A little Canadian anniversary.

Today is a strange-turned-special day. I have been gravitating to my favourite blue and white scarf all week, and walking around the house today with a weird feeling in my gut. It turns out, the universe (and Facebook memories) reminded me that today marks my seventh year in Canada.

So now I sit in the kitchen and reminisce about my journey so far. The picture (with said blue and white scarf) reminded me of the long and tiring flight from Malaysia, but the big and welcoming smiles of Geneviene Wong (in Vancouver) and Melissa Morgan (in Toronto). It is now mind-boggling to me that I left behind family, friends, choirs, and career, and packed my hopes and dreams into two luggages. All because my gut told me that it was time to go back to school to fill an almost empty cup… in a country so far away that it would be too expensive to just quit and run home (practical, no?). Perhaps it was the gutsiness of being a 30-year-old then.

Since my arrival in Canada, I have met people who see the potential (and good) in me that I don’t always see in myself, and supportive friends who make me laugh. I have thrown myself at opportunities (#hustle), dealt with heartbreaks and disappointments, and am blessed to have mentors and friends who still stand with me and nudge me forward. “Happy are the flexible, for they shall bend but not be broken,” says Dr. A. I continue to be inspired and motivated by the musicians and choirs I have the opportunity to collaborate with, and give back the best way I am able to. I constantly remind myself that I am a product of my family’s generous love and sacrifice.

Here’s to my seventh year in Canada. A little older, hopefully a little wiser. Always grateful.