CH234: Permutations

Yesterday afternoon, I got an SMS out of the blue from my dad.

"Hi, Tipz. Now that you have your Australian PR, you need to start prioritizing job, home and car. Set some aside for these. Take care. God Bless. Love you."

My simple reply: "Yes pa, that's the plan once I get to AU. Mortgage, car, and insurance."

There's only so much iterations one can go through to get things right. I've always been undecided about where I wanted to settle before. I had the opportunity to move to New Zealand with a job search visa, but decided not to risk everything and move. The earthquake that happened in Christchurch caused a saturation in the job market for my field in IT - SAP consultancy when the people living in Christchurch were displaced and had to relocate to Auckland / Wellington - the places which had the demand for my field of work when I applied for the SilverFern Job Search visa.

Singapore was never in my mind to be a long term prospect. I realized that after a year of living and working in it. It has always been a stepping stone for something better - AU or NZ. I don't mean that in the negative way - I mean, it's a give or take relationship. I've contributed in one form or the other that may just not be physically tangible as to what other foreign talents have contributed (construction, health care, etc) so I don't feel guilty saying that because I'm thankful.

So, getting back to my dad's message. Sometimes, I do feel that I don't share enough of my plans to everyone in my family, that maybe they think I'm just being the wild child who's off to travel Europe and the US come December and January then move to Australia by February. But the thing is, I am aware of what needs to be done in Australia, like I've told to some of my friends, it's finally my entry to adulthood - the world of mortgages, insurance, loans, and other worries. But I have passion in travelling. From the planning, to booking stuff (flights, accommodations, etc), to looking for the best deals, to organizing routes and itineraries and to finally experiencing the trip, I enjoy each and every one of those moments. I have a feeling that I won't be able to do as much of those things once I get to Australia. In fact, one thing crossed my mind last night: "The next time I'll probably get to see Europe is when I no longer need a visa to see it." For benchmark purposes, I've noted that my sister and husband got a house (more like a mansion considering it's LA and they have a pool and a big backyard) age 38, and my brother and wife got a house age 31-32.

The timing of my dad's message I believe was right in sync when I booked my New York to Los Angeles and San Francisco to Manila flight. Maybe they haven't realized, but the early purchases are not a means to splurge, but rather save. Advance all the finances forward in time to create savings later. I thought it was quite obvious going about it, how my plans are obvious to a third person living outside my experience.

There's only a certain number of permutations in the given amount of time I have left for me to plan, act and to make things right. Only time will tell whether I chose the right sequence or not.