My Buddy Took a Job in Asia Six Months Before the Pandemic Hit

He always dreamed of living in Asia. But it took him years to finally make it happen.

Ever since I met my buddy back in college, he made it abundantly clear that he wanted to work in Asia. It was his dream to live in that part of the world. So during our studies, he applied to dozens of jobs across Asia hoping he could move after graduation.

He wanted to live there so much he didn’t even care what the role would be. It didn’t matter if it was accountancy, business analytics, consultancy, or investment research. As long as he qualified for the job, he wanted it.

For him, the location was far more important than the profession.

Unfortunately, he got very little response. Probably because this was ten years ago and online interviews weren’t much of a thing. Sure, there were the occasional first-round phone interviews but most companies still needed to meet in person.

Since my buddy was applying from the UK, he was at a serious disadvantage. Companies weren’t prepared to pay for long-haul return flights plus accommodation for a potential graduate-level hire.

And neither was he.

So sadly, the furthest he got was a first-round phone interview and an awkward conversation about the cost of flights.

At the same time, he also applied for jobs in London where he had a much better response. In the end, he had a selection of careers available to him and chose a role in management consultancy.

Since then, his career flourished and he went on to work directly with some huge global consumer brands.

He was doing well but deep down, his heart was still set on Asia. It was a dream he couldn’t let go of.

Over the years, he secretly and frankly not-so-secretly continued applying for roles in Asia. Every time he changed jobs, he made sure the company had offices in Asia. Thankfully with years of experience under his belt, an opportunity finally came along for an internal transfer.

He was thrilled but the offer was a little bitter-sweet. He could take the job and fulfill a lifelong dream but he would also have to leave his girlfriend behind. As much as she wanted to move with him, it wasn’t possible due to her own job situation.

Knowing how much he had wanted the opportunity from the day they met, his girlfriend encouraged him to go and they continued the relationship long distance. He promised to relocate for a maximum of 2 years. It also happened to be the contractual minimum.

They planned to visit each other 3–4 times a year.

The day he landed in Asia, he couldn’t help but feel a little emotional. After nearly a decade of trying, he finally made it. It didn’t feel real. After all, it’s not often that dreams become reality. He was super keen to explore his new surroundings and make the most of his experience.

My buddy wasted no time at all.

He settled into his new role as quickly as he could. He joined a local sports club and several meet-up groups. He knowingly but happily fell into all the tourist traps before hitting up the local hotspots with his newfound friends.

Back home, his other friends were making their plans to visit. He was so excited to host everyone he rented a two-bed apartment so his guests wouldn’t have to worry about accommodation.

Even on a reduced salary, the standard of living he could afford now was higher. The spacious centrally located two-bed apartment was still cheaper to rent than a dinky one-bed studio on the outskirts of London.

His girlfriend was the first to visit. He took her to all the local hidden gems he discovered with his new friends. They even explored some of the nearby towns and islands outside of the city. After what must’ve seemed like the shortest few weeks of their lives, she returned to the UK.

And then the pandemic hit.

Friends who promised to visit couldn’t travel anymore. Lockdown restrictions were tight and he was left alone in his two-bed apartment unable to do much except work and order take out.

His workload started picking up and soon he was overwhelmed. The company started giving him more responsibility than he thought reasonable. And work quickly consumed more and more of his time, including many weekends.

This wasn’t exactly the dream life in Asia he wished for. This was real life.

As lockdown eased slightly a few months later, he was able to make a few trips locally before being grounded by another lockdown. The following year, he moved into a one-bed apartment in the same building.

We’re now coming up to the two-year mark since my buddy first arrived in Asia. He spent three-quarters of that time has been under heavy restrictions. Soon, he will be making his way back to the UK.

You may be thinking, does he regret going?

No, not really. He would have regretted not going and not knowing even more.

But isn’t he a little disappointed?

Absolutely! He worked so hard over the years to get the opportunity and in the end, it didn’t quite live up to even somewhat mild expectations. But such is life.

As much as things could have gone better, they also could have gone worse. He is super grateful that he got a solid six months in before the pandemic struck.

He would have loved the opportunity to travel across neighboring countries but that just wasn’t possible.

Who knows?

Maybe one day, he will be back and his girlfriend will be able to move with him.

I’m sure he’ll be trying to convince her the moment he gets home.

The dream lives on.