February 27, 2014
This is the day I took my first international
flight going to Abu Dhabi.
I cannot remember what I felt during that day. It
was really mix of excitement, fear, uncertainty and whatever comes in between. My
knees are actually shaking when I was going down the car and walking towards
the airport. What added to this unexplainable feeling is having your parents
with you in that very moment. It was the first time that I will be separated
from them.
It is almost 8 months after that day, here I am
striving to be the best version of myself. Standing for what I believe is true,
holding on to my dream for a better life, doing my best and being grateful of
what I have while working along the way to get what I want.
The journey here in the foreign land would not be
possible without the people who supported me thru various aspects in life
(physical, financial, emotional and spiritual).
I thought that being and working in a foreign land,
or an expat, is easy. At first I had a hard time adjusting. But as each month
pass by, experience taught me different things that contributed to my growth as
a young professional and as a person.
At this point, in the course of writing this blog,
I decided to pause and to think what I have learned so far.
- Distance and time is not an issue.No matter how far it may seem and the 4-hour time difference, the people who matters in your life are ready to be there.Philippines is ahead of 4 hours compared to Abu Dhabi. Thanks to technology, it made me closer to my family and treasured friends even though we are more than 8,000 miles apart. I can still send a message anytime and felt like I am just in a province. But I admit that there are times that I still miss them.
2. Sense
of importance
All of these things that happened to me here in Abu Dhabi
are all firsthand experiences. But I see to it that every decision that I make
here is a win-win situation for me and for the people around me. I put others
first then myself.
Having set my foot on a foreign land, makes me
wonder what is in store for me and for the people who matters to me. There are
times that I still cannot believe that I am here, living in a foreign land,
enjoying what life has to offer here…
There will be moments in our life that may derail us
from achieving God’s plan for us. Yes, I admit that a lot of things happened to
me here that made me heading to the wrong path. But I see to it that these
experiences will help me and teach me to be a better man, according to God’s
will.
It’s still a long road to travel. I might be in a
different way than what I planned, but I believe that where I am walking now is
a detour where God leads me to something great, something far more than I could
ever imagine.
Yes, I still haven’t found what I am looking for. But
the constant run towards my dreams fuels my desire to strike whilst the iron is
hot and I am excited for what God has planned for me.
