With less than two months left in my contract in Hong Kong, I’m shocked to find myself enjoying this place and wanting to stay a bit longer. It’s a strange feeling for my friends and family to hear the words that “I want to stay,” especially because I have constantly been on the move. I describe my life as an “irony” as I came to Hong Kong nine months ago without being fond of it at all. The bustling streets and long office hours in addition to the summer heat was of no interest to me.

Yet, what I had learned was that depending on one’s experience – whether that is a positive or negative – it changes how much one can enjoy living in a city or country. For me, the last two years was nothing but struggle and bad luck. Everything went wrong from cultural and language barrier to basic necessities and I was lacking an environment where I feel I can grow.

Hong Kong seems to be different. I feel there things have been going quite smoothly and I’m not ready to leave the city without seeing what adventures it can bring.

So what has Hong Kong offered me in the last 9 months that made me interested in staying?

1. Adaptability: A common question that I get asked often from locals is whether I found it easy to adapt to Hong Kong’s lifestyle. In general, I did not find Hong Kong very difficult to be adapted. I did not have a language barrier as I could speak Cantonese and that I was used to the traditional dishes from home. The three things that I was not used to though was 1) the lack of customer service in restaurants, 2) embarrassment of not being able to read Chinese and 3) lining up for everything.

2. A Circle of Friends: I work for a nonprofit charity that recruits expats to teach English around Hong Kong. When my coworkers arrived, they instantly felt bonded with the other expats in my company and became friends very quick. Perhaps, as a blessing in disguise, I did not feel the same type of connection, and was ready to make friends elsewhere. I built my own network of friends by signing up to classes, going to meetup groups and finding language exchange partners. The result was having friends of both locals and expats.

3. A Positive Environment: My friend and I were having a conversation one night. He said, we spend 8 hours at work, 8 hours sleeping, and have another 8 hours to enjoy the rest of the day. Our daily lives are divided in portion of one-thirds. Therefore, I believe that having a positive work environment is vital. If you do not enjoy the work you are doing, it is hard to get up in the morning and to spend the rest of the day at work. I’m lucky to be in the education sector because I feel I can reap the rewards through my student’s success and that keeps me motivated and happy.

Over the course of three years, I have learned to expect the worst, but hope for the best. Surprisingly, for once, things have been working out so I’m sticking around and seeing what will happen.

Are you ready for me, Hong Kong?

Everyone has a story.

This is mine.