Lily C. Fen followed her husband to Prague after he moved home in 2009.
Courtesy of Lily C. Fen.
In 2007, my husband's wanderlust led him from his hometown of Prague to Manila, where he and I met.When we started dating, he reassured me that he'd never tire of living in my country, but that changed a year later, when we took a trip to Europe together.We had a drink with one of his former colleagues, who'd worked with him in Manila but later moved back to Europe. The inconsequential €6 beer for our friend was more than a whopping PhP300 for us. We realized that while this friend had moved on to earning a salary with a stronger currency, we weren't in as strong a position.By May 2009, he had moved back to Prague for more lucrative career opportunities. I continued working in the Philippines, where I had built my career in acting. We dated long-distance for a year and a half before he flew to Manila with his family so we could exchange wedding vows.I followed him to Prague shortly after, full of hope but unaware of how many challenges awaited me. I had to reinvent myself in an entirely new country and, over the course of our relationship, learn to navigate the nuances of putting my family before my career.Relaunching my career in Prague came with pleasant surprisesI knew Prague would be a completely different city from Manila, but I hoped I could replicate my work as a performer over time.
