Farewell, America, For Now

This morning I officially accepted a job in Singapore. I am now three weeks away from becoming a US expatriate. A week before that I will be without a home, living out of two suitcases meant to last me the six weeks it will take to get settled. My anxiety over this move grows but so does my excitement. Exactly what waits for me at the far side of this adventure remains unclear.

Since back-packing Europe in 2006 I have wanted to live abroad. There was something about that eight-week, Intel-funded adventure that made me realize I have an unquenchable draw to international residency. I have tried on numerous times in the past three years to pursue this dream but every opportunity either evaporated as a mirage or produced an offer that was a professional step backwards. But with the option before me I can make a career of this erstwhile fantasy.

I will delay detailing my job for another day, but I will say it is an incredible opportunity for professional growth. I will work the Asia-Pacific region and apply the skills VMware helped me hone. I will have the opportunity to learn more about virtualization and the industry that supports it. And I will be applying that knowledge in every country from Japan to New Zealand.

I am clearly overjoyed of the prospect of starting a new personal and professional adventure. But there are aspects of this move that literally deprive me of sleep. The relocation increase the travel time needed to see my family by more than 15 more hours. The tether of my decade-long friendships will be reduced to a tenuous thread that spans the Pacific. I have divested myself of my cat, my bed, my couch, and my plants. I have spent no more than half a dozen nights in Singapore developing a new social circle.

I will not end this blog on a somber note. I know that there is promise of growth in every possible way for me. And I know that I will pursue every possible exploit. But I would be lying if I said I leave with no hesitation. I hope the coming years track my dreams more closely than my fears.

My last day as a US resident is 5/14.