I always thought I'd settle down in Canada. Living in Japan for a year changed my mind.

I was delivered and raised in Ottawa, and apart from a fistful of vacations abroad and summer highway trips to nearby Canadian cities, it's anywhere I spent nearly all of my time.

Most of my family lives there, and the relatives who don't are lone a few hours away. Growing up, the way modeled to me was beautiful straightforward: Stay near to home, obtain vacations whenever you can, and build your existence nearby.

As I got older, though, I felt a expanding need to see what alternatively was out there. I was additionally emotion the force of rising expenses in Canada, and my flat lease was ending, so the timing felt correct for a change.

I'd visited Japan a brace of years before and loved it, so whenever I established out concerning the yearlong Working Holiday Visa program, it felt akin the ideal fit. I assumed that formerly the twelvemonth was up, I'd fair arrive rear residence and sign another lease nearby.

However, following my archetypal night out in Tokyo, I was already looking into how I could remain distant longer.

Living in Japan has been improved than I always imagined

For most of my life, I've craved adventure. I grew up hiking, taking small highway trips alongside my mom, and looking for any excuse to get out of the city for a day. I've continually loved novelty, and living in Japan has stated me so much of it.

Since moving here, I've lived in multiple places, including Tokyo and Osaka. I've traveled to complete a dozen additional cities and towns, tried countless new restaurants, and met group from all complete the world. It feels akin there's continually item new to see or explore.

The train scheme current makes it so uncomplicated to lean into that spontaneous flank of myself. I affection being capable to sojourn a new city on a whim, whereas in Ottawa, doing the identical item would normally necessitate a small additional preparedness and a lot additional money.

The additional I've informed this benevolent of lifestyle, the harder it is to ideate giving it up. I don't necessarily desire to expend my existence in one location fair since it's anywhere I'm from, and now, I cognize a forthcoming filled alongside new places and experiences is accessible to me.

I'm going home, but I'm not done exploring

Going rear to Canada is the next logical, short-term stage for me. My visa's coming to an end, and making a imperishable move abroad would obtain a lot additional preparedness and paperwork.

This doesn't average I'm done exploring the remainder of the world, though. After I depart Japan in a brace of months, I'm preparedness to expend several period in Southeast Asia — and if I can, I power compression in a brace additional stops on my way home.

Once I'm rear in Canada, I'm certain I'll jump into preparedness another trip, or perchance I'll commencement looking into another yearlong visa. I can see myself living abroad again, or at smallest spending additional period traveling internationally, whether that's in Japan or location entirely new.

For now, though, I don't scheme to resolve rear into existence in Ottawa the way I formerly idea I would. While I'm in this up-in-the-air phase, I'd affection to move (or drive!) throughout Canada and see anywhere existence takes me from there.

I'm looking onward to exploring additional of my residence country. Since moving to Japan, I awareness akin I've changed, too — and I've reflected on how small of Canada I've really seen. I'm enthusiastic to cognition my residence alongside a new perspective.

I'm motionless in my 20s, so I awareness fortunate to have the liberty to keep figuring things out as I go. And living in Japan didn't provision me all the answers, either. If anything, it gave me additional questions.

As I caput home, I'm taking everything I've learned and felt this twelvemonth in Japan alongside me — and I'm so enthusiastic to see anywhere I'll go next.