I bought a one-way ticket to Singapore and tried to put roots down. Now, I'm saying goodbye to years of being an expat and going home to be an English girl in England.

• Candice Gallagher is a marketer and content creator who has lived in many countries, from Switzerland to the US.
• She loved living as an expat, and bought a one-way ticket to Singapore in 2019.
• But dating hurdles and missing family and friends pushed her to move back home.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Candice Gallagher, a 38-year-old British marketer and content creator. It has been edited for length and clarity.

I grew up in Asia. My family moved to Singapore when I was eight. We lived there for two years and then in Hong Kong for six years.