What were they thinking??? (jima) by jima

At Marc’s request (please note that you can post responses to our missives here as well!), here are my thoughts on why we’re taking this leap.

For years we’ve discussed the possibility of living abroad. Our journeys to other countries have always been enjoyable, but always left us with the desire to spend more time in one area. This inevitably leads to the discussion of staying someplace overseas for an extended period, finding out how the locals live (at least to some approximation) and exploring new lifestyles. This assignment really provides that opportunity. As Venitha mentioned in a previous post, neither of us would have picked Singapore if we had a choice in the matter, but, once it was presented as an option and we explored it, Singapore does seem a perfect location to live in SE asia with fewer difficulties than other places.

We had thought about doing something like this in Tokyo a few years ago, and also remotely considered an overseas assignment in Taiwan last year (I wouldn’t have done that one, even if it had been available). Neither of us had been to Singapore when this opportunity arose, but in talking to friends and colleagues (some of whom had spent a significant amount of time there) they assured us that S’pore would be easier to live in that Tokyo or Taiwan. Armored by their assurances and a mess of teeth gnashing, we decided to take the leap.

As to some more personal reasons for wanting to do this, there are several. One is simply the adventure of it. I’ve always enjoyed travel (at least to some extent) and this is just an extension of that. This also gives us a unique opportunity to “test drive” a different lifestyle. I’ve never really lived in a city before (Madison probably doesn’t count), and with this deal, we get to go live in a large, metropolitan area for a couple of years while still keeping a safe home back in Colorado.

Finally, for me, this trip is an expression of who I want to be. I want to be the type of person who takes advantages of opportunities like this when they are presented. I know that there are costs involved in taking action like this, but I also know that there are costs in not taking action. Taking this position makes me feel more directed and decisive than I have for quite a while. This is a good thing.

Hope this makes it a bit clearer...

jima