I moved to Japan on a one-year visa. I'm spending less on housing than I did back home while exploring new cities.

Seven months ago, I near Canada aft surviving successful Ottawa my full life.

When my flat lease was coming to an end, I knew I didn't want to make different costly yearlong committedness successful the only metropolis I'd ever lived successful — particularly arsenic the costs of surviving kept rising.

I'd visited Japan erstwhile before, loved it, and couldn't extremity reasoning astir going back. I was besides itching to time off my hometown and recreation more, truthful my hubby and I sold almost everything we owned and moved location pinch 1 suitcase and 1 carry-on each.

Instead of renting an flat erstwhile we arrived, we decided to walk the twelvemonth surviving retired of short-term rentals truthful we could experience different parts of Japan.

So far, I've lived successful Tokyo, Osaka, and Kumamoto, positive visited different cities connected time trips. I tin confidently opportunity this manner has worked retired amended than I ever expected.

I wasn't judge I'd ever consciousness astatine home

Before moving abroad, I'd stayed successful Airbnbs while traveling, but ne'er for much than a fewer days aliases possibly a week.

I'd ever lived location I planned to beryllium for a while, truthful I could decorate, organize, and make it consciousness for illustration home. Here, moving astir meant arriving location I'd only ever seen successful photos, pinch a different setup each time.

I besides knew that erstwhile I sewage comfortable successful a caller spot — learning my neighborhood, uncovering my go-to market stores, aliases picking a favourite edifice — I'd yet person to commencement caller location else.

I won't dress it's ever easy. Moving time intends packing everything backmost into my bags, dragging them crossed a city, and becoming champion friends pinch Google Maps each complete again.

Even so, I've genuinely enjoyed each spot I've stayed truthful far, and I've adapted to each caller flat overmuch faster than I expected.

I've recovered it easy to settee into a routine

When I'm booking a place, I spend a batch of clip reviewing the workspace, kitchen, bath layout (one of my biggest deciding factors), location, and the price.

As agelong arsenic I'm contented pinch what I find successful those categories, settling successful has been amazingly easy.

Whenever I get location new, I unpack correct away. My apparel are organized successful packing cubes, truthful if there's capable closet space, they spell consecutive in. If not, my suitcase becomes my dresser for a while.

Cooking besides looks different depending connected the room and devices I have, but I tin still make a fewer meals I love, and each metropolis gives maine caller section restaurants to try.

Thankfully, by booking rentals pinch bathrooms I cognize I tin activity with, I've been capable to support up my hair-care regular and very long lavation days, too. As anyone pinch curls knows, this is fundamentally non-negotiable.

I'm spending little connected lodging than I did successful Canada

Back successful Ottawa, I paid much than CA$1,900 a period for my two-bedroom flat earlier internet, utilities, tenant insurance, and each the different expenses.

In Osaka, I stayed successful a two-bedroom Airbnb that costs a small complete CA$1,600 a period pinch everything included. Now I'm staying successful a smaller spot successful Kumamoto for astir CA$1,200.

Housing costs people alteration by city, but I've consistently spent little than I did backmost home.

Since these rentals are fundamentally all-inclusive, budgeting is overmuch simpler. I don't request to interest astir varying state aliases electrical bills, and I'm near pinch much money for the things I really attraction about, for illustration trying caller foods and taking time trips.

The elasticity has been 1 of the champion parts

Instead of spending the full twelvemonth successful 1 place, I've lived life successful different cities pinch the elasticity to move erstwhile I'm fresh to spell location new.

I besides haven't had to interest astir buying furniture, signing agelong leases, aliases dealing pinch large information deposits and analyzable move-out procedures.

I usually person a unsmooth thought of wherever I'd for illustration to sojourn next, but I don't unit it. If I can't find a spot that checks my boxes, I conscionable look successful different city.

That's really really I ended up successful Kumamoto connected the land of Kyushu.

It wasn't connected my radar earlier I moved to Japan, but I recovered a awesome spot astatine the correct price, decided to springiness it a chance, and it's 1 of my favourite places present truthful far.

As personification who people overthinks everything, surviving this measurement has taught maine to beryllium much unfastened and spell pinch the travel erstwhile things don't spell according to plan.

I've realized I request a batch little than I thought

Before moving, I had a closet afloat of clothes, shelves of beauty products, room gadgets, and much shoes than I ever needed.

Even aft getting free of truthful overmuch earlier leaving Canada, I still managed to overpack. I really ended up shipping immoderate things backmost home, because dragging the other weight betwixt cities conscionable wasn't practical.

I've besides been surviving pinch a simple capsule wardrobe.

Sure, I repetition outfits more, and immoderate mundane products I relied connected successful Canada aren't disposable here, but I've learned to simplify my wide routine.

Living retired of a suitcase made maine a batch much intentional astir what I own, and I realized I don't request astir arsenic overmuch arsenic I erstwhile thought.

I'd take a twelvemonth successful Japan complete 20 other shirts successful my closet immoderate day.