Hello, was hoping to get some advice from some seasoned veterans in this area. I want to emphasis this is a issue that has a lot of privilege and I’m by no means complaining just confused / frusterated.

Quick context: Originally from Canada, Moved to Tokyo a year ago - have 4 months left on my visa. I had planned to move to tokyo long term if possible in the meantime I’m here on a student visa working freelance for companies abroad. Ironically, my freelancing took off and I’m essentially a digital nomad kind of by accident.

I’m faced with a strange decision that feels very hard to choose. I really do want to stay here but after thorough research : Quality of life in japan + Salary + type of work are all not so great options for me at the moment. I am not having any fun because I’ve been working so much and having to go to school for visa limitations as well so I’m not really even seeing much of the country. I just got broken up with basically over a technicality of the person being too busy and feeling like my visa was going to end up being an issue long term so they couldn’t “see a future” with me. And while this is a (valid concern it still sucks.)

I make far more money + love what I do + work far less with what I currently do freelancing but that doesn’t get me a visa.

I have to return to my home country for my pets as I was planning on bringing them here and still could but not sure it’s really worth it. But I don’t want to live in my home country. I know there are much worse situations and places but its a long traumatic story. So I feel a bit amiss and I feel like most people have probably come across these issues and I was just wondering how they deal.

My options as far as i can see:

Give up quality of life to stay somewhere you want to be. Doesn’t feel like a long term solution

Keep the job and go back to home country, get other visas, travel around a bit. Never really have a permanent space or permanent relationships. Doesn’t feel like a long term solution but one hell of an adventure maybe?

go back to my home country get a solid good good-paying job that I love and is secure but not really having freedom. No matter how much I try I feel like I shouldn’t be living there. - I know extreme privilege nothing to complain about. Did this for 31 years and it didn’t make me happy. not to mention the housing crisis is really beyond screwed.

I’ve been dealing with feeling like my heart is in two places (trying to achieve lofty goals and wherever my pets are.) But I feel utterly stupid to give up this kind of freedom that was very unexpected.

Life’s a trade-off for everything and I know no choice is perfect, but I do crave a place to settle and run a small studio out of.

Appreciate any insights.

thank you

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