Goodbye 2010, Hello 2011

So much has happened to me in a year.  Those who regularly view my blog will know that this time last year I was coming to Singapore for a two week trip with my fiance (boyfriend as he then was) who was starting a new job here.  Whilst here I did all the touristy things that anyone when asked what they associate with Singapore would do, you know a Singapore Sling in Raffles hotel etc. etc. (more of all of that soon).  I can well remember also sitting besides the hotel pool considering the pros and cons of quitting my job to join him or waiting a bit longer before I took what then seemed such a massive step and a huge life change. 

The move here was out of the blue for me, it wasn't something we talked about doing for months or even years on end beforehand.  My fiance just had two phone calls and was offered the job, I was blown away.  In hindsight I should have guessed it might happen at some point as before I knew him he had lived and worked in Melbourne but I guess I just never thought about it until I had no choice but to.

In the end I decided to stay in our UK flat until the end of the lease (June) and apply for a career break from my job so I had something to go back to just in case.  This felt like a half way step for me and safer then going all out and moving over here on a permanent basis.  If that decision had stayed as it was then I'd be heading back to the UK about now to return back to work!  Anyway it didn't as life never goes exactly as you think it will and once I got here I realised going back wasn't really an option and decided to take the step of quitting my job to stay.  My fiance being here was the main reason, we'd been at opposite sides of the world for six months and the thought of leaving him again was just horrible.  Funnily enough it was only when I got here that I realised how hard it must have been for him at first totally on his own here and exactly how much I had missed him during those six months.  We also got engaged soon after I arrived which made me feel it was even more important that we should try to stay together rather than me disappearing again.  I'd also started to feel settled here, having met some lovely people and felt I'd started to make a few friends of my own rather than just relying on those that my fiance had already met.

The first photo I took in Singapore during my visit in January 2010

Yes there are times when I miss home and my family and friends back there and the UK will always be my true home.  With my fiance out all day at work during the week I sometimes yearn to just be able to pop and see my Mum or catch up with someone and have a good gossip.  When I feel like that though I just remind myself of the wonderful opportunities I've had in the past six months, how my life has changed beyond my imagination and the things I've done and places I've been that I never could have imagined doing.  Similarly I remind myself of all the places I'm yet to see in this part of the world which I hope I get the opportunity to do.  Failing that I'll take myself off somewhere new or even just for a browse around the shops just to remind myself how fortunate I am.

So as a new year begins I have a lot to keep me very busy, for one continuing to discover Singapore and hopefully other places too and secondly a lot of planning and organising for my wedding in October.  This year I'll be dividing my time between the UK and Singapore, but I hope you'll stick with me as I have plenty of ideas of things to write about and I'll try not to turn into a wedding bore on here either!  Although it will be lovely to be back in the UK I know as well that I'll be missing Singapore, my fiance, my friends and the place that for now is my home.