Happy New Year!!
I am surprised if anyone is still checking in on this dormant blog, but I thought I'd come back to round up our 2022. If you didn't already know, 2022 was the year of huge change for us as a family, and even more so on a personal level. We relocated back to Singapore at the end of March 2022. The months leading up to the move was, well, stressful and very emotional for me. I couldn't find any capacity within me to blog about anything. It's been 9 months now and things are more settled. I've also started working in a full time role, and being thrown straight into a fast paced corporate world has mostly left me breathless this past year with no time for anything else.
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| Arriving at Changi Airport |
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| Cheerful kids |
I last blogged about the kids' birthdays at the end of 2022 and how time has flown pass - in the twinkling of eye and between two blog posts, the kids' celebrated their birthdays once more. Isabelle turned 5 and Gabriel turned 3 this past Christmas.
I endeavour to round up 2022 on a monthly basis, mainly for me to read about it in time gone by. To allow me to reminisce back on lovely memories. We did try to squeeze as much possible in our last few months in the UK. The spirit of FOMO was very evident in our family. In fact last Christmas we squeezed in way too much Christmassy events in. Not complaining though because I'm glad we did!
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| We did a steam train experience in the countryside the weekend before we flew out |
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| And stumbling upon this outdoor garden play area in our fav park |
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| I did some (emo) walks in our fav parks on my own before we left |
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| So glad to be greeted by daffodils in Springtime before we left |
This move back was actually a long time coming, something which I have been trying to postpone it as long as I could with all my might, trust me. I was very comfortable in my life there and well within my comfort zone after spending 14 years in London. A lot of friends and colleagues ask what do I love about the UK. Well, let me count thy ways...
I loved our lifestyle there, weather included. Nope I'm not mad even though London is mostly cold, wet and grey. I totally love a seasonable temperate climate as compared to the tropics. Sadly the sun is not my best friend. Layering up in the cold? No problem. Layering the kids up? Not a chore at all. I love dressing them up. I adored the freedom and space we got to enjoy there. I have never been a hug-and-hang'out-with-all-the-extended-family kind of person. I thrive in stillness and peace. (Introvert Bel) I loved that we could hop on the Eurotunnel train and we could be in France in 30min and can drive wherever we wanted to explore. I love the fresh produce in the supermarkets there. I enjoyed driving in our part of town and the freedom it gave me, even though they were mostly supermarket runs, or mini shopping trips to my fav Bluewater Shopping Centre. I enjoyed exploring the various places out in the country, mainly in Kent because it is beautiful, or further out in the Cotswolds or Lake District.
This experience has also taught me gratitude and gratefulness. I knew deep down in my heart that this was a temporal thing, and I learnt to wake up every day feeling grateful. Especially the counting down days. I wake up super grateful for one more day. One more day in the house that we made it our home. One more day of cool weather. One more day of enjoying the nearby park with the kids. One more day of enjoying the flowers blooming in the garden. This much treasured chapter in my life will always remain etched in a special part of my heart, and I shall forever be grateful I had that chance. That said, never say never because we won't know what the future holds ;)
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| I tried to keep upbeat and made it as fun as possible for the kids in our last few weeks there |
Of course, we had our own cons too, for staying there by ourselves. There was no family support to help with our two young kids. Childcare is very expensive. Taxes are also incredibly high over there. It's a welfare state so it is very different from the Singapore system. For these main reasons, K felt strongly that we should move back to Singapore. And it so happened that I received a job offer in January and things just moved so quickly from then on. Personally I took it as a sign from God especially I had not been working for almost 3 years, and to get this role was very much a blessing.
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| Our stuff - 42 boxes in total |
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| I was holding tears back seeing all our stuff bundled up into this move cube |
We started packing up in March and it took a lot out of me. Looking back I couldn't believe we packed up a four bedroom house and sorted out everything. It made me endeavour to be a minimalist when we moved back. (Call me Marie Kondo). We found a kindergarten/ child-care 5min walk from my in laws' place that was perfect for the kids and it then took a couple of weeks for the kids to get used to it. Chinese was Isabelle's main gripe because she couldn't understand what the teacher was talking about. Gabriel, however, struggled with the long hours there (8am-530pm); he was with me most of the time in London, so bless him, this was a completely new thing for him. And Chinese too.
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| Cheeky kids |
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| School excursion to the zoo |
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Learning about the world.
Her teacher told me Izzy loves art n craft. Just like mummy :) |
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| Back to her roots - Izzy did this for her class' Current Affairs Show and Tell |
For me, I had to adapt staying with my in laws, say goodbye to personal space, get used to the weather again, and most importantly, get used to being a full time working mum and boy this is hard. It's such a constant struggle. I have to always remind myself that my family is my priority. The working culture tries to change that, and I feel like I'm constantly going against the tide. It's tiring. But I've got good team mates. I always joke that I'm hanging out with the Gen Z's now. It's cool, I like seeing how they think and the things young people do these days. It's pretty insightful.
To be honest, I am still trying to process it all. To close a 14 year chapter of my life isn't an overnight thing. And I realise that not many people understand that, because they think that I am just moving home, so what's the big deal. For me, I take baby steps. I try to be kind to myself. I take on crafting as an outlet. I am learning to put both feet here in Singapore (no more looking back), since this is the decision we made as a family. For now, I will make yearly trips back there, to meet up with friends and just enjoy what I miss there. It's the reverse now. I used to make yearly trips back to Singapore. Now I make yearly trips back. And pray that time will heal my heart completely.
Please don't get me wrong. I'm not all weepy Bel here all the time. Of course we have had fun filled moments too since we landed 9 months ago.
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| Izzy has taken a love to the water |
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| Flowers and Cafe = Mummy's fav |
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| New toothbrushes from grandpa |
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| Meeting a familiar face in summer |
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| We also did two hotel staycation thanks to my company's corporate rate |
For this brand new year, I pray for
- Stability and strength.
- To move into our own place, to create a place to call home like we did in London
- Seek new ways to feel more grounded here. Find new friends in a similar stage of life, rekindle old friendships..
- Health for all
- And the wisdom to juggle my time between work and family.
Let 2023 be a good one!
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