Wednesday, July 9th, Sapporo, Japan

I made it to the capital of Hokkaido: Sapporo. Today brought a mix of internal and external realizations. After nearly a year of not watching TV, I saw a screen playing volleyball in the sauna. I was reminded how much of TV, entertainment, and modern comfort is just noise. A distraction. I do like sports and competition though. There's free Wi-Fi in the streets here, warm showers with perfect water pressure, and toilets that warm your butt and spray water in your ass. It's all nice… but is it all worth it? It makes me wonder if we're losing something essential. Comfort—especially in the so-called developed world—can be numbing. It makes life too easy, too predictable. We evolved from hardship. There's value in the struggle, in the cold showers, in unreliable Wi-Fi, in things being out of your control. Because everything works here. Mostly. And while that's usually framed as a good thing, I can't help but feel there are some serious drawbacks. Take cost, for example. The biggest shock so far has been the price of hostel rooms—and even food. In Sapporo, hostel beds are around $40 a night or more. That's a stark contrast to Southeast Asia, where I've slept comfortably for $5. When I was still at my plush tech job a year and a half ago, nothing ever seemed expensive. But now, as a hippie backpacker wandering the world, the price disparities feel absurd. Sure, I understand the basic economics behind it—GDP, wages, purchasing power—but it doesn't feel logical. People in the "first world" are often paying more for a lower quality of life: unhealthy food that's overpriced, polluted and noisy cities, chronic homelessness, and a general lack of vitality or vigor. It's not a good deal. And that's what really gets me: I can more easily see myself teaching yoga on a beach in Southeast Asia than clocking in at a corporate office again. But here's the catch—I know I have more to give. More intellect to exhaust, more creativity to build with. I'm not meant to just drift around the world high on sunshine and smoothies forever. There's a deeper calling. That's why I'm excited to try my hand at entrepreneurship. I want to create something of value, something meaningful—something that gives me the freedom to curate an international lifestyle while contributing in a way that matters. For now, Sapporo is just the latest mirror reflecting the trade-offs we all live with. And I'm paying attention.