Living abroad seems to be entirely different from living in the country where you were born and raised, yet there are still similarities, and you end up leading a somewhat similar life.
As is well known, starting a life in a place where you have no connections can be quite challenging. Differences in language, culture, and the battle against loneliness are ever-present. Things don’t always go as planned, and there are times when it’s difficult and, despite being an adult, you find yourself shedding tears.
But ultimately, when you immigrate, if you don’t work, you can’t earn money, and without money, you can’t sustain your life. You wake up in the morning, go to work, return home, sleep, and repeat the cycle. Honestly, isn’t this just like life in your home country, like Japan for myself?
People who had set a goal of living a more authentic life abroad might find their spirits breaking here. Life can be more challenging than anticipated, there might be a career downgrade, and the language barrier can often lead to a sense of limitation. In fact, my current annual income is half of what it was when I was working for an IT company as a salesperson, and my job as a student advisor at a language school is at an entry-level where I feel like I haven’t acquired any new skills. There’s no room for leisure in my life, I can’t buy the things I like or want. Yet, there are probably two reasons why I am still staying abroad, Canada. One is having the luxury of time, and the other is my love for the English language.
The first reason is obvious, but my previous job in my home country involved truly long working hours. I used to wake up at 6 am, leave the house by 7:30, and be at work by 9 am. After working until 6 pm, there was an hour-long lunch break at 12 pm, but I couldn’t go home as I had to do overtime for at least an hour, and I would leave the office before 8 pm, arriving home around 9:30 pm. I’d have dinner, take a bath, and go to bed before midnight. When factoring in the time for morning preparations and nighttime routines, I was devoting 17 hours a day to work from 6 am to 11 pm. While this wasn’t the case every day, I would often hear suggestions like, “You can just do it during your commuting time or during breaks.” However, for someone like me who experienced panic disorder-like symptoms in crowded places, it wasn’t easy. In reality, there wasn’t much time left except for commuting to indulge in playing games or watching Netflix. So, those intervals were my moments of enjoyment. It felt like, why was I working so much, but honestly, I think there was a lot of unpaid overtime involved.
From the perspective of someone who lived that life, I now truly have the luxury of time. Vancouver isn’t that big a city, so my commute is only 30 minutes, and work always ends on time. With an 8-hour shift and a 1-hour lunch break, my actual working hours are 7 hours, and the quality of my after-5 time is different. On days with earlier shifts, I can go to a café to work or study, and even on late days, I can exercise at the gym. After that, I can go out for dinner with friends. While it’s often said that students have time but no money and working professionals have money but no time, my current life is more like that of a student, and this lifestyle suits me very well.
The second reason is that while it’s not a leisurely life, I love the English language, and just being in an environment where I can use it gives me a sense of happiness and satisfaction in life. I’m still learning and far from being perfect, but there’s a part of me that truly loves and feels satisfied with some aspects of this lifestyle. This is true regardless of where you are, and for some people, it might be that they love their current job or city, or the importance of being with family. I think it’s okay to find something of value within yourself, and even when facing difficult or sad times, believing that you can endure them in that place.
I know it’s gotten really long, but living abroad was a dream for me, and the fact that I’ve been able to fulfill that dream supports my self-esteem. It’s not all fun, but the fact that I can continue to live in an environment where I can practice something of value within myself makes me feel like I’m still living abroad, even though my daily routine of waking up, going to work, and coming back is similar.