Maybe it’s from playing too many video games, but I see life as a series of stages. So I’m glad to announce that I’ve leveled up and unlocked a new world: Japan.

I’m taking the plane this Thursday and moving there for the next 3 years. My wife got a scholarship to do her PhD in Osaka, and since I work remotely anyway I’ll be joining her.

We both love Japan and have been there 3 times together. We love travelling, living abroad (we’ve previously lived in Switzerland and China), and learning new languages, so it’s a great opportunity for both of us.

Japan also has all the things that I love, i.e. design, martial arts, and great food. I’m looking forward to meeting new people, having new experiences, and generally beginning a new phase in my life.

This new beginning will also be the occasion to refocus myself on personal projects. Folyo is doing ok, but I feel it could be a lot more successful if I really focus all my efforts on it. And the recent success of my eBook has shown me that even smaller projects can have a big impact.

And then there are the small, fun side-projects like Patternify and bigger endeavors like Locomotive.

So I really have high hopes for this move. I truly believe t’s up to us to make every moment of every day live up to its full potential. But sometimes it takes a big change of scenery to remind us of this!

Required Listening: Once Upon a Time in Japan, by Rakim