October was hard.
I had to really learn how to deal. I tried not to let it get to me or convey how hard it was, but reality is it’s not always mountains and sunsets on Remote Year.
I started the brutal night shift hours of Asia (way different than European hours), which meant I was most often working 6pm to 6am (and then some, and then some more). Kuala Lumpur was a dark place for me (literally because I barely saw the sun and it rained every day, figuratively because of my mental state). It was so humid you’d step outside and drip puddles within seconds, yet you (girls) had to be covered up not to get creepy stares from the men on the street (majority Muslim country where women are covered at all times). It was the first time in my life where I felt really out of place, which was a big mind fuck and a huge life lesson. Also, durian is an evil fruit that fills the air of KL and smells like old socks and rotten eggs mixed together in a bitter soup.
A friend of mine wrote very openly on World Mental Health Day here, and the bottom line is, though we’re all doing this amazing thing and traveling the world this year, it doesn’t negate real life. You still feel lonely, you have bad days, you fail, you start to freak out about the future, you miss friends and family, you stress, work still gets to you and you leave any sense of home behind every month. But we’re all just supposed to suck it up and pretend everything is perfect because we’re on Remote Year and should be happy all the time, right? And of course you think it should be that way too and you feel spoiled and ungrateful and entitled for not loving every second.
The point is, Remote Year is challenging. It’s not just about traveling the world. It’s about recognizing these challenges and recognizing who you are – what works for you, what doesn’t, what you want to work on. It encourages you to reflect more than usual because you are constantly put in new and different situations and forced to look at your life, almost as if from above.
But it is 100% worth it. Insert Bali, yoga, the Headspace app, third row at the Backstreet Boys concert in Singapore, friends who have become family and a new support system of understanding and pump-ups, handstand workspace contests, family meals, chocolate and french fry deliveries, a mind-opening trip on the remote island of Gili Air and a general appreciation for the little things in life…like a laundry machine or a shower with hot water for longer than 4 minutes.
This is how you deal.
It’s a rollercoaster of extreme highs and lows, days of absolutely no sleep but full of adrenaline in order to take full advantage. It’s the truest test of time management and a true exercise in purpose.
And yes, it took me a while to get to this point of realization. To accept and jump into the insanity and into this insanely talented, inclusive, loving community we’ve built – Meraki. To tailor this experience to what I want, not to just what’s been set up. To find what I was looking for.
And now, to hang on to these realizations when I get home. That’s the next challenge.
