Born and raised in Ottawa

The author grew up in Ottawa with most of her family nearby. She followed the expected path of staying close to home, taking vacations when possible, and building her life in one place.

Rising costs pushed her to explore

Feeling pressure from rising costs in Canada and facing the end of her apartment lease, she decided to try something new. She had visited Japan a couple of years earlier and loved it, so she applied for the yearlong Working Holiday Visa program.

Tokyo changed everything on night one

She assumed she would return home after the year ended and sign another lease nearby. But after her first night out in Tokyo, she was already looking into how she could stay away longer.

Japan gave her the adventure she craved

Since moving to Japan, she has lived in Tokyo and Osaka, traveled to over a dozen more cities and towns, tried countless new restaurants, and met people from all over the world. The train system makes spontaneous travel easy and affordable compared to Ottawa.

She will not settle in Ottawa

She no longer wants to spend her life in one place just because it is where she is from. She now knows a future filled with new places and experiences is available to her.

“I don't necessarily want to spend my life in one place just because it's where I'm from”

Next stop: Southeast Asia and beyond

After her visa ends in a couple of months, she plans to spend time in Southeast Asia and make stops on her way home. Once back in Canada, she wants to explore more of her home country before deciding where to live next.