Couldn't they go to New York instead? Daisuke could take the promotion that way and the Ni...

Sometimes happiness is not found in work or wealth. Abundance and wealth are not the same. I've been blessed with both, but at different times. I lived very well when I was young because I made a lot of money through the work I did. I had lots of "things" and my bills were always paid with plenty of money to spare for playing. It seemed great at the time, but I was not happy. I was doing a job that did not give me pride in myself and it was very stressful. The money was excellent, sure, but there was no feeling of security or reward. I wasn't free to be myself and do the things that truly made me happy because my job interfered. When I retired from that, I did something completely different and made a lot less money, but I found the feeling of reward and security I had been searching for. For some, they are blessed to have both simultaneously. It's rare though, because there is no job worth doing that doesn't create some stress. When the stress and the reward balance, you have a job you enjoy, but when the reward outweighs the stress, you have a job you love. I think Nishioka and Matsusawa(sp) are people who need to have jobs they love, regardless of how much they make doing it. Also, at 30, priorities tend to get changed around a lot. That's when it happened for me too. Living and working only to please yourself gets old fast, especially when you get a taste of what it's like to live and work to please and provide for someone you love. Love really can, and does, change a person in many ways and in many aspects of their lives.

Kinda funny you wrote this at a time when I'm hating my own job despite how much I make. I'm quitting and taking it easy for a while, just need a break to find myself again and hopefully get some motivation. So I totally understand where you're coming from. It's been a year so I don't remember well, but still I just don't think it was fair for one to have to give up his lifestyle for the other. Yes he'd rather stay with the love of his life than move for a promotion that wouldn't give him any happiness, but that's not equivalent to throwing everything out the window for a country life you have no knowledge of. I can't see him being satisfied milking cows... Hopefully, this is temporary and they will reach a compromise where they're both happy with their careers and lives in general.

I'm both sad and happy at your reply. Sad because you're having a tough time in your life. Happy, because you have made a decision to move forward from what troubles you. Bravo. That's not an easy decision to make or put into motion. You've done well, congratulations.

If it is any comfort to you, Osaka is both metropolitan and rural. It is a city surrounded by farming suburbs. It is much like where I live in Montana. Just an hour away, is a bustling city with major names in industry and technology, yet in my neighborhood there are nothing but farms and ranches. I am blessed to have both friends and relatives who were born in, or live in, Japan. So, although I have never witnessed it myself, I am confident in their descriptions. With that being said, I don't think finding a career path that will bring him happiness will be a lost cause.

Thank you for the candor in your reply. I wish you only the very best on your adventure to seek happiness. May the road rise to meet you, the wind be always at your back and the sun smile upon your face.

Thank you. I feel I'm not deserving of your compliment just yet because I may have planned but haven't taken action yet. It's not the same thing but it's certainly a step forward.

And I'm really glad to hear that, although I feel silly because this is all fiction so what does it matter right? Haha, regardless I like to think they'll find something they like in Osaka or wherever they go. Realistically though, it's not easy to do that. :/

Pardon my conceit, but I feel my compliment is well deserved by you. "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step" and by choosing to make changes you have already taken that step. Please believe in yourself, otherwise, all the faith I have in you will seem misplaced. Pardon my conceit again, but it seems as if you have been hit pretty hard by a big dose of reality and it has shaken your resolve to follow a dream. Am I close, did I guess correctly? Reality and it's limitations do suck pretty hard, but you can still find happiness within those boundaries. Happiness is like a timid housecat, when you chase after it with all your might, it often escapes you. But, if you go about your life finding peace and stability, suddenly you'll find it curled up in your lap asleep. LOL Don't put too much pressure on yourself. You don't want to be too worn out to enjoy your happiness when you do find it, do you?

Thank you. You're somewhat close. Have you read the manga Solanin? If not I highly recommend it. My feelings right now are just like that main character at the beginning. You know, the usual just graduated from college but the real world is pretty disappointing kind of feeling. Corporate America just isn't doing it for me. But really, thanks so much for the encouragement! I hope to one day be satisfied and happy wherever I may be. Same to you as well my fellow internet lover haha