I came back home without a clear next step after Central America. I had time, options, and space to decide. Which sounds good, but can also make choices harder.
I tried being home for a while. Seeing friends again. Getting back into routines. Looking at job options. On paper, it all made sense. In practice, the restlessness was still there.
Around that time, I came across a job posting for a ski season in Japan. I applied, mostly out of curiosity. I didn’t expect much from it. But a few emails later, I had the job.
Japan worked well for me at that moment for a simple reason: it offered structure. A ski season has a clear frame. You work, you ski, you meet people, your days are full.
That was exactly what I needed.
I wasn’t trying to reinvent myself there. I just wanted to be active, useful, and somewhere new. I also met a lot of people who were building their lives in non-traditional ways. Seasonal workers, instructors, and travelers rotating between countries. Seeing that made alternative paths feel more normal and less risky.
If you’re curious about doing a ski season yourself, I’m also building practical guides that cover visas, qualifications, and choosing resorts, the things I would’ve liked to read beforehand.
→ How to Do a Ski Season in Japan
→ Working Holiday
Looking back at this whole stretch. School, safe choices, travel, crossing, relationships, ski seasons. What stands out is not a master plan, but movement. Most steps weren’t perfectly calculated. If you’re not fully sure where you’re heading yet, you’re not behind. Many paths only make sense when you look back at them later.
Right now, I’m in a place where things feel good and steady. I enjoy the work I’m doing, the people around me, and the rhythm of my days. I’m still figuring things out, but without the same pressure I used to put on myself.
For a long time I thought I needed a clear long-term plan before I could feel settled. Now I see it differently.
If what you’re doing today feels right and keeps you moving, that’s enough direction for now. The bigger picture can take its time.
