IT’S ABOUT TIME…

“I see my path, but I don’t know where it leads me. Not knowing where I’m going is what inspires me to travel it.” – R. Castro

Do you always go with the flow? Do you allow people to control the way you decide and live your life? Have you experienced doing things you’re not happy about, but you’re doing it because that’s what society dictates you to do? If your answer is YES. STOP! Think about it. Think carefully! Maybe it’s time to make a change.

I had this dream of becoming a Director of Rooms Division after having a degree in Hotel and Restaurant Management last 2013. The typical goal of everyone I think, after graduating in college. I mean to be at the top of the chain or at least have a job in line with their education. So I was working for this hotel company in the past 4 years and started my career back in Makati, Philippines as a Customer Care Representative, then became a Guest Relations Officer.

After 3 years, I got an opportunity to work abroad in one of their affiliated hotels in Oman (Middle East). I worked as a Front Desk Agent and later on became a Night Auditor. And that was actually the moment that I’ve been waiting for, to be part of a hotel operations team, feel the real deal in the industry and be a step closer to the path towards my dream job.

A few months later, the excitement and drive were gone, I’m burned out. I’m not happy and I didn’t know what I wanted to do. I don’t know if there’s something wrong with the people (manager and colleagues) around me or with the place itself, or maybe it’s just me. I had a lot of questions that need to be answered like, Why all of a sudden I felt unhappy with my job? Am I good enough? Maybe I’m not for this industry? Should I continue? But there’s only one thing I’m sure about during that time, I always wanted to travel. Because I know “Traveling fills my soul and I can’t contain the happiness I always felt every time I visit unfamiliar places.” From that moment, I’ve decided that it’s about time. It’s about time to travel.

(My last night at work)

It was my first travel abroad and not as a tourist but as a foreign worker. I was one of the youngest employees during that time and I don’t have as much experience as others do. I was assigned to a very isolated area wherein only 3 concrete buildings are there, the rest was sand, few wild camels, and donkeys. No public transportations, no school, no church for non-Muslims, no malls, far more different from the place I used to work in the Philippines. Though, a shuttle is provided three times a week, for us to buy our necessities to the ONLY grocery store in the area which will take us 10-15 minutes ride from our accommodation. And that’s how secluded the area is. See the pictures below, taken a day before I left the province. 🙂

(Building 1: On the upper left, my workplace Building 2: The competitor, on the upper right corner and Building 3: Our accommodation, where I’m standing at)

I avow that I’m impulsive sometimes, I make decisions without careful consideration about my future. I’m also the person who gets easily bored with a situation when I feel that it’s already routinary. You will go to work, do the same tasks over and over again. And sometimes even extend to 1-3 unpaid hours for nothing. Maybe, you will not believe but that’s how it works in some hotels. In addition, I play safe. I tend to establish a new comfort zone when I’m pressured, create a world that minimizes stress and risk when my ego got hit and run away from my problems. I had been planning this big move for 9 months after my 3-month-probationary. Imagine how early it was for a 2-year-contract, but still, I don’t have a clear or rough idea of what my life would look like once I quit.

(The hotel that I’ve been working with for a year, facing the Arabian Sea)

I’m now on the verge of giving up all my dreams and plans in the industry and thinking to transition to a new career. I remember a previous manager of mine told me “Think about the reasons why you signed on for the job in the first place. No matter how boring or unfulfilling your job has become, you probably took the job for some good reasons”. But even after thinking about all of my reasons a hundred times and after weighing things. I was unhappy and I can’t see myself anymore in this place and in the industry. It only made me realize that there was more to life than the corporate grind.

(A gloomy weather on my last day)

(Read article: “Flight WY0821 bound for Saigon” to see the real reasons why I quit my job)

I’m a quitter.

Having said that, I quit my job. I’ll admit, it’s a bit tough to look confident and composed when you’re quitting your job especially in my field. I know it can create as much as of an impression and affect my reputation. But by the time I filed my resignation, there’s only one thought that keeps running through my mind… “EXCITEMENT!” Yes, I’m excited! I’m excited to leave the place. I’m excited about my new journey and be the person I want to be.

I know that moving to another place will somewhat yield frustrations and disappointments about unmet expectations. Yet, there’s one lesson I’ve learned in this journey which I’m very thankful for. “Be grateful”. Appreciate the things around you. I can say that I’m grateful for my experiences, whether it’s good or bad, during my entire stay. I’ve also realized that every experience we encounter has always had an aspect that you can be grateful for. Even sometimes it’s hard to think of one at the time.

At some point in our lives, we have once experienced the lowest and the hardest. But it never stops there. Just keep moving! Never regret a single moment of your journey. Maybe it’s not the right destination yet. It’s just a preparation for something better, for something great. Life is beautifully crazy! Step outside your comfort zone! Give it a try, because you’ll never know what this beautiful world has to offer you.

“Don’t let the fire of your ambitions burn out. You must vow to follow your path with determination.”    – Captain Usopp (One Piece)

(Muscat International Airport heading to Asia)

 

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