I traded 12 years with DepEd for Minnesota. I learned that earning more isn’t living more

Three years in Minnesota proved that life abroad is about about passion, purpose, and meaning.

Three years ago, a simple suggestion from my fellow teacher opened an unexpected chapter in my life: “There is an opening for a school counselor in Minnesota.”

My response was simple: “There is no harm in trying.”

I sent an application. An interview followed and not long after came the news: I got the job.

But having spent 12 years with our Department of Education, Minnesota was never part of my plan. I imagined continuing my career in the Philippines, perhaps in another government agency. Instead, life brought me from Quezon City to a small rural community in Minnesota.

As a school counselor, my work focuses mainly on helping students with their academic and career plans. It is different from my work in the Philippines, where mental health counseling and advocacy were a much bigger part of my role.

The adjustment was challenging at first, but it also became an opportunity to grow.

Working with students from different backgrounds taught me an important lesson: counseling does not always look the same everywhere. Sometimes, helping means listening first, asking questions, and understanding where the student is coming from.

In fact, my love for counseling started much earlier.

While taking Psychology and Guidance and Counseling at Philippine Normal University-Manila, the field became more than just a college major. My practicum in 2011 further showed how much young people need someone who is willing to listen to them and guide them.

That passion stayed with me throughout my stay in our home country: as a teacher, guidance advocate, mental health and mindfulness speaker, and volunteer crisis responder.

Curiously, Minnesota gave me something that was harder to find back home: time.

After work, I have time to walk, bike, rest, and simply breathe. Living here also taught to value personal time and independence in ways I had not before.

But living abroad has its own difficult side: homesickness.

Moving from the busy Quezon City to a quiet rural town can feel like entering another world. There are days when I deeply miss my family, friends, Pinoy food, and even the familiar noise of my neighborhood. There were quiet moments when I found myself crying alone in the shower.

What has helped me is staying connected with Filipino friends, practicing mindfulness, volunteering, and finding small ways to feel part of the community.

Little by little, I found ways to belong by volunteering at a local food shelf and church before eventually becoming involved with the Lions Club and the Knights of Columbus.

Serving others helped make an unfamiliar place feel a little more like home.

Three years here in Minnesota has taught me many things, but perhaps the biggest lesson is that earning dollars is not the whole story.

There are things money cannot buy: passion, purpose, and meaning.

Someday, I hope to return to the Philippines and continue the work that has always felt meaningful to me: mental health counseling and helping fellow Filipinos.

To my fellow kababayans abroad, I hope you do not mind me sharing a few pieces of unsolicited advice.

Never assume things. Ask and clarify. Communication is important, especially when working and living in a different culture.

When it comes to money, please be careful with high-interest loans. Sometimes, asking for help from a trusted family member, friend, or relative can be a better option than getting trapped in overwhelming debt.

Yes, three years here in Minnesota was never part of my original plan.

But perhaps not everything in life has to be planned. Some journeys simply happen.

And for now, my mantra remains simple: live in the moment.

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