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How I Moved Abroad on My Own in the Middle of a Pandemic

You can turn off panic mode if you are in a similar situation.

Tin Mariano
Engage
8 min readMar 1, 2021

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A row of old houses and mini castles overlooking a canal
If only I could be as calm as Bruges’ canals. Bruges is one of the lovely cities of Belgium which I visited four months after I arrived in this country to start a new life. | Photo provided by the author

The plane dipped for landing. Minutes later, the three passengers in the plane’s business class gathered their belongings. I was one of them.

One of the stewardesses approached and welcomed me to Belgium. She wished me luck.

I smiled halfheartedly. With my mask and face shield on, the stewardess probably didn’t notice.

Twenty-five hours earlier, I was thrilled to leave my hometown after spending the last nine months in a longer-than-expected employment gap. Now, I’m about to step into a country where I don’t know anyone else and people speak any of these three languages: Dutch, French, or German. To top it off, I’m moving abroad on my own and in the middle of a pandemic.

Out of place: how my small Asian self stood out

I could feel curious stares when I approached immigration. With my stature at five feet and having a small, round face, I can easily pass for a student. But my arrival wasn’t even coincidental with the start of classes.

“What is a petite Asian girl doing in our country in the middle of this pandemic?” they might be wondering.

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Published in Engage

Engage is a leading publication for creative nonfiction, showcasing personal essays, memoirs, and authentic human stories inspired by real-life and meaningful life lessons by makers, adventurers, and everyone with a memorable life story to share.

Tin Mariano
Tin Mariano

Written by Tin Mariano

International work experience, the expat life, and everything in between

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