Barcelona-based Lauren Nicole Yap shares her journey from Manila to Barcelona, and how she found her life purpose living abroad.
The world has a funny way of dismantling our best-laid plans. Three years ago, I was a creature of habit, firmly entrenched in the high-stakes finance world of Manila. My life was a predictable “rinse and repeat” cycle: the morning shower, the mindless Grab ride to a glass-and-steel office, and the relentless pursuit of the next quarterly target. I was successful by every traditional metric, yet I felt like I was reading a script written by someone else.
A shift beneath the surface
In late 2023, I found myself in Osaka, Japan. I was there on a family holiday — a much-needed respite from the hectic pace of home — but my mind remained tethered to my laptop. I spent my mornings trying to hammer out a software deal for a major bank, convinced that the “big change” I had meticulously planned six months prior was under my control.
I thought I was the architect of my own evolution, mapping out my future on a spreadsheet. I was foolish to think I could script the evolution of my own soul. While I paced through the crisp Japan air, checking deals and replying to emails, something enormous was quietly shifting beneath the surface. I didn’t realize I was standing on the edge of a transformation that would take me far beyond the borders of my comfort zone. And then it happened.
By December 2023, the pivot became physical. I touched down in Barcelona just as the holiday season hit its stride. I had arrived expecting the mild, sun-drenched Mediterranean winter promised by travel brochures, thinking my usual leggings would suffice. Instead, I was met with a sharp six degrees that cut right through my layers — a cold, literal wake-up call for a year that would defy every expectation I’d ever held.
The transition from the high-rise hum of BGC to the stone-paved stretches of Carrer de Consell de Cent was jarring, but exactly what I needed. Suddenly, the Starbucks between corporate meetings were replaced by slow espressos in local cafes. I traded my office lanyard for a student ID, and my mornings shifted from hailing Grabs to navigating the metro toward the library.
My success was no longer measured by quarterly targets, but by lecture hours and research papers. Swapping the predictable office politics of Manila for a classroom full of global perspectives didn’t just change my scenery; it completely recalibrated my daily rhythm. I was no longer just going through the motions; I was finally learning how to live.
Taking on the challenge
After some time, however, my business side called on me but now met with the blend of European style. I was met with a task of creating a project for my Digital Transformation and Change Management class — a challenge that called on me to merge everything that I knew about business but now complemented by how I now see the world through a European lens. That’s how Filipinas Abroad was born.
After a decade in corporate, I kept asking myself: How do I use my experience for something that actually matters? How do I build something, but with heart? Living in Europe taught me to slow down, to listen inward, and to design with purpose — not just profit.
And then it clicked. What if I could help other Filipinas study in Europe — but make the journey smoother, clearer, and less overwhelming than it was for me? Filipinas Abroad aims to support and empower Filipinos in their pursuit of their dreams of living, studying, and working abroad.
By the time I reached the mid-point of my studies, I wasn’t just finding myself — I was founding a new version of my future, one where I finally held the pen to my own story to entrepreneurship.
Yet, even with the thrill of professional reinvention, the biggest adventure was quietly waiting in the wings. My boyfriend of five years had been my steady anchor, patiently supporting my lifelong dream of finishing my Master’s before we turned the page to our next chapter. In a moment that felt like a movie, against the jagged, breathtaking peaks of Montserrat, he finally dropped to one knee.
Now, the academic deadlines and entrepreneurial endeavors have been replaced by the exhilarating chaos of planning a European wedding. My days are a whirlwind of tactile decisions: the weight of silk against my skin as I search for the perfect dress, the scent of trial bouquets as I consult with florists, and the delicate texture of paper for our invites. From scouting sun-drenched Spanish venues to narrowing down a guest list that spans continents.
Until then, I’ll be here — choosing love and meaning, one adventure at a time.
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