
Why I Decided to Become a Nomad
It’s been a year and a half since I realized my dream of "traveling the world while working," something I had admired since I was a student. Perhaps the idea of this lifestyle started taking root as far back as elementary school.
Back then, I grew up under conservative parents and was exposed to the common idea of “becoming an ordinary employee and working until retirement.” However, this concept never really resonated with me. I remember declaring to my parents, “I don’t want to become a regular salaryman in the future!” (Although they’ve probably forgotten by now.)
With my natural curiosity about the world, I took the opportunity to study abroad for a year at Ohio University during college. There were two reasons for this decision:
- I believed that English would be an essential tool for navigating the modern world.
- I wanted to leave Japan and see more of the world with my own eyes.
During my time abroad, I was the only Japanese student in my classes, but I enjoyed connecting with international students, attending weekly house parties, joining a local dance club to practice and interact with students from other schools, traveling to Toronto, Canada in the summer, and visiting New York and Chicago in the winter.
These experiences might have been the foundation for my dream of wanting to see more of the world and eventually work while traveling the globe.
I realized that "working anywhere in the world" would require acquiring a skillset, so I started thinking about what profession could make that possible. It was around this time that I met someone abroad who mentioned they wanted to pursue a career in programming. This was my first introduction to the profession of an IT engineer.
Committing to Becoming an IT Engineer
In 2013, after returning to Japan and entering my senior year of university, I began job hunting.
Initially, I attended company presentations for global businesses like manufacturers of screws, rubber products, and food companies. Since I was a liberal arts major, I thought sales positions were my only option and followed the crowd in this direction.
However, I found myself surrounded by highly competent students and realized I wasn’t passionate about the roles I was applying for. Frustrated by my lack of progress, I started exploring other career paths and came across IT companies through job boards like Mynavi and Recruit.
It was a time when “entry-level IT engineering jobs” were becoming a thing. That’s when I thought, “Maybe I could become an IT engineer, the profession I learned about during my study abroad. If I acquire these skills, perhaps I could work globally.”
Back then, transitioning into IT from a liberal arts background was highly welcomed (though I’m unsure about today). Seizing the opportunity, I quickly submitted my resume, landed a job offer at an IT company, and embarked on the path to becoming an engineer.
My Career as a Corporate IT Engineer
After joining an IT company, I underwent a 2-3 month training period where I learned about workplace etiquette and basic programming using C and Java. I was then assigned to a project at another company in Toyosu.
Yes, without much research, I had joined an SES (System Engineering Service) company rather than an in-house development company. (SES companies dispatch engineers to work on projects at client companies.)
Contrary to my preconception of wearing casual clothes to work, I commuted in a suit every day, leading what was often referred to as an “IT grunt worker” lifestyle. I’ll spare the details about the working hours here.
After about a year, the stress took a toll on my nervous system, and I developed depression, struggling to hold back tears and communicate effectively with others. Still, determined not to leave a gap in my career, I persevered at work.
Looking back, I’m grateful for my time at the SES company. Unlike in-house development roles, SES allowed me to work on a variety of products, which greatly improved my skills. I was fortunate to be assigned to excellent projects.
During my corporate engineer career, I worked at two companies. At the first, I spent about five years on desktop and web application development. At the second, I spent two and a half years on private cloud development.
When I left my first company, I had a strong desire to travel and live abroad. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic and my goal of becoming a full-stack engineer (proficient in everything from infrastructure to application development), I decided to switch jobs. In hindsight, this was a wise decision.
In 2023, as I turned 30, I felt confident in my skills and decided it was the right time to pursue my dream of freelancing and living as a nomad. After 7.5 years as a corporate IT engineer, I transitioned to this new path.
Life as a Nomad Engineer Today

Living a nomadic lifestyle has significantly increased my sense of happiness compared to my time as a corporate employee. During my company days, I often couldn't find the time to visit places I had dreamed of, but now I can finally go to those places I once had to give up on.
When I step outside for a break after work, I'm greeted by extraordinary experiences—a chance to enjoy local cuisine or explore famous landmarks. I'm fortunate to be living the life I envisioned as a student.
Life happens only once, and I want to fulfill as many of my desires and aspirations as possible.