BETTER

People often ask how Paul and I are and how we are finding life in Singapore. I will not speak for my husband but in my opinion, I find life better.

Living in the Midwest, I did not have a lot of access to warm weather, a beach or a semi-private pool. Here, I have all of those things, though the beach is not exactly pristine. The view from the East Coast beach consists of a distant island group blocked by a number of boats and barges. The trash from the hundreds of barges is constantly flowing inland, so the water and the beaches are dirty and polluted.

Luckily, I have a semi-private pool in our small condominium complex. Though I probably do not take advantage of this perk as much as I should, I do enjoy spending an hour or so outside every now and then.

Paul’s job, in my opinion, is better. Sometimes he says he misses working for the airline because he flew a lot more in more challenging conditions. However, he really enjoys getting paid to be at home most days.

I believe that our relationship is better since we are spending more time together and communicating a lot more. Our entire relationship has been based on distance. When we started dating, we were in college, each three hours from home and three hours apart. During our engagement, Paul lived in Ohio while I lived in New Jersey. When we were married, I worked a million hours a week and Paul was gone four to six days a week so we really did not see much of each other.

We used to joke about how we would have serious marital problems when we retired because we would then have to see each other every day. Well, it looks like retirement came early and we are doing just fine.

My stress level is better as well. Friday I had my annual medical screening and my new Singaporean doctor started asking me about my personality. Am I “Type A or Type B?” Epiphany. Seven months ago, I would have said Type A – detail oriented, schedule oriented and had to have control. Now, I suddenly realized, I believe I am Type B – relaxed, taking one day at a time, patient. OK with not having control over my life.

Travel opportunities are greater here. In the U.S., Paul and I traveled a lot, but we traveled within the U.S. We frequented New England and discussed heading to the Pacific Northwest prior to relocating. Now, Paul experiences cultures in India, Malaysia and Indonesia.

Since we are centrally located in Southeast Asia, I have made a decision to visit as many countries as possible – starting with 12 countries in 12 months – and I begin that adventure in just two days. Thanks to Paul McKee, I will be enjoying a week in Bali with two girlfriends. This trip will earn me my second passport stamp (woo hoo!) and will also mark my first experience in the Southern Hemisphere. That’s right, I will go from 85ish-degree weather in “Fall” to 82ish-degree weather in “Spring.” Happy Birthday to Me!