Half a decade ago today, I embarked on a new journey of my life - to live in the unknown, away from my family and friends. I've always challenged myself by stepping out of my comfort zone but this was the biggest challenge so far.

Sometimes you'll discover things about yourself when you are in a new environment, which will lead to growth and maturity.

For those who don't know, I'm a foreigner living in Japan. I've always been mistaken for a Japanese national or a half-Japanese. I don't know why, maybe because my blogs are all about Japan..? I'm a Filipino by the way and a proud member of Hive PH community (Shout out!! LOL). I've always loved Japan and now, here I am living in the land of the rising sun for 5 wonderful years!

I've shared a bit of my story in my previous blog post here.

The past 5 years have been nothing but exciting. It's not always butterflies and rainbows though. I've been through a lot, and believe it or not, I'm always broke. Filipinos always have this perception that living/working abroad can make you rich and when you go back to your hometown, you're required to give loads of cash to your family and/or relatives. But yeah, I've always wondered where my money goes. 😂 But I think I have an idea where. 🚄🍣🍜🍵💸

The main reason why I chose to come to Japan was to travel and experience the culture. Ooopps, I came here to work of course! 😂 But when I have an opportunity to go around, you wouldn't see me in the house. I've been to 24 out of 47 prefectures in Japan and I want to complete them all. I have no concrete plans yet though, and I'm not in a hurry to complete them.

One of the hurdles I encountered in the first few days was getting vinegar from the grocery store. There were so many types, I just don't know what to get. I took photos to send to my friend @thinkeringbart but sometimes he wasn't online so I had to translate the labels by myself. Google Translate app was my very best friend at that time. 😂

These photos are some random shots I took with my camera and my phone 5 years ago, during my first 2 months in Osaka, and some I took when I went to Tokyo for a business trip. My friends took photos of me when I was in Shibuya.

The first time I cross the street in the famous Shibuya crossing, I felt overwhelmed because of the crowd. There was even a group of young men who were holding a signboard saying Free Hugs. I found it hilarious and crazy! Shibuya was fun. And til now, it still is!

I was used to walking but not this much! When I first arrived, I didn't know I would be walking a lot every single day. And the crowd walking with you was also so fast so you couldn't help but be fast in walking too! I thought meeting my friends in Tokyo would be relaxing but we walked from Shibuya station to Harajuku station. Good thing, we weren't that fast and it wasn't super cold so I managed.

My friends lived in Tokyo while I lived in Osaka so I was forced to meet new friends. I hang out with my coworkers on work weekdays but most of the time, I roam around Osaka by myself.

Prior to coming to Japan, I prepared myself to enjoy things alone like watching movies alone, dining out by myself, and many others. So I kinda enjoyed my own company, especially in this foreign land. It was Winter when I arrived in Japan so I wasn't used to the cold yet. One time, I was walking around the neighborhood and suddenly felt cold because it became windy so I was praying that I would reach the house sooner, but I was still so far from it.

Looking at the photos I took, I couldn't help but reminisce about these random and wonderful moments. I still have difficulties but at least, I've graduated from the basic ones. I got used to living in Japan, and will probably continue to live here for a long time. I'm even thinking of getting a permanent residence but that's still too far from the future.

Since it's an anniversary, I guess I should do something special. What do you think? Should I buy myself a cake? 😅

---

Thanks for reading!
See you around! じゃあ、またね！

---

^{All photos are taken using my phone/camera unless stated otherwise.}