Wow, now I feel old. I am 29 but almost in the same situation as you all. Been working in a different country for 5 years now and I hate it. Everyone in my family keeps saying I am lucky since I got masters degree, have a nice job and earning well. So I have a secure future; being single as well and living with relatives help in cutting down expenses. But who I am right now, I can say, is not who I really am. I have to appear happy because everyone expects me to be.

Since I was a kid (and an only child), I have always stayed with relatives. My parents are separated and my mother lives in a different country. MY father’s MIA. Basically, I was sheltered growing up. In fact till now that I am at this age, most of my relatives still treat me like a kid. They make decisions for me, which is really crazy! I mean soon as I open my mouth and say what’s in my mind they’re like I know what’s best for you so do as I say. I tried telling them before that I want to move out and experience living on my own but got shot down immediately. That’s why I am frustrated because I am starting to believe that they really are right. What if after I moved out and left my job to follow what I wanted to do, turned out it was all a mistake?

Exploring who I really am, basically is starting over again for me and I am terrified! But, I truly want to live my life! The life I made based on my own decisions. Do the things I want to do without worrying of what others will say. Funny thing is, something happened and if I really want to live this life I have right now all I need to do is just lay out the alas I have at hand in front of them and voila, I can get out of this country faster than you can say “Dont know what to do.” but it will hurt the people I care about and I don’t want that.

Anyway, I am giving it a year. Don’t care if I have to live from scratch and go job hunting again, as long as I reclaim the life I lost then I will go for it. I don’t want to wake up again asking myself ‘why am I doing this’? The only problem now is how do I tell them and how to prove that I can do it (and I am really not confident that I can pull it off alone or may be I am just afraid…)?