My Journey
Up to Age 25
This was a time of dreaming, imagining, and wanting to try everything — wondering where I wanted to live and what I wanted to do with my life.
As a primary school child, I learned that English was spoken all over the world, and I dreamed of one day meeting people from across the globe. I threw myself into studying English — yet somehow, I found myself working in customer service at an IT company in Japan. Riding the wave of the times, I soon began moving into web design.
Even so, somewhere in the back of my mind, there was always a quiet wish: "One day, I want to leave Japan and live abroad."
I considered studying overseas and even a working holiday in Canada, but after weighing up my options, I eventually settled on Bangkok, Thailand. I was captivated by the energy of the city — not just the local people, but the many foreigners who called it home, and a sense of vibrant, forward-moving growth that I had never felt in Japan or anywhere else. I made the decision to move.
I went alone, with no one to rely on. Looking back, it was the boldness — and perhaps the impulsiveness — of youth.
Up to Age 35
Living and working in a country with a different culture and environment, I began to think about what new chapter might come next.
The early days in Thailand were full of challenges — navigating an unfamiliar culture and language was often a struggle. But those experiences gradually became part of who I am. Over time, I changed jobs several times, working in sales at a Japanese trading company, in the IT industry, and eventually rising to a management position at an international logistics company.
It was around this time that I first encountered coaching. I was curious, and I read books on business coaching — but at the time, it was mainly a source of practical tips for managing relationships and navigating the workplace. I wasn't yet thinking of it as anything more than that.
After a long time in Thailand, I began to feel a quiet sense of completion — as though one chapter was drawing to a close and it might be time to begin a new one. Around this period, my father fell ill, which prompted me to reflect more deeply on the life I wanted to live.
As I turned these thoughts over in my mind, I took a holiday to visit a friend in London. On a whim, I extended the trip to Paris — my first time in Europe. After so many years in Thailand and across Southeast Asia, the streets and culture of Paris felt wonderfully fresh and refreshing.
I had an unexpected encounter in Paris during that visit. At the time, I had no idea that it would eventually lead me to leave Bangkok and make Paris my new home.
Age 40 — and the Present
Still navigating parenthood, work, and the ongoing question of what I want from life.
The year I moved to Paris was one of the most significant of my life — all at once, I said goodbye to my long chapter in Thailand, lost my father, and got married. Even now, I think of it as a year that changed everything.
Arriving in France, I carried a vague uncertainty about what came next. The life I'd known before — busy, fast-paced, driven — didn't seem to translate. I decided to start by exploring my interests, and studied perfumery, eventually finding work connected to it. But when I looked further ahead, something still felt missing.
Then my first son was born, then my second. The years of raising young children passed at an extraordinary pace. There was deep joy and fulfilment in being a mother — but as the children grew more independent, a question began to surface: "What does fulfilment actually mean for me, going forward?"
It was then that I remembered life coaching. I had the opportunity to experience a session — and something resonated with me deeply: "This is the path I want to take." That something was becoming a life coach myself.
I went on to complete a Master Course in NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming) and life coaching through an online programme based in the United States, and received my certification. And so, my life as a coach began.
To this day, I continue learning alongside coaches from around the world. Looking back, I realise that a dream I held long ago — to connect with people across the globe — is now something I live through my work as a life coach. I look forward to meeting clients from many different countries, and to continuing that journey together.