What was your dream job growing up vs your current career?
I’ll be focusing on this topic because I’ve had many thoughts about it lately. I’ve also been reflecting on it a lot and have come to several realizations, so I thought I’d share them with you in case they resonate with you as well. Just a heads up, this one’s going to be a bit long since I’ll be showing how my dream job has changed and evolved over time, along with quite a few nostalgic photos related to my journey. 😅
Dream Job as a Child
When I was a kid, I didn’t really know what my dream job was. Instead, it was my mom who instilled in me the idea of following in the footsteps of our accomplished neighbor, Kuya Gorio. He was an intelligent student who took up Accountancy, became an accountant, and later pursued Law to become a CPA-lawyer. He was such a high achiever that I looked up to him, and my mom often held him up as an example for me to emulate. At that time, as a child with no clear direction, it became ingrained in my mind that I should follow his path. That’s why my dream job as a child was to become a CPA-Lawyer someday.
But life took an unexpected turn. My father passed away when I was still in high school, and since my mother was a housewife, we did not have the financial means to support my college education. When it came time to take the entrance exams, I automatically chose Accountancy as my preferred course, without giving it much thought, most likely because it had been ingrained in me from a young age to follow in the footsteps of our neighbor. I passed the Accountancy entrance exams for several universities, but my mother could not afford the expenses of sending me to those institutions without assistance. A scholarship became my only option.
Fortunately, I qualified for a CHED scholarship. However, the program did not support Accountancy, and among the courses available, the only one I was somewhat familiar with was Information Technology. By then, it was already close to June, the start of the academic year, so I had little time or choice. At that point, out of sheer desperation, any course that would let me enter college was acceptable.
Thus, I enrolled in Information Technology with only a basic understanding of computers and software. At the time, my knowledge was limited to Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, as well as simple if-else programming statements. Despite this, I resolved that no matter what course I took, the important thing was that I had the opportunity to pursue a college education.
Dream Job in College
Since my childhood dream of being a CPA-Lawyer could no longer be realized after I took IT in college, my aspirations naturally adjusted. I was a consistent Dean’s Lister (nainsert ang panghambog hihi), and my peers often told me that I would easily find a job after graduation. At that time, social media was not yet prevalent, so I had little understanding of what awaited me in the real IT industry world. I remember applying for an OJT position at a company located in a large office building. Seeing their workspace left a strong impression on me. I could already imagine myself working there, programming at a desk while wearing simple attire like a plain t-shirt and baggy pants, the typical programmer outfit. That experience crystallized my new dream: to become an office worker in one of the companies in Cebu.
At Ateneo de Manila University for a programming competition. Naks!
With my schoolmates / teammates, who are now also successful in their IT careers.
The night before the programming competition, we were actually cramming lol 😆
We got balloons for winning the best team from the Visayas! 👏
With my mom during ringhop ceremony.
Finally, a BSIT graduate!
Career Beginnings in Cebu
I graduated as the top of our batch (na insert napud ang pagpanghambog hihi) and was personally handpicked by the CEO of a company. As naive as I was at the time, I was elated and immediately signed the contract without exploring opportunities at other companies. With that, my college dream of becoming an office worker was realized. Having been raised in the province, reaching this milestone felt like a significant accomplishment. I was now working 9-to-5, handling programming tasks, and wearing the typical programmer attire, a dream come true (yun sa akala ko)… until it wasn’t anymore.😱
As the years went by, my aspirations evolved. I was no longer satisfied with what I had achieved. I remember Rachel from the show Glee, who often spoke of her ‘New York dream,’ and I realized I shared a similar vision but make it IT version. I had long admired the imagery of corporate life depicted in movies: professionals in sleek formal attire, accessorized with elegant bags, watches, and shoes, working in large, prestigious companies like Google or Apple. My new dream became clear: to work in a corporate setting. And as an achiever, I immediately set my sights on this goal and began planning strategically to make it a reality.
I made some of my closest friends from this company, friends I still have to this day. Ummmm hello 
With my office crush charot!!!😆
With my bestie at a Christmas party with a Rockstar theme. 🤟😎
At the office pantry. We usually have pizza parties for special occasions like birthdays, promotions, and more...
My desk at the office.
Supporting
Career Journey in Singapore
After five years of working in Cebu, I managed to secure a job in Singapore. It required extensive preparation and hard work, and with prayers and luck, my efforts paid off. While it was not with Google or Apple, I joined a large insurance company not as an agent, but as part of their in-house IT department, tasked with digitalizing and automating all their systems. Corporate attire - check✅! A large company in a prominent office building - check✅! In fact, our office is located in downtown Singapore, where I can even see Marina Bay from my desk. A big city, not New York though, but Singapore certainly qualifies, so that was a check✅ as well! At that time, I felt I had truly achieved my dream job and was genuinely happy and content (yun sa akala ko)...
It all started here. A suitcase full of dreams, and the courage to risk everything in a new country.
Friends from way back home. It feels so good to see familiar faces in an unfamiliar place.
I still remember my first Dinner and Dance with the company, where the theme was our country’s traditional clothing.
My family’s first time in Singapore — truly a momentous event!
Lunch with teammates.
Sometimes, when we have a little extra, we treat ourselves to a nice kinda pricey lunch.
View of Singapore Marina Bay area.
Taken during my birthday at the top of Marina Bay Sands.
Our favorite time of the year is Chinese New Year, when the company gives us angpao and lots of treats!
Taken during one of our yearly team buildings.
Annual Christmas lunch. We don't have Christmas parties like how we do it in the Philippines though.
We dine in fancy restaurants whenever we celebrate special occasions with the team.
Marina Bay Sands at night. This used to be my jogging spot.
My all-time favorite Singaporean food: Bak Kut Teh!
In one of those buildings, I used to work overtime at night.
Office building.
Another office building. We have many offices, and from time to time we move from one to another.
This office is in the Tampines area, just a walking distance from my apartment.
The feeling of happiness and contentment persisted for some time, actually for eight long years, until my restless mind, which I could not control, began convincing me that there was something even greater to pursue. I could not ignore it. I became determined to do everything in my power to chase this newly discovered dream, the one I would obsess over next...
Shifting to Remote Work Life
When the pandemic hit, we were all forced to work from home. I was unable to return to the Philippines for two long years and found myself stuck in Singapore. During that time, I worked entirely from home. What was surprising, and somewhat ironic, is that I loved it, not the pandemic, and certainly not being away from home for so long, but the realization that working from home was entirely possible. I discovered that tasks could be completed efficiently and with quality from home, without needing to go into a physical office.
Gradually, my mindset shifted. I no longer wanted to go to the office or wear uncomfortable corporate attire. Instead, I embraced the comfort of working in pajamas from home. As the world began to reopen after 2 years, I have worked remotely from the Philippines, Korea, and Japan, and I had already done so for periods of at least a month in each country. This was a transformative and major revelation for me. I questioned why returning to offices was necessary when this way of working was clearly feasible. For the first time, I felt I had found a way of life that suited me perfectly. Traveling while working remotely brought me immense happiness... until our company made a critical announcement: we were required to return to the office 4 days a week 😱(how drastic!), with only 1 day allowed to work-from-home.
The news was shocking and stressful. I struggled to accept it, and although I had no choice but to comply, the experience quickly became unsustainable. After three weeks of going back, I found myself dragging myself to the office each day. My mental health began to suffer, and I realized that money alone could no longer bring me satisfaction. I knew I had to make a change. It became clear that it was time to leave Singapore and pursue a newly discovered dream: to work remotely from anywhere in this frigg*n world. This is the new dream job, and it is one I am determined to achieve.
Last day in Singapore. I need to take a picture of this iconic falls at Changi airport before I go home for good.
An Intermission in My Career
And so it happened, my mental health eventually caught up with me. I decided to go home for good to the Philippines in 2023. At that time, I had not yet figured out what kind of life I wanted to live or what career path to take. All I knew was that I needed a break from everything, especially work.
I gave myself an 8 month sabbatical. No work, no stress, just wake up, watch Netflix, do some gardening, eat, and repeat. That was my routine for 8 months straight. People told me I would get bored after only 2 months of doing nothing, but they underestimated me. It still was not enough. Lols 😆. I loved doing nothing. I enjoyed being “unproductive,” simply going with the flow and doing whatever I felt like that day without overthinking. That free and easy lifestyle was the best. That was actually the dream job! 😆
Most days I just stayed home, went to the city for groceries, and kept my spending low since I had no income. I did not travel much either, but honestly, I was perfectly happy with that kind of life. Eight months of no pressure and no stress. How I wish I could do it again.
During my sabbatical, I kept myself busy by planting these beautiful flowers.
They are such a stress reliever, especially when the flowers bloom.
In the backyard, I planted vegetables for my farm-to-table project to supposedly save money, but I haven’t made ROI from the expensive fertilizer costs 😩
This is the porch of my home. I often sit here during sunset to admire its beauty while pondering about dreams and life.
Even though I don’t have a job yet, I’ve already prepared my cute office space. I was actually bored so yeah.
If you look at the monitor, those are stock and cryptocurrency charts. I also tried to be a daytrader.
But I realized that being a daytrader is hard and risky, and it’s really not for me. Huhuhu 😖
But of course, good times do not last forever. Eventually, my savings started to run low, so I had to look for work again to support myself and my family. The only thing I truly missed during that sabbatical was traveling, and the only way to do that again was to earn money.
Still, those 8 months gave me so much clarity. I realized exactly what I wanted for my future dream job: to work fully remote, with the freedom to do my job anywhere. Even one day of hybrid or office work is non-negotiable for me. I already picture myself working in my home office, cafés, parks, by the beach while listening to the waves, or even in my favorite countries like Japan, Korea, Thailand and Singapore.
And so, the search for this “updated” dream job begins.
The Remote Work Life
After 8 months of sabbatical, I finally started looking for a job online. My checklist and non negotiables were simple: it had to be fully remote and with good compensation. Easier said than done though, competition for remote jobs is tough and there are not many companies that offer this kind of setup.
Eventually, after 2 months of stressful applications, I landed one. Fast forward to today, I am living the remote work from home life. Did it live up to my expectations? Ummm… not sure though LOL.🫣
Working in cafés? Not for me because I cannot focus with all the noise and distractions.
Working in the park? Hard to find a comfortable spot.
Working on the beach? Forget it, it is too hot LOL.😆
So most days, I work from my home office. But whenever I am abroad, that is when I really get to enjoy the benefits of being fully remote.
Blogging while in the cafe - yes because I'm distracted 😆
At Cappice Shinjuku, Tokyo. Sometimes it’s not the surroundings that distract me, but the cuties… awp 😜
At Café Renoir after a quick walk in the park to breathe the stress away.
I remember this day at Ueno Park when I was suddenly pulled into a meeting. Since I couldn’t find a bench, I just lay down by the side. Good thing I could still join through my mobile while enjoying the scenery.
Super Saiyan mode at the home office.
Graveyard shift with my bestie during our trip to Toronto, Canada. Ginusto niyo yan! Laban! 🤣
With my fellow remote workers in Tokyo Japan. Two of us are super busy while the other two are just watching Netflix. Sanaol!
Because of too many meetings, and sometimes really lengthy ones, I just lie on the couch or bed while still listening of course 😅 I swear I’m not dozing off, just… resting my eyes 👀
Fun times with my fellow remote workers. One of the perks I love — it feels like we’re just playing bahay-bahayan! Hi there 
I have to include this because this friend of mine always waits for my daily scrum meeting even he is still sleepy. When it’s my turn to speak, he listens so intently but only with the intention of making me laugh. One time I couldn’t hold it in, so I pretended my headphones had a technical issue. Damn this friend! 😡 This was taken in an AirBNB in Bangkok.
Well, based on the pictures of my remote work life so far, I’d say I enjoy most days, especially when I’m work-traveling. But even with those enjoyable moments, there are still struggles and challenges and it’s not always a fairytale. The pressure to deliver is real; sometimes it makes me want to give up this job. Sometimes I miss going to the office just to chat with my colleagues. Other times it feels boring at home, but I still prefer it over commuting to an office though.
In truth, it is far from perfect, and I am afraid. Afraid that I will dream up yet another “upgraded” version of success, a higher-level goal that will demand more of me than I can give. 😖
Conclusion
Wah, I really had fun blogging this! It seems like I drifted away from the topic, haha😅. I just enjoyed sharing some moments and feeling nostalgic about my past jobs, so sorry about that.. But let me get back to what I really want to share: my realizations about dreams in general.
I realized that dreams do come true if you work hard for them. But it doesn’t stop there. When you finally achieve one, more often than not, you start to feel there’s still something more to chase. It has happened to me so many times, the changing and upgrading of dreams, whether it’s about a job or something else. So yes, even dreams are not exempt from the only constant thing in this world which is change.
To be honest, sometimes I don’t want to dream anymore. Because if I dream, I’ll work hard for it, and when I achieve it, I’ll want more. And then it gets harder and harder to sustain every time.
I hope one day I find the peace I’m looking for in my dream job. I hope one day I’ll be able to say: this is it, this is the career I’ll keep until I retire. I hope one day that famous cliché, “you’ll never work a day in your life if you love your job,” will also happen to me, that I can shout it out genuinely, with all my heart, and truly feel it. I hope… 🙏🙏🙏
*All content is mine unless otherwise noted. All photos taken with my iPhone 14 Pro Max.