Living the Life I Had Always Dreamed Of
Do you remember the answer you gave when someone asked you what career you wanted to pursue while you were still in high school? My answer was to become a housewife and entrepreneur. I was met with either laughter or puzzled looks because most people assumed I would either become a doctor or a lawyer based on how hard I worked in school and what I managed to accomplish, by God’s grace.
I took up architecture in college because I am afraid of blood and because I could not imagine doing the things I saw lawyers do. Again, by God’s grace, I graduated magna cum laude from UP Diliman and was offered a position in one of the most prestigious architectural firms in Singapore right after graduation. What was initially a 2-year apprenticeship extended to 18 years of honing my skills as an architect, learning from some of the best architects and becoming a well-rounded professional leading teams handling high end residential condominium development projects in Singapore.
The dream to become a housewife remained all those years though. Sometimes, it would just be a quiet whisper. Other times, especially when stress levels were up, it would be a silent scream I could hear from my heart. What finally made me decide to give up corporate life was when we could not get pregnant with our second baby. My husband and I both knew it was mostly because of stress. So, we made the decision for me to go part time at work and then eventually, resign altogether which coincided with our permanent move from Singapore to Melbourne.
Ingrid with the loves of her life (L-R): Ingrid, baby Nico, Nikki and Marnie.
By God’s grace, prior to our decision for me to become a full time mom, we had already built up a business we had started a few years back to something that enabled us to decide that I can let go of my corporate career.
We moved to Melbourne last January and I am very happy and grateful that I am living the dream I have held on to so dearly since high school. Although I sometimes miss the high that I got from seeing a building come to life from paper, I find that seeing my 22-month old son hit milestones in his development and the opportunity to continue breastfeeding him until now is far more fulfilling especially since this was something I was not able to do with my eldest daughter.
The Calubaquib Family out for a day of fun!
Being able to spend time with my kids exploring the parks and walking trails (limited at this time because of COVID-19) and seeing them appreciate the outdoors is priceless. I am also grateful that I continue to grow our business from home and that gives me a sense of personal fulfillment outside of what I get from motherhood. I praise God for the unfolding of His plan in my life and that of my family. It is only through His grace that things have fallen into place as they have, and I am looking forward to the amazing plans that He has for us in the years to come.
