Looking back at six months in Japan

Happy new year to y’all following along with my updates here. I hope everyone had peaceful holidays and a fantastic start into 2020.

Naturally, the beginning of a new year inspires one to look back and reflect on some of the things -good or bad- that happened in the past one. In my case that rang particularly true as it marked half a year spent in Tokyo. The second half of 2019 has probably been the most physically and emotionally taxing period of my career so far. At the same time, I’ve been fortunate to get to meet and work together with many very bright individuals and was able to gain experiences that will last a lifetime. Six months back, I couldn’t possibly have imagined the different things -technical and non-technical- I would (have to) learn in such a short time.

So what’s the verdict – will I stick around in Japan for long? Well, what I can say is that I will certainly not grow old here. As much as I grew to appreciate the culture, as convenient as everyday life is in Tokyo, and as beautiful the countryside is, there are fundamental things I could probably never adapt to with my liberal western upbringing. But for now, it’s pretty good fun.