Exchange 2018

The dust has settled and I recall the challenges ,of being apart from home for so long, of living independently without income and of maintaining a LDR have been really difficult, and the experiences of seeing and learning new things of different cities and countries.



Perhaps its time to journal some of the journey.

I remember the thoughts as I boarded the plane left, how I prayed that God will water the seeds that have been planted. Learning I can't say goodbyes well, and that my preference not to attach myself to anything as much as possible.

I remember how I never took a plane for 3 years, since I was always occupied in Singapore, and my first time flying was to Europe alone on 22th Jan to Czech Republic without data in the middle of the night. What an experience. Always thought I was going to not make it to my hostel in time, and had no google map to use since my flight was delayed yet ending up at my hostel at 2am alone. By His grace, the experience will live with me.

I remember completing my assignments in Barcelona, staying up till 3am to complete it on a Champions league night (Barcelona vs Chelsea), and then waking up at 8.30am so that I could spend 1 hour prior to find out how to get to Montserrat and then actually going there to spend the whole afternoon and evening there.

I will remember missing our train to the airport in Paris and being stuck on the streets, trying to figure out french and googling how to get to the airport in the middle of the night. In the night when the homeless people surround you, and drunk group of people are nearby. Fearing for safety, yet being able to get to the airport safe and sound. His protection and grace upon us.

I will remember being so upset that my exams would clash with her trip to Scotland. I remember sulking in Venice, the floating city, over the fact that I was most unlikely to see her and then how I was trying my hardest to find a way to do so. Clearly my stubbornness was at work since I decided to make my way over to Inverness on the Thursday after my 4th paper, which ended at 6pm, and returned from Glasgow just in time to take my last paper at 12pm on Monday. But that crazy idea turned reality was one I would not regret. Recalling how I felt I didn't do too well for the paper as I did not exactly study the readings and worrying I won't pass. Which is the dumbest thing to do as it would have meant I wasted 6 months and not cleared a module. Yet He remain faithful, and I still got a B.

Taking a sole trip to Austria and Germany. Standing in the Alps, taking in the view and cooling air was another beauty. To see the beauty of His work. Exploring Berlin, Vienna and Munich alone... learning about the city and spending more time in the parks reading a book than bothering heading to any tourist attraction as everything had slowly started looked the same in Europe.


So many stories, so many memories but I'm still glad to be home. Closing the book, and not wanting to head back. Home is where the heart is, where surroundings are familiar, where God has placed you to have a role to play in the lives of others.

All in all, I have been to 18 countries and 37 cities. You may guess some of the place where I went.