Last year, when I told people I was going on a full year exchange to Singapore, I would constantly get back the kind of words that people have just waiting to go.  “You’ll have the time of your life,” they would say, or “I’m so jealous, I wish I could do that.”  It was a formula that everyone seemed to know: a surprised look, a trite compliment or two, a little bit of useless advice about train or bus tickets until finally and invariably, the same ridiculous conclusion, “It’ll be a great experience!” It’s a phrase that lends itself quite admirably to any crossroads in life – so well, in fact, because it’s entirely useless. Continue reading →