It honestly feels surreal saying that I’ve already spent one full year here in Thailand as an OFW 🥰.
If there’s one thing I realized about living abroad, it’s that people usually only see the beautiful side of it — the travel photos, the new places, the aesthetic cafés, the random weekend adventures, and the idea of “living the life” in another country. But behind all those snapshots is a completely different reality that only fellow OFWs would truly understand.
My first year here in Thailand became a mixture of excitement, growth, adjustment, independence, survival, and self-discovery.
Everything was new in the beginning — the environment, the culture, the language, the food, the transportation system, and even the feeling of waking up knowing you are far away from home. There were moments when everything felt exciting and fulfilling, but there were also quiet nights, just quiet.
One of the biggest adjustments I had to make during my first few months here in Thailand was definitely the food.
To be honest, I’m a very picky eater 😅, and that made the transition even harder for me. I still clearly remember those early months when my daily survival food was mostly banana cake because I struggled so much with the unfamiliar taste and smell of many dishes here. It wasn’t that the food was bad — it was simply very different from what I grew up eating back home.
The strong aroma of spices mixed into their dishes was something my senses weren’t used to 🥴. Sometimes, the moment I smelled certain foods, my appetite would instantly disappear. Back in Pinas, our food usually leans more toward savory, comforting, and familiar flavors that I had already memorized since childhood. Here in Thailand, everything felt more intense — the spices, herbs, seasonings, and even the smell lingering in the air from restaurants and street food stalls.
I remember trying sachet coffee here for the first time and immediately noticing how different it tasted compared to what I was used to drinking back home. It may sound dramatic to others, but when you’re living abroad, even the smallest familiar things — like your usual coffee — suddenly become comforting reminders of home.
But if there’s one thing I missed the most, it would definitely be our bread.
Honestly, our local bread just tastes so much better for me. Nothing compares to waking up in the morning craving warm pandesal fresh from the bakery. Even now, I still randomly think about Frances bread, Spanish bread, German bread, Burikat bread, and even our simple sliced bread back home. There’s just something about Filipino bread that feels softer, sweeter, more comforting, and oddly nostalgic.
Sometimes, homesickness really comes in unexpected forms. Not through dramatic moments, but through simple cravings for familiar tastes you once took for granted.
Aside from cooking Filipino dishes at home whenever I missed the familiar taste of comfort food, I slowly began exploring and understanding the local food scene around me 🥹. Over time, though, I learned which meals I could tolerate, which restaurants served food that felt closer to my preference, and eventually, which dishes I genuinely enjoyed eating. What once felt strange and unfamiliar gradually became something I looked forward to trying. Little by little, my palate adapted to the culture around me, and I realized that food became one of the biggest adjustments I successfully embraced during my stay here. It was not only about getting used to new flavors, but also about learning to appreciate a different culture through its cuisine.
Living abroad really teaches you that adjusting isn’t always about big life changes ☺️. Sometimes, it’s learning how to appreciate unfamiliar flavors, accepting differences, and finding comfort somewhere completely outside your usual taste.
Still, despite all the adjustments and challenges, Thailand slowly became more than just a place where I work. It became a place where I learned how capable I really am.
And somehow, within this first year, I also discovered parts of myself that I never noticed before.
I explored more places.
Met new people.
Learned different perspectives.
Appreciated quiet moments.
And most importantly, I proved to myself that I could survive outside my comfort zone 😄.
I’m still deeply grateful for every opportunity that came my way, every lesson learned through challenges, and every bit of growth I gained along this journey. Living far from home hasn’t always been easy, and there were countless moments of adjustment, homesickness, and uncertainty, but each experience shaped me into a stronger and more resilient person. From discovering new places and meeting different kinds of people to learning how to stand on my own, this journey has taught me more about life than I ever imagined. Every struggle carried a lesson, every sacrifice had a purpose, and every small victory became something worth celebrating. Looking back, I realize that these experiences, both good and difficult, are all part of the story that continues to mold me into who I am today.
This first year in Thailand may only be one chapter of my life, but I know it’s one that I’ll always look back on — not only because of the places I visited, but because of the person I slowly became while living far away from home.
Here’s to surviving the first year abroad, to becoming stronger in silence, and to all the stories that are still waiting to happen in the years ahead. 🇹🇭✨
