What Happens When You Don’t Stop

“I left the Ph on Oct 2016 to pursue a career in an international setup and hopefully save up for whatever greater purpose I may end up doing later on. I left everything I worked hard, my family and my career.

I knew it wouldn't be easy but I didn't thought it would be this tough.

By the end of Dec 2016 I got hired in one of the leading retail drugstore as a Brand Exec. but things didn't turned out well. I overstayed for 4 days and was advised to exit the country and come back with at least 1 month visit visa contrary to what they initially promised that I wouldn't have to leave the country and I'll just avail a transfer visa for employment. I left the country on my own expense and came back. Worked for a month and quit. I have to stand for almost 9hrs with a 20min meal break. I can feel the pain in my legs at the middle of my shift until I retire myself to bed every night. With only a day off, I left for that was not the kind of job I signed up for.

Considering my limited visa validity, I wasted no single day in looking for a job. I sent application emails diligently, signed up to a lot of job sites and did walk in job hunting and interviews as well. Then again, I got in. This time, I joined an HR Solution provider as a Business Dev't Exec. I was hired on the spot and started working the day after immediately. After a week, I quit again for I ended up hoping in from one building to another without any appointment telling people about our services without a working visa and without my passport on hand. Easy come, easy go.

I left the country again on Feb 2017 and had myself another 3 month-visa. By the end of March I got hired by an advertising company. Work is fine. Kabayan workmates were awesome. Everything's fine until the day my visa got expired again on May 2017. They have more than a month to process it but they didn't. For the 3rd time, I left the country again, came back on another 1 month visa deducted from my one month delayed salary.

June came and my visa is about to expire again. Worried for my employment visa hasn't arrived yet. Then I received a phone call from another company inviting me for an interview. I missed a day at work and applied for it. Blessed, I got in. So my next problem is to convince my employer to give me back my passport and cancel my visa application if they had already for I am leaving them. My employer wasn't willing to let me go and promised a lot to make me stay. They said I will never experience delayed salary again and I’ll get to travel anywhere with them for business. But I made a bold choice to leave and not risk my time to earn and save for the other company is way stable with higher pay offer.

Today, I am flying again for a visa change with an Employment Visa on hand. It has been a long and crazy journey. Imagine my tears, depression and frustrations in between. Imagine the days I questioned myself thinking I wasn't good enough. Imagine the days I’ve been asking if it would be best to go home? Imagine myself questioning why do I have to deal with this when I can simply ask Papa to adopt me because I’ve been thinking I’ll be depressed and lock myself at home. Imagine the nights I fear my decisions are leading me to nowhere. Imagine the days I’ve been staring blankly to skyscrapers asking God for a little workspace. Where is mine? Imagine the days I’ve been dead worried for my expenses. Imagine the days I’ve been thinking I am 26 and a failure. Well, it took me 9 shitty months in and out of the country to finally have my papers for legally working here.”

I wrote all above last June 12, 2017 while I was sitting on the plane waiting for it take off. At present, I am working as a Training Center Coordinator in one of the leading beauty product supplier across the MENA Region. I am based in Dubai and I take charge of ensuring our clients gets the best professional training related mainly to Haircare, Skincare and Nail care among others.

My Steemit posts will aim to inspire others to chase a little more fairy dust into our lives, to strive even harder and to never ever give up. Check my Instagram account at juna.grammin to know more about what I love and do more.

Thank you and see you around!