Ten years ago, at the age of 24, I left my home in Malaysia and moved to New Zealand. Time has flown by, and today I embark on a new chapter in my life as I settle down in Australia with Ben.
Reflecting on the past decade, I realize it has been the exploration stage of my life.
When I quit my job in Malaysia at age 24 for NZ working holiday, some people thought it was a bad idea. However, it turned out to be the most important decision of my life, shaping who I am today.
The overseas experience is priceless; it is more than simply reading books or watching videos. Without these experiences, I would be a completely different person – not sure better or worse, but most likely not someone that I would like to be.
Back then, I had a strong desire to see the world and no intention of settling down. After moving to New Zealand, I began traveling extensively, as if to make up for the travel opportunities I missed in my earlier years.
Leaving my comfort zone forced me to adapt to the unknown and build resilience. I have no regrets – how could I know what I truly want without exploring and experimenting?
I am not alone in this experience. It’s becoming increasingly common for people to take a ‘gap year‘ or an ‘exploration stage‘ – a break to discover what they truly want in life. The 20s are an ideal time due to fewer commitments, but it’s never too late to start at any age.
For me, I didn’t begin my exploration journey until after working for a few years in Malaysia. At first, I couldn’t even afford a flight ticket, let alone exploring the world.
Now, after living abroad for ten years, I am thrilled to have finally found a home with my loved one.
Spending time with Ben 🙂
In my 20s, I used to said, “Life is too short to think too much” and I didn’t give a damn about many things… but what if life isn’t short at all?
In fact, it is quite possible for us to live to 100 years or more as human’s lifespan has increased steadily over the years due to breakthrough in medical and nutrition. Currently, the average life expectancy for females in Australia is 85 years, and the number of centenarians (people who have reached 100 years old) worldwide is increasing.
Suddenly, I have different thoughts about my life.
I was mesmerised by the idea of a multi-stage life that I discovered in the book ‘The 100-Year Life’. According to the author, the traditional three-stage life (education, work, retirement) is becoming outdated. For instance, retiring at 65 might be too early for someone who could live to 100, leading to the emergence of more stages and transitions in response to increased longevity.
In hindsight, my exploration journey in my 20s became a new stage between education and settling down at work, even though it wasn’t a common path where I was from. But, that impulsive decision in my 20s has forever changed my life.
I also discovered the FIRE concept, where people achieve Financial Independence and Retire Early through extreme savings and frugality. I was fascinated by this idea—not necessarily because I wanted to retire early (though I wouldn’t mind it 😝), but because it showed me that there are many ways to live our lives – one that may be different from the norms – just like how I was diverted away from the typical path in Malaysia 10 years ago.
I believe there will be a new stage between working and retirement – a period when people no longer work primarily for financial reasons, but instead pursue their passions for self-fulfilment and societal contribution. While not everyone may choose this path, it’s a stage worth anticipating.
Reflecting on my ‘coffee blog‘, where I justified buying coffee every day (I still think so, but now with a different perspective), I realized that the more I spend on such things, the longer I’ll need to work throughout my life. So, I’ve stopped buying coffee from cafes and invested in a coffee machine to make my own coffee every day. It’s a personal choice, and there’s no right or wrong decision.
But, this is just one small aspect of life. Now in my 30s, I believe there are still endless possibilities for shaping and living my life.
This excites me because I used to think the 30s were a time to become ‘stable,’ but times have changed, and the world has evolved. There are still many paths to choose from in your 30s, 40s, 50s, and beyond.
It’s time to put more effort on improving knowledge, health, relationships, finances, and continuing to explore new things or seek meaningful purposes. I still want to see the world and document my transformation journey, which is why I created my Opposite Journey blog. This brings me joy and fulfilment.
I want a long life with my loved one – it is not about being older for longer, but keeping younger for longer.
In the 20s, don’t be afraid to explore and experiment.
In the 30s, don’t stop exploring while envisioning your future self and deciding how to shape your life.
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