Three months

Tomorrow marks my three month anniversary of being in Singapore.  I feel like I've been here for much longer than that even though three months is not a long time; I think the longest I've gone without visiting home is about 4 months during chiropractic school.  What have I learned and what kind of thoughts are going on in my head now that I've been here the length of a 'summer'?

• I have a much greater appreciation for the asian culture than I ever imagined I would in my life.  I honestly was never even interested in Asia until I got the job here.  European countries have always been my primary fascination of places overseas.  So it is well known that Americans are the worst when it comes to geography (I didn't even know where Singapore was when I found the job ad).  There's so many Asian countries you hear of but have no idea where they are.  Now I have a much greater understanding for Asian geography and where countries are and a brief understanding of the different cultures of many of these countries.  Asia will forever be a part of me now.
• I have a greater appreciation for my home country and the comforts of America.  At this point, I can't even imagine what it will be like to walk through the airport whenever I come back to visit and be among a crowd of American English speaking white people.  I have become used to being a minority here and am quite comfortable with it now.  It has been a tremendous growth experience getting me out of my comfort zone.  
• I know I talk slightly differently so that my patients and people around here can better understand me.  I am now probably speaking a mixture of Singlish, UK English, Australian English, European English all combined into one.  Whew!  Things that I've noticed I do when I talk: I raise my voice towards the end of my sentences when explaining things to patients.  I omit words from my sentences which probably stems from the Europeans whose second language is English.  I use contractions a lot less; I know this one definitely comes from being around my German roommate. I use words like "lovely" and "pleasant". :)
• I have become a much better chiropractor in just the three months that I've been here.  My boss is very knowledgeable, as she was a nurse in Austria before she moved to the US and went to chiro school.  She has taught me a lot clinically and also helped me become a much better adjuster as well.  I know that we are forever students and I will always be learning over the years, but I feel like there isn't too much I wouldn't be able to handle in the chiropractic setting.  
• I am getting to see yet another way to practice chiropractic.  I have been lucky to have been involved in 8 different practices over the last 13 years: as a patient for 13 years, a CA (chiropractic assistant) for 4 years during undergrad at two different offices, an intern for a trimester, a doctor at 4 different offices.  This doesn't even include observation days and interviews over the years.  If I ever choose to open my own office one day, I will have lots of ideas and tools to choose from! :)
• It is weird that I am so far away from home.  It's unfathomable at times how far away I really am.  The last couple months I was in Ohio, I took for granted how easy it would've been to drive 8-9 hours or less to see some friends I haven't seen in a year or two.  I wish I would've taken advantage of that opportunity...:-/      
• You really realize what the most important things to you in life are.  Everyone is driven by different things in life; whether it be climbing to the top of the corporate ladder, having a fulfilling career doing whatever it is that you like to do, raising a family and having lots of kids, running a race every year, visiting every state in the US, opening a business, whatever it may be.  Traveling and having new adventures drives me.  It makes me the happiest.  Developing good quality friendships with people I connect with fulfills me.  I have been blessed to find that this can happen no matter where I live.