We’ve reached the 10 day mark since I have returned to the United States, and looking back on my trip, I have been impacted in many ways. The first and most obvious impact (to me at least), is the jet lag that I still partly suffer from. While I am no longer taking Melatonin to fall asleep at 4am, I have yet to fully adjust back to a school sleep schedule. However, on a much more serious note, my time in Singapore has changed my outlook on my home. Something that stuck with me during the trip was a talk that our ferry tour guide gave us on Singaporeans and their work ethic. We learned that in Singaporean society, unemployment is not an option. Even with an unskilled job, the government will still provide aid. As long as there is an effort to improve, this will be met with approval. I am going to apply this philosophy to my studies this semester. To be more like Singapore, I plan on doing all that I can to improve my grades, to not be lazy and unproductive.
While business in Singapore was intriguing, the way that they conduct themselves in a professional environment and work as a singular cohesive unit in particular, I have realized that Singapore is not a place where I could see myself living in for an extended amount of time. I found myself extremely relieved and grateful to be home, even though our trip was only 14 days. This city is beautiful and offers so much rich culture to so many different groups of people, but I found myself missing the comfort of driving, the comfort of a house to call my own- things that are very hard to come by living in Singapore. This trip is one that I will never forget, and I am grateful to have had this opportunity.
