At 16, I packed my bags and moved to a bigger city to pursue a degree in Computer Science at one of the most prestigious universities in the Philippines. I was beyond exhilarated: this was my first chance at being away from my parents and gaining a bit more independence. This time, I decided, I would get to know more of who I was as a person.
At some point, I almost stayed behind, scared as I was of change. But there was nothing permanent in this world, and so, I thought, why not just go with it?
At 20, when I bid my parents goodbye with a watery smile, my hands couldn’t stop trembling. What I felt was a mix of both excitement and nervousness. I didn’t know anyone in the cramped streets of Manila, and although that thought scared me, it also sounded exciting in my ears. There, I thought, I could rebrand myself and carefully build on the professional persona that I want people to see.
This was my chance to completely be independent of my family-to finally make a name for myself, not attached to my siblings’ academic reputations and my parents’ social circles.
At 22, a week before my 23rd birthday, I couldn’t sit still in my seat. There were still 4 hours before the plane landed at Haneda Airport and another hour after that before I could open the door to what…
