Nearing the end of 2013, I was feeling jaded from my job as a writer. My performance was dipping and I realised it wasn’t the work that was changing – I was. It was time for a break – I needed some space to sort out the thoughts in my head and figure out what to do with my life (doesn’t everyone, at some point).

In March this year, I quit my job and went on a three-week volunteering trip to Nepal. I helped local villagers with their farm work and taught English at a school twice a week.

My time there was both fulfilling and difficult. Here are 7 life lessons that I learnt from a trip to Nepal, and hopefully they can benefit you too.

1. HOW TO BE THANKFUL FOR THE LITTLE THINGS

I am in general, a very grateful person. I give thanks for wonderful weather, job opportunities, being able to travel, loving friends I meet, fancy food I used to get to eat for free as a writer.

But it was only when, for several nights, I was sitting in pitch darkness, because the electricity is out, and my phone about to die – that I come to appreciate how at any time of the day or what weather it is in Singapore, if I flick that switch, the light is going to come on.

It was only when I used a squat toilet for Number Two for more consecutive mornings than my aching knees can handle, that I come to treasure the toilet bowl at home. (No, I am not 50 years old, though sometimes my body acts like it.)

It was only when I had to carry a 20-litre aluminium canister to a water point to get clean water at least once a day, that I come to see the beauty in the clear liquid flowing out with a turn of my tap in my flat.

Knowledge that life in a third-world country is hard, is different from a full-on realisation how good life is in a place like Singapore. I don’t hide the fact that I wish to relocate, but Nepal taught me how to tolerate the negativity in my homeland a little better – by reminding myself of all the good things – before I move on.

2. THE POOR TEND TO BE MORE GENEROUS

I was brought up to be self-preserving, as are many, many Singaporeans – this is why the word kiasu exists. So I was humbled to see how the children shared the little food and toys they had when they could keep it all for themselves. One of the girls, who was a neighbour, had bought one piece of fishball-sized fried dough. (When I returned to the store to buy it for the kids on another day, I learnt that it only costs 5 rupees (SGD$0.07) for two balls!)

Instead of eating it all by herself, she pinched the small, sweet treat into four pieces for her friends, including a share for me. She insisted I take it. Another girl whom I met in the school, tells me about how she feels bad for the homeless that live around the town center, and that she would always give them something whenever she saw them, even if it were the last piece of biscuit she had.

If these children, could give so generously, then what is stopping me, a working adult in a first-world country, from consistently buying a packet from the tissue auntie or dropping a note or two into the cans on flag day?

3. THERE IS NO RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE AMOUNT OF MONEY YOU HAVE AND HOW HAPPY YOU ARE

The villagers were poor. They didn’t have branded clothes and shoes, they didn’t have fancy furniture, they didn’t have a wide variety of cuisines to taste, they didn’t have a car, sometimes the electricity runs out, and there’s no hot water. But they were happy. They grew food off their land and ate it for years without feeling frustrated about the lack of options, ability to buy materialistic goods, or technology. I learnt that happiness can be found easily if you changed your perception of what “happiness” is.

4. IT IS POSSIBLE FOR CHILDREN TO HAVE BIGGER BICEPS THAN YOU

Not much of an elaboration needed here. The children and I ended up comparing biceps one day and their years of toiling on the farm put my gym classes to shame. Moral of the experience? You shouldn’t have to pay that much to exercise.

5. HOW TO BE DIRTY

I am a clean freak. I do not get onto my bed if I have not showered, and every night before I tuck myself in, I wash my feet. I wash my hands several times a day (by this I mean every hour), and if there isn’t a toilet nearby, I’ll use a wet wipe, or heck, dribble some water from my bottle into my hands.

So I was rather uncomfortable in my first week. My hosts would walk with slightly muddy feet into their bedrooms. They picked up dung with their hands, and some of it would touch their clothes – which they would wear to sleep.

There was always grime and dirt everywhere, nothing is ever properly cleaned. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a Touch Rugby player, and I have no qualms rolling around in a muddy field – the difference is being able to go home, have a shower and chill out on my spotless sofa.

So what did I do? I learned how to be dirty. I touched dung, I slept on a bed that I shared with a large spider (thankfully he remained at the foot of the bed most of the time), I sat down on dusty, grimy floors and then learnt to sit on my bed wearing the same pair of pants – it would never happen back home. I let my fingers be blackened with dust for hours and even laid down on dirt paths to rest. I couldn’t be 100 per cent comfortable, but I learnt to let go of my attachment to cleanliness and adapted.

6. FARMING IS TRULY BACKBREAKING… BUT IT CAN BE ENJOYABLE

It’s common knowledge that farming is hard work. But you would have no idea how painful it is until you get blisters on your hands from ploughing the field yourself. I harvested potatoes while I was there and every time I have a french fry now, my lower back gets little spasms… Okay, I am exaggerating, but you know what I mean. Funnily, despite all that, the experience cemented my dream for growing my own food one day (no irony intended). Also, ploughing fields = super toned biceps and quads.

7. I FIGURED OUT WHAT I WANT TO DO IN LIFE… SORT OF

And finally, what I’d came out here to do. The lack of a city’s fast-paced buzz gave me time to contemplate my life. The epiphany came slower than expected but I got some answers nonetheless. I realised I needed to be outdoors because I loved nature, and I wanted the next role I take on to allow me to give back to society somehow (so probably a teaching or an instructor position). It would be a bonus if I had the chance to take people overseas. I didn’t even come to the answer of what kind of job I could take but the universe sent it to me several days after I returned from Nepal.

The point is, a break like this in a quiet village gave me the right environment to still the chatter in my mind and ponder without distraction. And at the end of it, I’m glad I put myself through the discomfort to come out a humbled person, with a better idea of what to do with my life.

About the writer:
Ruby Tan used to write for Her World, and is now a freelance writer with a dream to travel the world. She believes that the some of best things in life don’t have to be bought. If you want to make a friend, share travel tips and advice, or even to discuss deeply about life, write to her at rubytan.work@gmail.com

If you clicked on this article, chances are, you are a 20-something or 30-something full-time employee who feels like you’ve been tolerating the humdrum 9-to-6 life for far too long.

So here’s an idea: quit. Then pack your bags, and go travelling. Yes, make that drastic decision, be a little daredevil – you won’t regret it. Let me tell you why you should quit your unhappy job and travel.

YOU WILL GET TO EXPERIENCE THE WORLD

Yes, yes, I know – this is such a no-brainer, right? But take a second to think deeper into this. How things are done, as you know them to be, are very different around the world. For example, breakfast is a meal taken between 6am and 9am, right? Well, the Nepalese don’t actually have “breakfast”, at 10am, they eat lunch. When they rise at around 6am, they have tea and biscuits and call it a “snack”.

Do you think the elderly here could hike up a mountain? Let’s not talk about Bukit Timah. In South Korea, I had hunched-over ajummas overtake me on a hiking trail – and I exercise on a regular basis! It showed me quite clearly that I don’t have to resign myself to inactiveness in my golden years – which, in all honesty, is how I would have viewed it if I were to base it on how the aged get by here.

And yes, you could hear stories about all of this – but wouldn’t it be better if you got to try everything yourself? The world out there is so, much, more than our little speck of an island and the things that we are used to.

YOU WILL LEARN NEW THINGS ABOUT YOURSELF

I didn’t know that I could catch a fly with my bare hands. I didn’t know that I did, after all, fear heights a little. I always thought I had zero problems with it – until I stood at a cliff’s edge on a small mountain in New Zealand expecting excitement, only to feel my legs go soft and an urge to start crawling on all fours.

I didn’t know that there is a limit to how much I can take overseas and yearn to go home – I always thought the wanderlust in me could never be quenched.

I didn’t know that I would turn into a snapping psycho if we got lost and were wasting precious travelling time. Though I did learn that at the end of the day, there’s no harm done – what’s the point of getting mad at time that’s already passed?

YOU WILL FIND OUT IF YOU WANT TO STAY PUT OR RELOCATE

When I was 16, I visited an aunt who lived in Gold Coast. My family and I stayed with her for close to a month, and I returned home yearning to live in Australia. I am 26 this year, and as I matured throughout the years, a part of me considered that the desire to relocate was possibly something I wanted rashly as a naïve 16-year-old. Well, today, I still want to move.

In the last 10 years, I have visited several other countries and while I am now not so certain which country I’d end up in, my dream to relocate sticks. Singapore is great, and I am aware I am blessed to be born here, but it is not the place that makes me the happiest. Inversely, there are people who go abroad to find out that despite Singapore’s setbacks, they will never move. You can only find out which side of the fence you prefer when you’ve actually climbed over.

YOU GET TO MAKE NEW FRIENDS, EVEN CLOSE ONES

I did not expect to form a bond with a couple that I’d met on a holiday in South Korea in 2012. My boyfriend and I stayed at their place, which we found on Airbnb.com. For some reason, we really connected and still keep in touch via Whatsapp. This year, my boyfriend and I even planned a surprise visit for them. We had to create a fake account to book a room because we knew they would’ve wanted to let us stay for free – like real friends would – but we felt bad and preferred to pay. Similarly, I’ve heard many stories of friends who’ve met some of their best friends while travelling, in the most serendipitous situations.

YOU GET TO TELL COOL STORIES

I was once almost stuck atop a mountain fortress close to sunset, with no food and warm clothing in autumn. Thank goodness I found a detour – I was honestly beginning to panic.

I once met a fellow traveller who shared the same birthday and who was turning the same age as my boyfriend (whom I was travelling with) – we ended up having a mini celebration at his hostel where he cooked dinner.

YOU DON’T HAVE TO SPEND A LOT OF MONEY, OR TIME

Notice how I didn’t mention anything about some 6-month round-the-world trip? Did you automatically assume that? Travelling for an extended period of time doesn’t necessarily mean you have to spend a lot of money, or time! Take a break for a month and a half.

You can go WWOOF-ing (an international programme where you work on an organic farm in exchange for food and accommodation) or do other forms of volunteer work to keep costs low. After I left my job as a writer, I went to Nepal for three weeks to help out in a village farm and teach English in a local school.

The entire trip cost me slightly above $1000, airfare included. Hostels around the world offer free accommodation in exchange for a few hours of work, five to six days a week – you can find openings on sites like www.helpx.net.

YOU CAN FIND A JOB WHEN YOU COME BACK

A month-long break is not too long a wait for your next employer, if you already have a job lined up. And if you don’t, listen – the world is not going to end for you. It really isn’t! If you want more security in place, quit between January and March.

A lot of people are moving on in the job market then, and there are sure to be openings you can fill when you return. When I came back, I had interview offers which I was sure I would be able to ace because of my prior job experience, but I turned them down because I was looking to do something new.

IF NOT NOW, WHEN?

To wrap it all up, I leave you with this quote – by Randy Komisar, The Monk and the Riddle: The Education of a Silicon Valley Entrepreneur - which I try to live by: “The most dangerous risk of all – the risk of spending your life not doing what you want on the bet you can buy yourself the freedom to do it later.“

You can try to foresee and prep, as much as you can, for what will happen in the future, but the truth is, you’ll never really know.

Travel now – before you have children, before illness strikes, before you need to pay for your home loan, and car loan… And if you already have some monthly payments to make, it’s still not impossible to go – you just need to find a way to save more for the trip (and you really don’t need much!).

Travelling will do wonders for your soul, your being and your mind. So go ahead, take that plunge.

About the writer:
Ruby Tan used to write for Her World, and is now a freelance writer with a dream to travel the world. She believes that the some of best things in life don’t have to be bought. If you want to make a friend, share travel tips and advice, or even to discuss deeply about life, write to her at rubytan.work@gmail.com