Distance only means so little when someone means so much to you.

Being born and raised in Singapore, my younger brother(9 years apart) and I were blessed with good education and the modern and easy lifestyle. We never had a difficult time growing up as our parents would always give us everything we wanted. Unlike us, our parents came from Nepal, they had endured many hardships and got the bare minimum level of education.

My father came to Singapore at just 19 years old leaving behind his country and family 3,661km away, along side with hundreds of other boys just like him, to work as a Gurkha for the Singapore Police Force. I can only imagined the countless hardships that he endured to become the man he is today, he was a very disciplined man hence our ( my brother and I ) relationship with him was distant. We would barely talked with our father, only talking to him if we needed money or to sign a few papers. My mom could constantly remind us how hard our Dad worked to make us happy and that we would be nothing without him. My Dad worked and still is going through tiring trainings everyday for over 25 years now. He was 43 and his retirement year ( 45 years old ) was coming close and me, his eldest child, was barely 16. We could then have to return to Nepal after his retirement so in order for me to continue getting a better education, he sent me to Australia even if it meant sacrificing everything he had.

So I moved to Australia , 5,401 km away from my family at just a tender age of 16. I was scared all the time and was very homesick all the time. I couldn't imagine what my father went through, moving to a English-speaking country with only the minimum level of English he knew and being able to visit his family only once every few years. I was able to adjust well, English was my basically my forte so communication wasn't a problem and would go back to Singapore to visit my family every holiday which was every few months. Moving overseas , I thought my relationship with my family would only widen however, it has gotten more and more closer, we bonded over video calls and texts just checking on one another. Sometimes we tend to take little things, like your mom's cooking or your dad's nagging or your annoying brother, for granted - only to realize it when they're gone. "Distance only means so little when someone means so much to you."

I am 17, blessed beyond belief and working towards my goals now. All thanks to my family, who made me feel like I was home despite being miles away and making me realize that whatever hardship I'm facing is only to shape me into a better person I will become tomorrow.