I can’t believe it took me 6 months to finally admit I was waaaay overworked and burnt out from… everything! The last time I travelled was last December, and we got back from that trip to Singapore in early January this year. I remember so clearly that I had absolutely no clue as to what I was going to do with my life then, no clue what was going to happen to Trouvée.Co, no clue how the real estate career would be like and no clue as to what our futures held. In short, CLUELESS was the word.
See, 7 months later, things have changed! We got engaged, I switched companies and made my first sale in real estate (oh boy what an experience that was), created my real estate YouTube channel (more videos that are currently up on the FB page will be added when I’m finally back at work), brought Trouvée.Co to her first 4-figure month and finally went on a trip to Canada.
You have no idea – or shall I say, I had no idea – how greatly needed this trip was! The first week was a lot of trekking in nature at Riding Mountain National Park, where I got all the peace, quiet and space I needed to recharge and just quieten my mind. We saw lots of wildlife – probably more than all my years combined, living in a bustling city like Singapore (stray birds, rats, dogs and cats don’t count). There were bears, deer, bison, otters and even a prairie dog! You know those “deer crossing” signs on the highway? They were definitely put there for a reason!
The car we rented was a red Chevrolet Malibu. It was such a good ride (and also damn chio sia), I thought it deserves a mention on the blog. If we ever get a family car, it’s definitely a model going on our list!
After a week of hiking, we headed to the World Masters Ultimate Club Championship in Winnipeg for a whole week of ultimate games. I think I’m finally beginning to really like the sport of ultimate not only because it’s fun, but also because I’ve always wanted to play a group sport, I love the international ultimate community and I believe in all the other things that ultimate encompasses. I even got my first pair of gloves just to try out. People look at me all weird when I tell them the heat in Singapore is the only thing that stops me from really playing it, so we’ll see where this goes!
Soooo anyway. Now I’m back and start work in a couple of days. Being on leave after you’re back from a trip is amazing. You still feel all kinds of awesome and joy, and you don’t have to go back to work just yet.
This trip has given me a fresh perspective on life. I now see things clearer and I am finally getting to be at peace with the fact that life is slower than what I want it to be. I’d always been so impatient to see results for efforts I’ve put into (I’m a god-damn fast worker, why aren’t the results catching up?) that I was completely missing the point. It’s not about the end goal – because the end goal is always death – but it’s about the journey. All we have is the present and the excitement we can feel for our future (before death, I hate to break it to you), and if we’re always so serious about every single effing thing in our lives, then what good is the journey?
This doesn’t mean that having fun equals to slacking off, or not contributing to society, or doing something that cannot see the light of day – a ridiculous idea that had been drilled relentlessly, unapologetically into my head ever since I was remotely capable of having memory. This means being responsible, finding meaning in everything I do, and seeing life for what it is and what it can be if I just believe.
Life is short. Why be negative when you can be positive?
I’m closing a chapter in my life and beginning a new one. It’s not easy saying goodbye to the pages that have shaped me into who I am today but better things now need the space to fill. Turn that key, lock it into place, open the other door.
I’m ready.
Love,
Rox