The next chapter

When I started this blog almost two years ago, I was embarking on an unknown journey. I rarely knew my schedule more than a month in advance, and sometimes, I was reassigned to a new city with only a few days notice. All of my belongings could fit into one (heavy) suitcase and my passport became the most valuable thing I own. Some people thought my lifestyle was glamorous, while others thought it was ridiculous. Looking back, I felt like I was living the dream although I acknowledge that my personal life required a lot of sacrifices. 

This summer, I was asked to come back to North America for a few months. The comforts of a ‘normal’ life started making me wonder why I left in the first place. Being in my home country felt like a vacation. I was able to see friends & family, the office environment was relaxed, and everything about my life was easy. I learned that no matter how long I am living outside the United States, I will always identify as an American.

Back in June, my boss offered me a permanent position in Hong Kong that would be created specifically for me. The job will represent a decentralization of our corporate function and I will be the point of contact for Finance directors needing assistance in the rapidly-growing Asia Pacific region. I was so complimented by the offer that I verbally accepted without even thinking about the personal ramifications. After all, I had lived out of the United States several times before. I knew that this career opportunity would boost my resume, so I was positive that I could make it work.

When the idea of Hong Kong finally set in, I thought back to the only other time I visited the city in 2010. I had just finished a semester in Shanghai and my friend Sean flew out from Texas to celebrate the end of the MBA. After the trip, we both agreed that we would much rather live in Shanghai than in Hong Kong. Now, four years later, I am preparing to live in Hong Kong. Am I crazy?

The position took a while to get through the approval process, so I spent much of the summer wondering whether it would actually become a reality.  I treated each day as a gift because I knew my time in the United States was limited. There were many times that I walked from my hotel to the office in Chicago and thought to myself: "Wow, I'm really going to miss this!" 

The relocation to Hong Kong is also what inspired my "four corners" trip. If I am moving out of the country for a minimum of two years, I want to at least see all corners of it before I am forced to leave. 

My job contract finally arrived on Wednesday, September 17th and my VP said that he would prefer if I could fly out 3 weeks later.  Even though I had been mentally preparing for this move all summer, the quick turnaround felt like I was getting caught up in a tornado. 

People kept asking me: "Are you excited?"

My response was always: "Well, it hasn't actually hit me yet" ...and that was the truth. I was too busy to think about it.

The next two weekends were already booked for my trip around the US, which left me with only one weekend to fly back to Boston and pack (and run a Half Marathon). 

Even as I was packing, it felt like I was just going through the motions. I decided which of my belongings would be set aside for the moving company, but I purposely left many things out of the pile. Hong Kong may be my new home for a couple years, but I can't send everything out there. If I do, it will feel like a permanent move. 

I think the biggest reason why I am not looking forward to this move is because I had such an awesome time in the United States all summer. I got to see my family multiple times. I got to spend time in the office with some fantastic colleagues who have become friends. I saw so many people that I have hardly seen at all over the past two years and I even made some new friends along the way. Life this summer could not have been any better. 

Now, here I am in the airport. I can see the monitor with the flight destination flashing: "Hong Kong."  It finally hit me.
  
In the next few weeks, I will search for a new apartment. I will buy furniture, cooking supplies, laundry detergent (or maybe I will just send all my clothes out to be laundered). I will start establishing a new morning routine. I will join a gym. I will have a commute! I will do my grocery shopping at a yet-to-be discovered store (or group of stores). I will make new friends (hopefully). I will discover some new favorite restaurants. Hong Kong may not be the place I want to live forever, but I will make it my home. 

In my very first blog entry, I talked about how I always embrace change. Well, change is here and it is time for me to run with it. 

Here's to the next chapter!