making the big decision to move to japan wasn’t an easy one. to pack up your bags and leave hawaii, then enter a foreign land is nerve racking. i couldn’t speak the language, i didn’t know a thing, and i had no idea what to expect. but hey, i was young, wild, and wanted the challenge. along the way, i had friends from hawaii that did the same thing. some people stuck it out, most couldn’t. a few months ago, my hawaiian friend made that move. he’s living in osaka now and just sent me a text recently. here it is:
he wrote “i’m kind of bummed living here. i’m hoping it will get better cause i’m not sure how much longer i can last here. coming from hawaii, i now realize what a special place it it. expensive, but convenient.
my reply was “yup, you are in the same shoes i was in when i moved there. got the goods and the bads. just have to suck it up cause way more opportunities there. hope we can hook up sometime.”
then he sends me a photo of some epic waves he came across. and tells me that it’s days like this that make him appreciate where he is.
i look back and just laugh. i moved there 24 years ago. no internet, no cell phone, no nothing. i was a foreigner lost in translation. yes, i could have stayed in my little room everyday complaining, but instead, i left the house and explored the unknown. met lots of friends along the way, ate some amazing food, got totally lost, but most important, had the experience of a lifetime. oh, and not to mention surfing epic waves with nobody around. would i change anything if i could? absolutely not! my experiences, my memories, and my friends are what made me the person i am today. yes, i made some huge mistakes in my life, but going to japan turned out to be the best decision i ever made.
so to my good friend sucking it up in japan right now, “hang in there buddy. i’m living proof that your life will change for the better. yes, hawaii is paradise, but living in japan will open up your life with many opportunities. a country filled with culture, filled with good food, and filled with the kindest people on earth. you won’t regret it. and the good thing is hawaii will always be here for you. always!
