Can't wait to go home
This year, we decided to go back to Malaysia to visit my parents instead of them coming here. There are various reasons for this decision:
My parents are easily prone to sickness, and access to medical help is difficult here.
They are quite old, over 70 years old, so it is pretty scary when they fall sick.
There is too much walking required here. In Europe, most places to visit require walking and are not directly accessible by car.
I joined some foreigner communities on Facebook since the day I moved here. Recently, I saw a post asking people why they moved to Slovakia. Most Slovakians can't wait to move out of their home country, yet some foreigners decide to stay. I guess different people have their own personal reasons. For me, it is always the warmth of my family that keeps me grounded. Even if I have to move somewhere else, as long as I have my family with me, I’m perfectly fine.
Frankly speaking, before we had our son, my husband and I moved around quite a bit. It is really a hassle every time we need to pack after settling down. This is one reason we decided to come back to Slovakia and were pretty sure we would settle down here. Another promising aspect is that we found a very good neighborhood to stay in. We were lucky as well as patient in finding what we were looking for in a home. For me, the most important reason is having a peaceful place with a great view that I can enjoy every time. A great view does not mean it has to be a castle or a spectacular landscape, but a simple, nice, and calm landscape is good enough for me.
Despite all the good things, I still miss my own family. I miss all the yummy food and the easy access to facilities. Malaysia is a very nice place to stay, and there are lots of opportunities if you are hardworking enough. The living standard is not as high as other places, but if you are an entrepreneur or decide to open your own business there, there are lots of potential opportunities. People are willing to spend, and their preference for art and culture is becoming trendier. But for family life, I still prefer to stay somewhere calmer. Malaysia is too crowded, and getting a house with a good view is nearly impossible. Even in the rural areas, or kampung, the best view land is already occupied by the locals or the rich.