My Way of Buying Trouble with 130,000 Yen

Unexpected Transition from External to Internal Journey

We all need excitement to stay motivated and feel happy, don't we? But what would you do if you realized that a passion, once the source of your excitement, was fading away?

In times of stagnation, traveling used to be my escape. I cherished the ambiance of airports, reveling in the spacious atmosphere created by high ceilings. Watching people come and go busily, minding only their own business, always satisfied me.

What I loved most was the excitement I experienced while traveling in non-native countries with different cultures and sometimes perplexing norms. These situations often posed challenges, but such challenges always brought rewards in the form of excitement as I strove to find solutions. And I enjoyed that.

However, nothing is permanent, and that includes my approach to travel. As my journeys became more frequent and as I became more proficient in English, I found it increasingly difficult to recapture the same level of excitement I once took for granted.

In the end, the excitement I felt heavily depended on feelings of alienation and desperation due to a lack of communication. But when you speak English, the universal language, there's always someone you can communicate with and seek assistance from if needed. In other words, the so-called 'GAIKOKU' (foreignness) gradually diminished from my world, taking the excitement with it.

A life without challenges might be comfortable, but comfort can quickly become monotonous. So, what's next for me? How can I rediscover the excitement that traveling once brought me? Oh, I should probably mention, my budget is quite modest – just 130,000 yen per month, the amount remaining after handling all my essential expenses. This is also another factor to consider.

After giving much thought to this, I realized that starting a business could be a suitable replacement. By starting a business, just like traveling, I'd encounter many expected and unexpected obstacles. To overcome them, I'd need to slow down, assess the situation, and take decisive action. On some occasions, I might face an overwhelming issue, but that’s OK. I'd just need to acknowledge my ignorance and ask for help.

As long as you're young enough to accept the embarrassment, most challenges are solvable. I learned this from my travels.

Whether it's traveling or launching a business, the essence of excitement comes from the same place. You will notice that it often arises from finding yourself already in trouble, identifying a problem, breaking it down, and taking decisive action. In the end, you find yourself growing, almost like a happy accident.

Now I have to figure out what service I can provide and how to market it. What will the company name be? Does it need its own website? Should I build it myself, or should I outsource? Will merchants take me seriously? Do I need a license to import products? And what about customs duty?

You see, just trying to take a baby step into a new journey, I can smell the excitement already.

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今月の収支（2023.09.28）