tadaima.

I moved back to where home is a week ago.

Honestly, I thought I’d never return. But the decision came naturally - and so far, I’m loving it.

Everything around me is what I grew up with - the stores, the views, the train lines, the dialect. Every time I go somewhere, it feels nostalgic and it’s incredibly calming because everything feels oddly familiar. I’m also reminded of how I felt walking through the streets when I was in high school, which was the last time I lived here - so optimistic and so excited to do so much with the life I have ahead of me.

Ever since I left home, I would come back for short periods to see family. But being back home wasn’t easy. I left to a bigger city for more opportunity and since then, I put pressure on myself and began to believe that I needed to become something or someone the next time I come back home.

But as I have shared in my previous Substack posts, my priorities have changed to focusing on living my life based on what I feel is important. And based on what I feel is important, I wanted a change in my life style and I wanted to be closer to family. Now, I can hop on a train and be with my family in an hour and I bump into my relatives on the street :)

Regarding lifestyle, I recently started working remotely, which gives me way more flexibility and freedom. Now, I feel more in charge of how I live life because I can choose when, where and how I work. This change has let me feel like I have more control of my life since I feel less like I’m being controlled regarding work. Although I miss having coworkers to talk to and hang out with (and a cafeteria with unlimited food…), making friends with people I meet at co-working spaces or events has also been quite exciting!

Being home and working from home has made life feel slower and simpler, and it feels right :)