Moving to China Alone @ 19 🤗
👉This opportunity was school based - under OSIP programme for y3 internship semester and girl I was so lucky to fly on my 19th birthday - start a new chapter in a BRAND NEW *performative* city 😍
🇨🇳 It’s been a month now, staying in Shanghai and working for 3 weeks? I really like it, though it’s much more humid here so I CANT WAIT FOR autumn and winter! My job description is operations intern for a travel agency, as i’m writing this now I’m also on a sponsored trip as a tour guide LOL 😛😛
I flew with 4 other course mates but i’ve not interacted with them ever since, we’re all in different companies and I’ve met so many strangers, even singaporeans and one of them from my school which I really wanna take pics with her when we graduate next year.
⚡️It definitely requires soooo much courage and you got to be able to leave your commitments in Singapore. For me, there was nothing holding me back. I love leaving and my friends all understand my tendency to leave. ALTHOUGH, I cried at the airport during send off bc my dad was saying a whole bunch of things and I love my dad so much 😥😥
I’ve only had one call with my family and none with my friends at the moment😓, everyday is a surprise = I choose how I want this 5 months to become.
⭐️⭐️I came to china with the goal of meeting 100 strangers ( vlogged them on TT ) so the choices I unconsciously make revolves around that, and life is so good IM SO BLESSED. My chinese isn’t even good, i’m those typical singaporeans that sucks at conversational chinese… but i’m trying and coming here is really such a big step towards not disappointing my parents ☺️ joking my dad wanted me to come so bad just for me to improve chinese and bc he loves china so much….
Everything is so cheap here and china is amazing in the sense that there’s so many provinces/ cities to explore, people to meet and it’s a relatively safe place. + Cycling here is such an amazing feeling too
I hope this chapter doesn’t go by fast and I have a goal + bucket list to complete during this chapter 😙
Moving to a new country alone at a young age can be both thrilling and daunting. From personal experience, stepping out of my comfort zone to live and work in China taught me so much about independence and adaptability. I found that immersing myself in the local culture—trying new foods like crab xiao long bao, navigating popular shopping platforms like Taobao, and even cycling through the city streets—helped me feel more connected to Shanghai. Meeting strangers and having meaningful conversations, even with limited Chinese language skills, greatly enhanced my confidence and language ability. The humid climate was a challenge at first, but the city's vibrance and safety made the adjustment easier. Regularly reflecting on my goals and maintaining a bucket list for the experience kept me motivated throughout my stay. I also learned that although staying connected with family might be limited, building a local support network is essential. This journey wasn't just about an internship; it was about personal growth, discovering new parts of China, and embracing the unexpected adventures that came with living abroad solo.
