• Candice Gallagher is a content creator who has lived in many countries from Switzerland to the USA.

• She loved the expat life and bought a one-way ticket to Singapore in 2019.

• But dating problems and the lack of family and friends forced her to move back home.

This essay is based on a conversation with Candice Gallagher, a 38-year-old British marketing expert and Content Creator. It has been edited for length and clarity.

I grew up in Asia. When I was 8, my family moved to Singapore. We lived there for two years before living in Hong Kong for six years.

As an adult, I wanted to go back and experience that life again. In January 2019, with no job but with absolute clarity, I booked a one-way ticket to Singapore.

I was destined for Asia

When I first returned to Singapore as an adult in 2019, I worked at a now-defunct company called Zilingo. I briefly went home to the UK during the 2020 COVID lockdown, but I realised I needed to return to Singapore.

I secured a job at a fintech company called CardUp and was back in Singapore in September 2021.

Life in Singapore was pleasant. The weather is good and there are many travel opportunities. It is multicultural and there is plenty of good food.

But Singapore is an expensive city. I spent about $7,000 a month: $4,000 on rent and about $3,000 on bills from restaurants, bars, supermarkets, travel and other expenses.

Dating as an expat was no walk in the park

Dating is difficult anywhere in the world and I’ve taken it pretty seriously in four countries: England, the US, Singapore and Switzerland, where I did my Masters.

But in Singapore, I found that there was a very small pool of people who fit into the same cultural space that I was operating in. It was like trying to fish in a very small pond.

Then I saw a video on TikTok of a group in the US that had organized a dating event. I posted a video in Singapore and said, “Hey Singaporeans, is anyone there? Would you like to come to an event like that?”

Then the whole thing took off and I ended up hosting a dating event called “Singlepore.”

It was pretty amazing. It reflects the desire for offline, real-world ways to connect with people.

Decision to return to the UK

I think a lot about the difference between life and lifestyle. In Singapore, I had a lifestyle that I enjoyed very much.

But I felt unfulfilled in my life. I had been abroad for over 18 years. I wanted to be with my friends from high school and college, so I decided to move back home.

So in July I packed my bags and moved back to the UK.

It took me a long time to come to this conclusion because I moved abroad when I was 8. The idea of ​​”just being an English girl in England” triggered a bit of an identity crisis. I thought, “Who am I if I’m not an expat?”

However, I believe this thought process underestimates how exciting and diverse England can be.

I now feel like I’m discovering something new about what life in England will be like. I don’t know how it will go – but I’m going to try.

Read the original article on Business Insider