*Warning: LONG BLOG POST

When I was a child, my parents wanted me to either be a doctor or an ambassador but when my mum passed away; my life took a completely different turn and those plans had to change.

The university fees in the UAE defer depending on the degree you select and the status of the university. I initially wanted to study graphic design but unfortunately, we couldn’t afford it and so I studied marketing instead. I thought the marketing degree would offer creative job opportunities like advertisement, events, PR, etc. but I landed a job in the real estate industry.

When I was in university, I had an internship with a real estate developer and did a study on Ethics and Social Responsibilities which made me realise that real estate is the industry for me. Keep in mind that real estate in UAE was booming at that time and was doing great and offered crazy opportunities so I thought it was the right choice.

After earning a bachelor degree, the company I was working for promoted me from Customer Service Coordinator to a Commercial Property Consultant and I managed to gain over 10 years’ experience in Real Estate. I took a career break for 9 months when we moved to Abu Dhabi and now here I am with a new job opportunity in the Commercial Real Estate Industry AGAIN. The challenge is that the work culture in Abu Dhabi is so different compared to Dubai. During my career break, I studied Digital Marketing just to advance my marketing knowledge and background but did not find the degree exciting but I did learn a lot. Instead, I felt lost and here I am typing about it because I still feel lost.

When I was in my early 20’s, career was my goal. I wanted to become a Manager then a CEO and blah blah blah but as I entered the corporate world, I hated it. I realised this whole “career goal” isn’t for me and I do not want extreme stress that affects my health just for a job title and so I decided career growth in the corporate world is not for me. Another factor that led to this decision of not wanting to work in the corporate world is my self-esteem. Many people destroyed my self-esteem and I no longer feel confident and just hate myself. Do not worry; I am working on it. But, I am still figuring out what I want to do with my life. Honestly, I have never thought like this before. I always go with the flow and take whatever opportunities the universe offers but here I am in my 30’s wondering WTH am I going to do? Society pressures you into thinking by 30 you will figure things out but no at 30, you will start realising things.

I discovered my career is a second job opportunity or a side thing. Let me tell you what I mean; most of the people I know specialise in something like for instance, they are either doctors, engineers, architects, videographers, pharmacists, artists, IT consultants and so many other professions and when they need a second job to have extra income, they end up working in real estate. OK! Not Commercial but still its real estate. Also I accepted a lower position in this current company just to land a job in Abu Dhabi. I was thinking maybe I should specialize in my industry and earn a RICS degree but honestly, it is expensive and I just finished paying off loans and I am currently paying a mortgage. Therefore, the plan of getting a degree will be on hold and I am not sure if RICS the right degree for me. That is something I am thinking about. Should I earn a RICS degree or earn another bachelor degree related to a subject that I feel passionately about?

I know I sound down and depressed but it is okay. All I need is to rethink my life and start planning on something exciting and challenging. When I told people I wanted to start a blog, I had friends who said I am not a good writer and my English is not that great. Well I told them that I’d write for fun and figure things out but they continued by saying that my blog is boring and is not fun to read and it is useless. I took their criticism and so I enrolled in a writing course and I’m currently studying English all over again. I did not mind their criticism because it lead me to work on myself. Honestly, this blog is for fun and I am not planning to be the next J.K Rowling or like the amazing ALadyInLondon (blogger). Bellion Travels blog is just for FUN.

Back to career, I did try to apply for several different jobs and industries and I tried to apply as an intern or entry level employee just to try out new challenges but they needed fresh graduates in their early 20s because apparently the 20s have more “energy” than the 30’s. I did not let that statement put me down because I know about my capabilities so I will keep studying and keep trying until eventually I will find my passion. I know that I enjoy Travel, Studying Culture, Art, Cooking, Reading, Music, Languages and Photography so I will focus on those things and will discuss those topics on my blog.

For that reason, I will use my blog as a platform to express my interests, share my activities to the world, and use this blog as a challenge. I will write about several topics.

• Travel: I will write Guides and Personal Experience.
• Art: Artworks I like and Artworks I am working on.
• Cooking: I will take pictures of international dishes I cooked and will share the recipe.
• Reading: Although I have Good Reads, I will share the books I have read on my blog.
• Music: I love listening to music from all around the world so I will share songs that I like.
• Languages: I always love to learn new languages so I will keep you updated
• Culture: I will share our household Culture and Culture and Traditions I have learned from others. I will write about what I studied, observed and  read.
• Entertainment: I will share movies and series that I have watched.
• Photography: I love taking photos but I will need to study the art of taking photos and Adobe Photoshop.
• Interviews: I will interview people who I find interesting and is open to share their stories.
• Personal: sometimes I need to vent and will share posts like this one.

Sorry if I bored you with a long useless post but I really needed to vent. I hope you will continue reading my blog and if you have any feedback, please do let me know.