Life through My Eyes : Coming Back, But Not Quite the Same

I always seem to write about things a little later. Maybe I need some time to actually understand what happened before I can write about it. So, here I am, almost one month after starting my new journey at the Ministry of Higher Education, in the International Relations Division.

One month already.

Honestly, I am still learning. Not just about the work, but also about adjusting myself back into life in Malaysia and working in Malaysia again. I know it sounds a bit funny to say that I need to adjust after only being away for two years. But I think those two years changed me quite a lot.

In Perth, I had a different kind of working life. I had quite a lot of autonomy. I was leading things on my own, making decisions, solving problems and figuring things out as I went along. Sometimes I had to make a decision because there was simply nobody else there to make it for me. Haha.

Now, I am back in Malaysia. And yes, things are different. There is a structure. There is a hierarchy. There are processes. There are people to consult and things that need to go through the proper channels. Some of the work itself feels familiar because I am still working around international engagement, education and people. But the way things are done can be very different.

I guess that is part of what I need to relearn. It is not about saying one way is better than the other. It is just different. And maybe this is one of the biggest lessons from the first month.

You need to be a fast learner.

You need to be ready.

You need to listen, observe and understand before you start thinking that you already know everything.

I have also realised that the experience in Perth did not really end when I left Perth. Some of the things I learned there are still with me. The confidence, the ability to communicate with different people, the experience of dealing with different situations and the networks that I built. They are still part of me.

I think I have changed too.

I feel more relaxed now.

Maybe because I have discovered more about myself in the last two years. I met so many different people. I made some wonderful friendships. I experienced trust, disappointment, kindness, support and all the complicated things that come with human relationships. And I think my understanding of friendship has changed.

The way I trust people has changed.

The way I look at people and relationships has changed.

Maybe I am not as quick to give everything to everyone anymore. But at the same time, I have also learned to appreciate the people who genuinely show up for me.

I think that is growth too.

Coming back to Malaysia feels a little strange sometimes. Everything is familiar, but I am not exactly the same person who left two years ago. Maybe that is why this adjustment takes some time.

I am learning the new environment.

I am learning the work.

I am learning the system.

And, somehow, I am still learning myself.

One month is probably too early to say where this journey is going to take me.

So for now, I will just keep learning, keep adapting and do my best.

Let’s see what happens next.