Like most, I despise writing and speaking excessively about my own self and life. What value or interest, really, does doing so add to the broader global operation or to any prospective reader? Is there a point trying to be proved or is there something I’m trying to show? Who is it really for?

Journal writing, though, is therapeutic. It helps make sense of one’s own emotions and thought processes by, somewhat analytically, ordering and structuring the jumbled in-mind storm. I’m a proponent of this more so in a private sphere, or for sharing with select individuals. So when I was asked to write on this topic, I saw it more as an opportunity to conduct a comprehensive and personal journal entry and let it be read by the extremely minute reader base here – which perhaps may only include said suggester..

So let’s do away, for now, with the airlines, airports and lounges, and focus on something entirely philosophical and deeply personal, and see where this lands.

The topic at hand is about which country has taught me most about myself (sic). It’s an apt discussion point following such wide and extensive travel and refocuses attention on what is personally key and important. I could very well choose one for this list, but I have equally learnt so many different things about myself across my exposure to so many different cultures and countries. So we’ll narrow it down to two. The two nations that made me truly realise who I am, who I want to be and what I stand for. The two nations to which I always look back, and with which I resonate most.

Singapore, for those who know me personally, is virtually synonymous with my name. I’ve been engrossed in this city-state since I was a young child, spurred heavily by my love for and interest in Singapore Airlines. Across 24 of my 28 years, I’ve travelled through the port over one hundred times (confirmed by my overly anal flight tracking spreadsheets, by the way) and know the layout of the Changi Airport terminals better than my own home. The interest was spurred by the constant and regular travel we did through Singapore as a young child when my grandparents resided in Saigon, Vietnam. I recall distinctly how much they would praise and rave about Singapore Airlines – the pinnacle of luxury, order and delight in the early 2000s. Some of my earliest ever memories as a human being are of flying the Singapore Airlines 747 and travelling through Changi Airport whilst the country proceeded through its booming development. I was in awe as to their stories – the care they received onboard, the allure of the romance of travel, and how perfectly everything was played out compared to a (seemingly) mundane life in Australia.

As I grew older and my passions developed, I observed more and more about the airline, the country and its workings. Singapore was (and partially still is) an autocratic nation with overt control, fear in the population and the strictest of order. This yielded: rapid economic and cultural development; a new gold standard for Asian nations; safety and care beyond any Western comprehension; newfound levels of wealth and luxury; and a profound view of the fruits of hard work and discipline. With some degree of controversy – I loved it all. I loved the story of progress and development, and how completely left-field thinking and socially unconventional (and ‘un-woke’) governing created a masterpiece. And what all this love, passion and awe taught me clearly was what I truly value. What I value in a society and what I value in a person.

Singapore taught me that I value order, supremacy and progress. That I value reaching a pinnacle point and being what others look towards as a unique example. It also, somewhat sadly, made me realise how misaligned I am to some Australian and Western values. Nevertheless, spending my life in Australia, I used this dissonance as nothing but further drive to reach the points I yearned for. The differentiating factors that made me who I am today and that, in a bittersweet and two-toned fashion, alienated me from much of my surroundings at home.

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is where the story continues, and where I saw rapid learning and development as a person. As a British citizen, but not really with British blood, I’ve always had an on-again, off-again relationship with the constitutional monarchy. When I was a child, we lived for a short while in Cambridge and experienced true Britain (racism included) through our formative childhood years. This initial exposure developed an invisible red string between me and the UK, which would not properly pull me back until many years later.

Akin to Singapore, the UK (or more specifically, London) always remained a place of allure. I had always been drawn to the big and prime cities – Sydney, Singapore, Hong Kong, Tokyo, London, New York. It may appear basic, but it’s in these places where I feel comfortable and like I properly belong. Whilst I never foresaw myself living in London, residing here for the past 16 months opened up my eyes to new aspects of my life and professional career that I didn’t expect.

This has been my first proper overseas posting – living and operating independently in a foreign country as far away from home as physically possible. The independence itself is what spurred so much learning, more so than the city or country. I’ve learnt, even more, how much I value freedom and independence, and how it is not in fact accompanied by loneliness. It’s put into perspective how so many people stay so solidly within their comfort zone, and how taking even small steps out contributes immensely to personal growth and development. I, hence, treasure and value this as an opportunity.

Professionally, I have learnt a great deal about how not to be a leader and how not to run a business (hat tip to my corporate leader…). I’ve realised here the intrinsic and infinite value that exists within the leadership quality of empathy. This environment has displayed how, lacking empathy as a leader causes nothing but downfall, devastation and destruction. I had known this prior, and had always employed an empathetic approach to mass leadership. However, the events, experiences and individuals here in the UK have painted a clear picture as to just how important such empathy is. I’ve also come to reinforce my value of careful and considered decision-making in all walks of life, particularly in a professional setting. I have seen firsthand the brutal impacts of brash and careless decision-making without planning, structure, or consideration. I had, earlier, been onboard with the concept of doing things quickly and at a high level in order to avoid bureaucracy and make meaningful change happen. But it’s become explicitly apparent here as to how wrong that concept is, and just how much a careful approach can make a difference. I will take forward from this experience a significantly strengthened image and perspective of how to best approach senior leadership positions.

Personally, there have also been a number of learnings. I have, particularly recently, unlocked a new chapter. Being so professionally and career-minded for so long, I had neglected a number of human aspects in my life out of spite, convenience and the perspective of futility. However, independence in London and, somewhat ironically, the people that have come along with it (some more so than others) have made me finally place proper value on personal development, mental wellbeing and emotional connection. Whilst I remain a career-driven individual, I now place significantly more importance and emphasis on caring for mental wellbeing and a true balance in life. I know clearly what I desire and yearn for in the long term, pertaining in particular to relationships, and have a newfound ambition to satisfy this. Whilst there is a while to go, having reached that point of understanding has provided some strange level of contentedness. I’ll take forward these new priorities and thank my time in the UK (and the amazing people associated with it) for delivering such learnings.

This whole post is wildly out of context for this site, as is clear. However, it has been a fun, short piece to author and I’ve come to properly realise a number of learnings which have been subconsciously apparent. I am immensely appreciative, in particular, of the individual who sparked this (you know who you are) and who is also probably the sole reader. It might have been a simple suggestion, but this was insightful and enjoyable to work through. Let’s see what comes next…