After a decade of high-octane advertising in Asia, I found myself at a crossroads, plagued by "what ifs" and a yearning for something new. This led to a bold move: relocating to Canada to pursue further education. Leaving behind my familiar life was agonizing, but the opportunity for growth and a fresh perspective was too enticing.

Working in the advertising industry in Asia brought daily hustle, caffeine overload, and, most importantly, networking opportunities. Doing that for a little over a decade has opened my eyes to many things a non-advertising person would never live to see. Yes, it has its bad days, but when the good days come, it brings a sense of satisfaction and fulfillment. However, I hit a slump - not so much a weird period of not performing as well as I should be but a slump where you start wondering about the different what-ifs.

What if I actually got my Bachelor's?

What if I waited before having a kid?

What if I pursued the art side instead of copy?

Those questions had the same follow-up question, "Where would I be if I did that?" Let us be a tad more realistic - I will never know. So, instead of wondering about those what-ifs, I rearranged my thoughts and focused on "what's next."

Should I break free from agency life once again and dive deeper into freelancing?

Should I move agencies?

Should I jump to the client's side?

Or should I fly across the globe and see if the grass is greener on their side?

To end the musing part of my slump, I decided to make the most significant decision of my life. I uprooted and moved to Canada (indefinitely) to further my education and possibly join the ad people from this side of the world. It was not an easy choice because that would mean leaving everything I knew and loved behind for a while - my daughter, dog, house, car, and friends. The paperwork and adjusting to the weather were easy, but learning to build myself up from scratch at 28 took a lot of work. After getting into the school I wanted, the homework, group presentations, and socializing, all while trying to continue my work as a senior copywriter, took a toll on me. To cut the dramatic rant short, I resigned and focused on what I came here for - education and exploration.

As the first semester ended, I met professors and classmates who rekindled my love for advertising, and here are some of the things I picked up along the way:

• It is okay to let others take the win. Collaborating is a crucial part of the advertising industry, and while you climb the ranks, you tend to forget that. Most of my classmates thrived in collaboration, and my goal as a group member was to match their energy. Their ideas were great, and they just needed a bit of polishing to be more presentable.
• Mi casa es su casa. Half of the Canadians I have met outside of networking events and school are close to being pricks, but the other half made me feel right at home.
• You do not have to do it all on your own. How a copywriter functions in Asian ad agencies is quite comparable to being an octopus. You do everything, everywhere, all at once. Based on how my professors narrated the daily grind in their respective departments (special shoutout to Sandy, Anthony, and Ann), it seems slower, and the work is divided amongst team members equally.
• When unemployed, the days feel long, and the nights feel even longer. In my years working, I have forgotten how it feels to live normally. Back then, it was waking up before sunrise, preparing food, getting stuck in traffic, dropping the kid off at school, working at a cafe, picking the kid up, getting stuck in traffic, feeding the kid, finishing work in my office, and trying to sleep. Because of my path, I chose not to work to focus on school and enjoy the journey.

Looking back, I would never have experienced this or learned these things if I had not taken the chance to pursue my education. I guess more exciting things are about to come, so I should buckle up and get my bearings together before they do.