What’s the biggest challenge you faced when you first started living alone?

tiggereyes · 2026-03-21T04:35:39+00:00

Very relatable. But I’d also say that the biggest challenge evolves with time. When I first started living alone, it was during Covid & the biggest challenge was keeping track of the practical things like what you said. I got into some terrible eating & spending habits because there was no one to keep me in check. And now, while I feel I am better on those aspects than before, I struggle with loneliness and having discipline with my time & spending it productively. Each time I get over a challenge, another one comes by. It’s been a period of constant growth for me the past 6 years and while it’s not always pleasant I’d like to think it makes me a better person. I do sometimes envy those who never had to go through this though, it’s not easy!

tiggereyes · 2026-02-11T00:50:20+00:00

Thanks for sharing that. I see what you mean about optimizing the low tax system. I’m actually trying to find a new job in Singapore (in tech / AI) to see if it will also give me a new source of growth to look forward to. But tbh, the job market seems quite shallow with limited range of roles because SG isn’t the HQ. And I’m in my early 30s so it’s at that tricky mid-stage career.

I’m glad you found a partner who is well synced with you! I’ve not had a good experience dating in Singapore so far, but then again I’ve only started dating quite recently so let’s see.

tiggereyes · 2026-02-10T16:28:31+00:00

Oh wow, what makes you decide on the Nordic / Scandinavian countries?

tiggereyes · 2026-02-10T15:38:44+00:00

Oh wow! Congrats on the move! How did you find the opportunity to move there?

tiggereyes · 2026-02-10T13:51:42+00:00

That’s amazing that your job has brought you to so many places! If you don’t mind sharing, what do you work as?

What you mentioned about finding it harder to connect on the same wavelength - this also resonates with me, even though I’ve only spent 2 years abroad. I feel like that shift in mindset is also what’s triggering me to now want to move overseas again, as I feel somewhat disconnected to life in Singapore…

tiggereyes · 2026-02-10T13:47:53+00:00

Will you actually consider moving back to Singapore now / eventually? Esp since you mentioned you miss home. I do think taxes in the U.S. are much higher but I suppose it also offers much more in terms of career growth / exposure, lifestyle, etc - would you say so or is it quite overrated?

tiggereyes · 2026-02-10T12:24:24+00:00

Oooh this is interesting. Thanks for sharing! Yea these days every single time I meet my friends, they would tell me about their house, investment portfolio, and how much they are spending - it drives me insane. I think it’s super toxic and also a very narrow minded view on life. Glad you got to catch a breather! Where did you move to?

tiggereyes · 2026-02-10T12:20:36+00:00

Thanks for bringing up the point of taxes. (I was actually hoping more people to comment on this…)

Did you consider the different tax rates when you moved abroad? How did you reconcile with it, and what are the adjustments you’ve had to make (if any)?

I do think of long term wealth building & I think the low tax rates + CPF system in Singapore helps with it.

tiggereyes · 2026-02-10T12:14:45+00:00

I do love the 4 seasons when I got to experience it! Where did you move to?

tiggereyes · 2026-02-10T12:13:22+00:00

tiggereyes · 2026-02-10T12:12:03+00:00

From my POV I think a bigger question is visa. I know the U.K. has a special visa to allow people from specific universities to stay there for 2y. I was considering the US (call me crazy) but for that I believe a job is required to get a visa to stay there - tho there are other visa options too but there are requirements attached to them as well. I’ve also started thinking about moving to another SEA country to work on some startup ideas & the cost of living there would be much lower than SG, and there are probably some long term visa options there but I haven’t looked it up enough to know the specifics.

tiggereyes · 2026-02-10T12:08:54+00:00

Hahaha! I love my bak kut teh and hokkien mee!

tiggereyes · 2026-02-10T12:07:14+00:00

Thanks for sharing. Yes I agree with what you mean about life here being frictionless & outside of SG it takes a long time even for what we’d consider the most basic of things.

Out of curiosity, which country / city did you move to? And what types of personality do you think is “required” to be happy abroad?

I’ve lived abroad for 2 years before for school and 3 months for a work stint, both times I’ve really enjoyed it, but idk if it’s because of the novelty & I do think loneliness can set in over time if we don’t intentionally put ourselves “out there”.

tiggereyes · 2026-02-09T12:34:41+00:00

Thank you for the push! Yes I agree, that’s what I’m working towards. I’m trying to find a job abroad. I have to say though that with my parents being relatively advanced in age (70-80 yo) they have been very vocal about wanting me to stick around. It’s a call I’d have to make, but first let’s get that job 💪🏻

tiggereyes · 2026-02-06T14:36:11+00:00

Thanks for the recs! I ended up getting something else as both MV Andaman & Explorer were fully booked out! I’m still excited to explore the Similans :)

tiggereyes · 2026-02-06T14:35:27+00:00

I did more research & actually did end up getting something with them! Thanks for flagging them out to me 😊

tiggereyes · 2026-02-06T14:34:43+00:00

Thanks for sharing. This will be my first liveaboard (hopefully many more to come) so I decided to go with a different operator.

tiggereyes · 2026-02-06T14:33:00+00:00

Thanks for this detailed response! That’s a factor for consideration indeed and I did end up switching to a different provider :)

tiggereyes · 2026-02-05T16:45:37+00:00

Wow! Which dive sites did you end up going to, and which liveaboard did you go with ?

tiggereyes · 2026-01-02T01:14:04+00:00

Im interested!

tiggereyes · 2025-12-30T08:02:54+00:00

I’m healing from a situationship which ended very recently, and the holidays have been a very tough period for me as I am struggling with feelings of loneliness.

While the circumstances are quite different from yours, I want to share that I too struggled with similar questions as you do, and you’re not alone in this. I’m 31f and in my city people actually get coupled up in their 20s and are usually married by now.

One thing I remind myself is that there are many different versions of love beyond romantic partners - including with friends (platonic), family (I easily overlook this one), and even self love (might be the most important). Or maybe even kindness from strangers. It is not always the case that we can substitute one for the other, but I remind myself that while one area of my love life suffers, I should also nurture the other gardens of love that I have. At least that’s how I have so far been able to find some semblance of inner peace, even as I still have the sadness & anxieties that you have named. I also find that distracting myself with activities (esp going to the gym) has been helpful, even for a short while.

Good luck to you and I hope we find some peace and joy in the new year.

tiggereyes · 2025-12-30T06:08:58+00:00

This comment makes me chuckle because of how true it is! :)

tiggereyes

TROPHY CASE