My firm offered a three-year Singapore posting with a housing allowance, school fees covered, and…
T=0: The Decision
Dallas, $112k, two kids (7 and 10), a house in Plano, and a growing sense that we were going to live in the same 15-mile radius forever.
My firm offered a three-year Singapore posting with a housing allowance, school fees covered, and a 20% uplift. We had 72 hours to decide. My wife left a teaching role she loved. We said yes.
Not the biggest regret of our lives. Our children knowing what a different life looks like.
6 Months Out
The children adjusted faster than we did. My 10-year-old has friends from Singapore, India, Australia and the Philippines and seems completely unbothered by the complexity. My wife is struggling with the identity loss of leaving her teaching career. That was underestimated.
“The trailing spouse situation is the most common reason for failed expat assignments. Have a plan for your partner's identity and purpose before you arrive — not after.”
7/10