When I first came back to Singapore as an adult in 2019, I worked at a now-defunct company called Zilingo. I went home to the UK briefly during the COVID lockdown in 2020, but it became clear to me that I had to head back to Singapore.
I secured a job at a fintech company called CardUp and was back in Singapore in September 2021.
Living in Singapore was comfortable. The weather is good. There’s a lot of travel, it’s multicultural. And there’s a lot of great food.
But Singapore is an expensive city. I spent around $7,000 monthly: $4,000 on rent and about $3,000 on bills from restaurants, bars, supermarkets, traveling, and other expenses.
Dating as an expat was not a breeze
I spend a lot of time thinking about life versus lifestyle. In Singapore, I was living a lifestyle that I very much enjoyed.
But I was starting to feel unfulfilled in my life. I’d been overseas for more than 18 years. I wanted to be around my friends from high school and college, so I decided to move home.
So, in July, I packed my bags and moved back to the UK.
It took me a long time to reach that conclusion because I moved abroad when I was eight. The idea of “just being an English girl in England” kicked off a bit of an identity crisis. I was like: “Who am I if I’m not an expat?”
But I think that thought process underestimates how exotic and diverse England can be.
I now feel a sense of discovery about what living in England will be like. I don’t know how it’ll go — but I’m going to give it a try.
https://www.businessinsider.com/british-expat-bought-one-way-ticket-to-singapore-2024-8