I've spent so many time just doing nothing and missing my parents and my friends back home.

 

The last stage was manning up and accept your new life. I picked myself up and started to find a hobbit rather than staying at home all the time, I started to do yoga and go to dancing schools. And then I gradually settle into a regular and healthier routine. Living alone starts to feel less like a punishment but more like a great and unique opportunity to help you to grow. There are going to be bumps in the road, it is inevitable. It began to dawn on me that being alone doesn't have to mean being lonely, and sometimes even if I feel really lonely inside, I just have to lean to cope with it. Although it was hard and it took me a very long time to get past all these stages, after all I felt like I am exactly where I belong at this moment in my life.