off the beaten path

In Singapore, every person pretty much follows the same path in life – making their way to university and eventually getting a job, most likely a corporate one. Although it is becoming somewhat more acceptable, majority of the people who steer off this path to ‘pursue their dreams’ are seen as crazy and most probably face countless of judgmental questions and looks of concerns during family gatherings.

In fact, even for me, I never even considered the possibility of not getting a university degree. To me, it was just so daunting – going out into the world without the safety net of a degree and the network that comes with a university education.

Then I met Joshua. Deciding that college was really not the right path for him, he decided to join the US military when he was 18 and has been travelling all around the world for the past 4 years as part of his service.

It was very inspiring to get to hear more about Joshua’s story and his journey to get to where he is today.

Can you tell us a bit about what you do here for work?

I’m pretty much a marine security guard for American consulate in Munich, so anything involved with security I’m a part of

What are your favourite parts about it?

My favorite parts about the gym is actually being able to meet new people and experience cultures that are different from the US

So you mentioned that you don’t really know where they’re going to post you to next – is this exciting or scary to you?

Well I am pretty excited, granted due to the system we have, I will be going to much more hazardous post for my next one – I would say that the thrill of being in a high stress would be exciting

Do you ever regret joining the army?

No, I would never regret joining the Marine corps, it was one of the proudest moments of my life, and it helped me make a bond with people that had different walks of life

So how long have you been away from home?

I’ve been away from home for about a year now, before that it was like 2 and a half years

What does he miss the most about home?

Honestly, the thing I miss the most is being able to enjoy the holidays with my family

And I do miss my mom’s cooking, it was always the best

What are you planning to do next?

In all honesty, I don’t know what I’ll do next, I really don’t want to go to college, and I feel if I stay in, I would like to be explosive ordnance technician and probably stay in for the next 20 years lol

But I’m always open to new opportunities and hopefully I find something better in the near future

Do you think you’re going to have a hard time adjusting back to “normalcy” when you eventually leave this profession?

To be honest, I don’t think my life will ever be the same or “ normal” as you call it. The military is a whole different beast and something that’s ingrained in me ever since I joined 4 years ago. It would be kind of hard not waking up very early in the morning or not saying the slang that’s in or way of speaking, or even getting yelled at everyday because of disgruntled old men