The Roller Coaster of Life

One thing I know above all else is that my life has been one long roller coaster ride. That is definitely not always a bad thing, but sometimes it wears you out. I’ve moved more times than I can count, and that includes moving countries seven times – exciting if you’ve never done it - but it can be very very exhausting too, on many levels. The great part about this moving lifestyle is that I’ve met wonderful people all over the world, many who remain fantastic friends. That is the greatest joy I’ve known in my life – people from all walks of life.

However, in the last three and a half years, my roller coaster has been Queensland’s Towerof Terror II – originally the tallest and fastest roller coaster in the world when it was launched – I think the Yanks superseded it. Most people have a plan, a place where they belong, a place they want to end up, and I think that’s absolutely wonderful. But I don’t, and neither does Steve. We’re not anchored anywhere, so when the GFC hit us in 2009 and Steve’s job went with it, we said where the hell do we go now? We went to Phuket – it didn’t work. We went to Australia – it didn’t work either. After a lot of hullabaloo, we knew we had to come back and make Singapore work. We love it here, we have amazing friends, it’s exciting in Singapore, and we want to make it our long term home. It’s a perfect place for a family and for business.

A significant change of focus in recent months is Steve’s decision to find a job because a secure income means more ease in our life – ease is a priority for us right now. Also as Steve’s industry pays double my industry, it made sense it was him. The problem is, Singapore is not a good place for his sector anymore, as many of the companies relevant to him put headquarters in other parts of Asia. But he hasn’t just been looking in his industry, because while his experience is unique, his skills are relevant across a lot of industries, many with headquarters in Singapore.

So a call comes in last week – a great job, one that got Steve very excited, but we’d have to move to Bangkok. No babe, I say, we need to stay here and we need Lex to do his term at the new specialist school we’ve got him enrolled in so we have no more issues there. It’s a speech, OT, behavioural therapy school and within a short period of time, Lex will come out the other end, ready for mainstream education, no more problems. It’s really important for all of us and it’s something I need to happen. Lex has to be our priority right now.

Steve does some research, finds an equivalent school in Bangkok, so that’s covered. I start changing my mind. We’ve also got some great friends in Bangkok, we love the city and the country, the boys are old enough to live in a place like that, and as I write for a living, I can be anywhere and Bangkok in particular is good for me.... OK let’s stay open. I can do that. I’ve done it so many times, I know that whatever we decide, we’ll be OK – eventually.

The problem is, once you start considering an international move, your whole mind goes through a massive process about what’s good about where you’re planning to go, what’s bad, how you can make it work, etc... I mean Bangkok would have language challenges and simple stuff like calling a cab or sorting a phone line would be a nightmare. You can’t drink water out of a tap. The air isn’t clean like in Singapore. You need to protect yourself from things like malaria and that means DEET on my boy’s bodies every day. But it’s also a really exciting city – one of the most exciting cities in the world - and it’s always happening. What an opportunity for all of us? What a childhood experience to offer my boys? BUT there’s another aspect to my head this last week - as part of the thought process, you also have to think about why it’s OK to leave where you are. It really does put your mind in a mess, because you’re constantly switching back and forth between the pros and cons for both places....  

The job ended up being filled internally, but Steve is still talking to this company and thankfully the HQ is in Singapore. He’s excited about the potential, because it’s a really interesting field for him – something completely different and potentially a great career move. So if the call comes in and we have to make a move, we’ll probably go – hell I’d go just to see Steve with a skip in his step again and as my work is completely flexible, I am in a unique position to support my husband while chasing my own dreams. BUT my darling, not India, not yet. The boys are just too young for me to do India right now.

In the meantime, if anyone knows of anyone looking for a senior and very experienced sales/marketing/bizdev person, with excellent sales and presentation training skills, based in Singapore, let us know. We really do want to stay!

I just want to metaphorically get off the Tower of Terror II and drink cocktails by a pool for a while...

Yours, without the bollocks

Andrea