I am in my early 20s and graduated from college last year. Spending my first year as a working adult has made me question my future career and life plans. I spent my childhood in Japan and moved to the US for university as there were more opportunities for my field. I had an amazing time during college but living on campus was really like a bubble, and I realized after working for a year that Tokyo provides experiences that you cannot get in any major US city and I feel more at-home with Japanese culture.
I would like to move to Tokyo at some point, but I also never experienced working life in Japan so I'm not sure if I'm just looking at it with a biased view. I currently work at a top pharmaceutical company, save up monthly the average Japanese 新卒 monthly pay, and have the opportunity to pursue a 4-year part time masters at a top US university funded by the company. I could alternatively start a PhD here, where funding and research opportunities are better than in Japan. I would be leaving these opportunities if I, for example, chose to move to Japan to pursue a masters/PhD.
However, I'm also worried that if I do continue with a masters or PhD in the US, I would only be able to move to Japan near my 30s and by that time, everyone would have already settled down and it would be difficult to make new friends and find a partner.
Just hoping to get some insights from people on this sub who have experience with making this kind of decision / can provide experience from having longer life experiences. I feel like I just followed the flow of things until graduating college, and this is really the first time I am thinking long-term about my future.
by natrium__