moving to japan alone at 22 | why i'm leaving everything behind

it used to amaze me how people my age would go through such drastic life changes. it felt so different from the routine i'd fallen into after high school. moving to another country, let alone by myself, wasn't something i'd ever considered until my perspective shifted.

covid hit senior year. no graduation, no senior events, just an abrupt ending. after that my mindset became going through the motions. two years of community college online to save money, then uci, graduated early. i wasn't there to make friends. i just wanted the best grades so i could start a career and get financial stability, because that's the dream right? life became this conveyor belt of tasks.

then after graduating i had more free time than i'd had in years. no deadlines, no assignments. i started exploring hobbies, spending time with friends, working on my small business, and for the first time i had room to think about what i actually wanted. i realized i wasn't ready to lock myself into a 9 to 5 just for stability.

the decision wasn't logistical, it was emotional. i'm leaving behind all the people i love and the comfort of the familiar. the most common question i get is am i scared. of course i'm scared. scared of being lonely, of making mistakes, of failing to adjust. but i'm also scared of staying the same. fear isn't always a sign to stop. sometimes it's a green light telling you something important is on the other side.

the vision i have isn't the perfect social media version of japan. i know i'm going to face a lot of challenges. taking a leap into the unknown isn't an impossible dream, it's a series of small decisions, a little courage, and the willingness to grow. it's not about being fearless. it's about moving forward even if you take the fear with you.