A couple of days ago, the moment I had been waiting for so many months came and I got my Certificate of Eligibility to work as an ALT for a dispatch company in Japan. I am supposed to leave in mid-March which is in a little more than a month, and while I have so many things to settle (such as finalizing my Visa application at the embassy, finding accommodation, booking my flight, and finding the financial resources to cope with everything when I arrive in Japan), but what really stresses me out is the fact that my parents are not supportive at all of my decision.
To give a little bit of context, I am a 25 year old engineering graduate from Europe and since I graduated, I have spent the last year and a half doing side hustles in sales to get by. My plan is to go to Japan for a timespan of 1 or 2 years to do ALT teaching, and then leave Japan and go back to my home country, or any other country abroad to pursue my career in engineering.
However, my parents don’t let a day go by without reminding me what a waste of time it is to go across the globe to do such a low-paying job in a field that is not related whatsoever to my degree and has no beneficial work experience to offer me. Basically, they think that going this ALT route is a career suicide and it is bound to bring irreversible consequences to my career and to my post-Japan life. Even though I keep reminding them that it is only for a little while and it might even be for as little as 1 year, they insist that it will destroy my carrer and future life.
Of course, it’s not just their logical objections that are making me feel guilty about my decision to go to Japan, but rather the emotional pressure I am receiving. We have always been a very close family throughout all these years and I really love my family so much. Although I have lived in another European country before for a brief period of time (2 months), to them going accross the globe and not being able to see me for maybe a year or so is unthinkable. They think that our relationship will not be the same if we lose contact for 1 year and this just makes me so sad.
I am so stressed out about the whole situation. I was so excited about going to Japan despite all the hardships of the ALT job, and having the burden of this decision really takes away all the joy. Please help me, I need all advice I can get. I really love my family and I don’t want to leave and disappoint my parents/grandparents and make everyone feel depressed or feel like I abandoned them and disregarded their feelings. But neither do I want to abandon my dream and miss out on what might be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that so many people would give anything to have. I am really lost. Please, I really appreciate any advice you give me. Thank you all in advance.