From Code to Kanji

I reached a point in my previous job where the daily grind left me questioning my own sanity—and more importantly, my well-being—so much so that I realized staying any longer would only push me toward a dangerous place. Walking away wasn’t a hasty choice. I had more than enough time to think about what leaving meant for my future. Despite the nagging fears about a lot of things, I eventually saw that many of these worries weren’t as frigthening as I’d imagined. Once that clicked, I made up my mind to quit. But before I could take that final step, I had to come to terms with these very real anxieties:

Money

This is obviously the first one that came to mind and why it matters was ultimately boiled down to 3 things. Food, bills, and lifestyle

Food

Yes, putting food on the table is a really serious issue that I had to think about. I’m the sole breadwinner in the family, so when my income were to be cut off then how would I feed my family? Sure, I’ve saved up a rainy-day fund, but would it stretch far enough? That’s when I reminded myself of my own roots. I grew up in a family that often got by on simple meals—sometimes, as a college student, I even went a day or two without eating. If I had to cut back, I could shop at traditional markets rather than supermarkets or delivery services, potentially stretching that savings much further than I initially thought.

Bills

I was dumb and took a loan to buy a new car. It’s been almost 3 years since that happen and the mileage of my car has barely reach 11.000 Km. The good news is that this month marks my final payment, so my biggest expense is just about gone. After that my monthly bills would only consisted of electricity, water, and internet. It’s still quite a lot but hey the biggest one would be gone next month, so why worry?

Lifestyle

As I mentioned before, I came from a poor family and (thankfully?) my wife came from the same background. So if we were to go back to our roots and lower down our lifestyle then we could have even longer runway. No more impulsively buying something for the sake of “self reward”, no more booking an expensive hotel when traveling out of town, etc. Going back to our simpler roots doesn’t feel like a step backward; it’s more of a strategic pivot so we can focus on what truly matters in the long run.

By taking a hard look at these three spending areas—food, bills, and lifestyle—I realized money wasn’t such a big hurdle I once thought it was. With finances squared away, it was time to tackle my next big fear.

A Gap in Résumé

The prospect of having an employment gap still weighed heavily on my mind. Up to now, I’d maintained a pretty straightforward narrative on my résumé, stepping from one role to the next and accumulating new skills along the way. Pausing that momentum, even for a meaningful reason, felt risky—would future employers question my drive or worry that I’d lost focus?

But then I realized, maybe a gap can demonstrate just how serious I am about my future career. I’m not taking time off to simply relax. I’m dedicating this break to pursuing two goals that align perfectly with my goal of working in Japan’s tech industry. First, I’m committed to improving my Japanese language skills—aiming to pass the JLPT N3—so I can communicate comfortably in a Japanese-speaking workplace. Second, I’m leveling up in Java (and Kotlin) so I can hit the ground running in a software engineering role once I get there.

By the time I’m ready to job-hunt again, I’ll have more than just an empty slot in my work history. I’ll be able to show tangible progress: language proficiency that makes me a stronger fit for Japanese companies, and coding projects that prove I’ve stayed sharp in tech. That’s how I plan to turn this “gap” into a clear asset—evidence that I’m serious about my goals, willing to invest in personal growth, and fully prepared for the next step of my career.

There were other concerns weighing on my mind, but these two were the biggest ones. Once I overcame them, I felt a renewed sense of purpose—like I could finally breathe again. Having spent 13 years in the industry without ever pressing the pause button, this break felt not only warranted but long overdue. Now that the decision’s made, I have a clear plan to reach my next milestone: a career in Japan. But that story deserves a post of its own—read the details here.