I was born and spent my entire life in Singapore, in a world in which education was simply a human right. You got it, like scolding from your mother, by virtue of being alive.

And now I need to go to a faraway place to get an education and I have no idea how things are going to be. I am not scared, just a little anxious. After all I have been waiting to leave for a very long time.

Every now and again I’ve told family who can’t understand why I need to go, who say things like “You don’t need to spend all that money, you can study in Singapore and be with friends and family,” that I have already tried that but it didn’t work and now I get to realize a 7 year dream.