When I Had to Stand on My Own Feet..

I was seventeen when my life suddenly changed again.

Not long before that, everything seemes stable. And my father came back and look after for his family and supporting me and my sister. He let me study one of the best "English Language" International School in my home country. I was surrounded by friends and the kind of life that felt comfortable and secure. At that age, I never imagined how quickly everything could disapper. But life has a way of shifting when we least expect it. Because of my father’s health problems, everything suddenly shifted. Our family’s financial situation collapsed and the life I had known began to fade. That was the moment I realised something I had never thought about before that "I would have to start standing on my own feet."

Before all that happened while I was still studying, surrounded by many friends but deep inside I started to realize something important about relationships.

Since childhood, I believed that if I wanted people to stay with me, I had to give them something in return. I would pay when we went out, share everything I had and always try to please them. In my mind, that was the only way to keep friends.

But when my family’s finances broke down, I could no longer live the same way. I couldn’t spend money freely anymore. I couldn’t go everywhere my friends went. Slowly, some people disappeared from my life and I began asking myself a difficult question:

Were they really my friends or were they only around because of what I could give?

At that time, I was only seventeen.

Even though everything felt uncertain, I knew one thing: I had to start standing on my own feet.

I began looking for ways to earn money. I was proud of one thing about myself then and I am still proud of it now: I never chose the easy or wrong way to make money. Even though I was young and under pressure, I always tried to walk a path I could respect myself.

Before I found my first official job, I was already studying at university as a psychology major through distance education. I didn’t have to attend every day. Once a year, I would go to the university for about ten days to study and then sit for the exams.

At the same time, one of my aunts helped me find a small job at her phone accessory shop. Back then, mobile phones and internet services were not as common as they are today. Their shop offered phone services and international calling options and I helped serve customers and manage the shop.

It wasn’t a big job but it was important to me.

For the first time, I could earn my own money.

Even a small amount meant something. I could give a portion to my mother and help support our household. That experience also taught me something I didn’t expect I actually enjoyed working with people. Talking with customers, helping them and solving small problems gave me confidence.

Around that time, I decided to apply for my first proper job.

I applied for a sales position at a large international fashion brand called Bossini. The company had three interview stages. I remember feeling nervous but excited as I moved through each stage. Eventually, I reached the final interview.

I thought I had succeeded.

The interviewers told me they liked me and appreciated my effort. But there was one problem: my age.

I was only seventeen and according to their company policy and local regulations, they could not legally hire me yet.

They told me kindly, “We really like you. But you are still too young. When you turn eighteen, come back to us. We will keep your CV.”

I left the interview feeling disappointed but also proud of myself. Even though I didn’t get the job, I had proven that I was capable.

One evening, my mother saw an advertisement in a newspaper.

And she asked me,

“Do you want to study hospitality?”

I looked at her and asked,

“What can I do if I study that?”

She explained that I could work in hotels, especially in the front office, greeting guests and managing reception. My older sister had studied something similar and was already working in tourism.

I thought about it for a moment and said,

“Okay. I’ll try.”

So I enrolled in a hospitality school and studied for about a year. By the time I finished the course, I had turned eighteen.

Soon after, I applied for jobs and received my first real opportunity at a four-star residence hotel in Myanmar.

That was the beginning of my working life.

My job was in the front office but in reality I had to do many things reception work, customer service and handling various responsibilities throughout the hotel. It was challenging. I had to learn how to communicate professionally, how to solve problems and how to interact with guests from different backgrounds.

Sometimes I struggled. Sometimes I felt unsure of myself.

But I kept trying.

After six months, the hotel began a renovation project and transferred many employees to different departments within the company group. The organization owned many businesses hotels, housing services, hospitals, airlines and even banking services.

We were allowed to choose where we wanted to move.

I decided to try something new.

I applied to work for the company’s domestic airline. After about three months, I received the offer and started working there as a receptionist.

This job opened a new world for me.

I had to communicate with international managers, including Americans. Although I had studied English before, I wasn’t used to different accents and professional conversations. Sometimes I struggled to understand them and sometimes they struggled to understand me.

There were also difficult moments. At times I faced criticism and even bullying from certain managers.

But despite the challenges, I discovered something important about myself.

I loved working in customer service.

I loved interacting with people, learning new skills and building my independence.

When I started earning money, I also began helping my family. About seventy percent of my salary went to my mother to support our household expenses. The rest I used for my personal needs.

Even though I didn’t know much about saving money at that time, I felt proud that I could contribute to my family.

Looking back now, I realize that this period of my life taught me many lessons about responsibility, independence and resilience.

The friends from my international school slowly disappeared and I no longer knew where they were. But I found new connections among my colleagues and the people I worked with.

Even then, deep inside, I was still hoping for something simple:

A real connection.

A real friendship.

Someone who would stay not because of what I could give but because of who I was.

→ Continue reading: Chasing a Future Far From Home