Describe Your Life in an Alternate Universe

Have you ever wondered, “Why am I here?”

I don’t mean in a religious way but more in a “What choices did I make that led me to be exactly where I am right now?” kind of way.

Right now, I am sitting on a balcony in Basel, Switzerland, in an apartment I share with my boyfriend, nursing a swollen face after having three wisdom teeth removed. I’m 35, unmarried, childless, and a self-employed PPE consultant working primarily in German, which is not my native language.

This is me at this moment.

Why am I here?

I recently finished watching the TV show Dark Matter (based on the book of the same name by Blake Crouch – highly recommend!), which explored the idea of the multiverse – parallel universes created based on decisions.

So, I started thinking about my own “multiverses” and the major decisions I’ve made.

Decision 1: Go to University in England vs. Stay in Germany with My New German Boyfriend

This decision was made while I was working as an AuPair in North Germany during a gap year before starting my studies at the University of Central Lancashire (not my top choice). I was supposed to study Chinese, Japanese, and German. During my gap year, I met a German boy and fell in love.

I decided to stay in Germany and become a freelance English teacher. I canceled my university course and broke my mother’s heart.

Decision 2: Go to Japan for a Year vs. Stay in Germany and Start a New Job as a PPE Customer Service Rep

This was made while I was working as an English teacher. My relationship with the German boy was coming to an end, and my 20-year-old self was looking for the best way to avoid confrontation and ghost my way out of the relationship. I applied for a job to teach English in Japan for a year and got an offer from a school in Osaka. At the same time, one of my students offered me a chance to start working for a large PPE company as a customer service rep, ensuring a fixed contract with a regular salary. My boyfriend was also on the cusp of buying a house for us.

I decided to stay in Germany and start working as a PPE customer service manager. I broke up with my boyfriend and got my own apartment.

Decision 3: Stay in North Germany with Boyfriend vs. Move to South Germany

This came after a few years at the company. I had built a reputation as a “busybody annoying suck-up coworker” whom no one really liked. I had started and ended a relationship with the son of the man who had originally gotten me the job and had jumped into a new relationship where I was completely in love. I was offered a job within the company to become an outside sales rep, which involved moving to South Germany.

This decision wasn’t made alone. My boyfriend at the time (spoiler alert) told me he would move with me.

Side note: I am still in close contact with this ex-boyfriend, and it’s interesting to follow his path too. If he hadn’t made that decision, would he be where he is today?

I moved to South Germany and started working as an outside sales rep. I hated it. I hate driving. So the next decision was easy.

Decision 4: Stay in South Germany vs. Move to Switzerland

This came when my boyfriend got offered a job in Zürich, Switzerland, and had to move there.

I quit the job as an outside sales rep and managed to get a job with one of my clients. Thus, my life in Switzerland began. I had moved from customer service to outside sales rep to product manager, all within the PPE field!

I’m now 28 in this scenario.

The decision to leave the company and become self-employed wasn’t an either-or situation. It was a natural yet scary decision. I was single when I made the transition and very naive.

Decision 5: Go to the Salsa Meetup vs. Go to the Book Club

This had the biggest impact. I was freshly single (again) and looking for things to do in Basel. I saw two events that interested me: a salsa meetup and a book club. I love salsa, and I love reading. However, the book wasn’t one I was generally interested in – Atomic Habits. I wasn’t much of a non-fiction reader back then, but a tiny part of my brain screamed, “Try something new.”

I went to the book club and discovered two things:

• Non-fiction reading isn’t as boring as I thought it would be.
• My future partner.

There wasn’t a romantic cupid meet-cute moment at the book club (cupid struck his arrow a few months later), but I met a group of people with whom I connected, including my partner.

So here I am, on the balcony, writing this post. But what if I had decided to stay in the UK?

• Would I have somehow still made my way into the PPE industry?
• Would I be married?
• Would I have kids?
• Would I be living near my family?
• Would I have maybe gone to Japan for a year?
• Would I be writing this blog?

What is my next big decision going to be?

Thanks for reading.