4 –  LIFE JOURNEY IN 10 KEY CHAPTERS

 

1. Childhood intelligence meets invisible obstacles

I began reading and writing well before school age. My teacher wanted me to skip a grade, but my parents declined out of caution, worried I might struggle later on. That decision, though well-meaning, left me with a quiet sense of limitation. In a family environment that rarely nurtured my confidence, early doubts about my abilities began to take root.

 

2. Academic frustration and creative awakening

I was later redirected toward a caregiving career, and never truly had the chance to explore my early interest in computing. I found the school environment oppressive and uninspiring, and gradually turned inward. While boarding at a strict private school, I began writing my first novel "Kinoko Legend", inspired by the first Japanese word I ever learned: kinoko (“mushroom”) LOL. Drawing, sketching, then writing the story became my refuge. I was facing bullying at the time, and writing gave me a way to reclaim space, voice, and meaning.

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3. Entrepreneurship & early disillusionment

At 18, I opened a small video game and manga shop, supported by my grandfather. Things were going smoothly; I had a clear preference for working solo. Until dishonesty and theft from clients forced me to close it two years later. That disillusionment deepened my mistrust of the public and reinforced my preference for solitude.

 

4. From odd jobs to literary persistence

I cycled through a variety of small jobs (factories, stores, offices) always chosen with one goal: to earn just enough while preserving time to write. Despite sending out numerous manuscripts, I faced rejection from traditional publishers. I self-published a few novels and received encouraging local feedback, but I lacked exposure and had no online presence (which I also feared at the time). My writing career grew slowly, far from the spotlight.

 

5. Postal worker by strategy, not by calling

To gain financial independence and qualify for a mortgage, I passed the civil service exam for postal work, placing among the top candidates out of 500. At 23, I bought non-buildable land and personally handled every step to make it viable (utilities, access road, and more). Without realizing it at the time, I had tripled its value. When I later decided to resell, the original sellers tried to reclaim a share out of regret. I waited two more years before selling, legally protecting myself from their claim. It became my first real estate success.

 

6. Emigration and reinvention in Canada

Unable to afford home construction in France, I decided to settle in Quebec. The safety, the civility, the low cost of homes, and the proximity to the U.S. matched my long-held dream of peaceful independence. I moved in with a friend, who left two years later. Now living independently (no family, no friends), I built a new life from scratch. Through bold but calculated steps, I bought four properties and managed them alone: cleaning, renovating, renting. I was a landlord, a worker, a manager... but still, an author.

 

7. From burnout to academic rebirth

At 30, I had become the owner of four houses. But I had aimed too high... and when tenants stopped paying or damaged the properties, I came close to financial collapse. I quickly sold everything before falling into full debt. At that turning point, I met the partner who’s still with me today and he encouraged me to go back to school. I completed a new degree in medical/legal transcription with a 97% average, and created my own small transcription business... until COVID, high provincial taxes and instability forced me to pause.

 

8. Personal losses and inner storms

I lost my grandmother in 2018, my most important emotional anchor. I also endured relationship struggles, the theft of my cryptocurrency savings, and the shock of a diabetes diagnosis for my beloved cat Mini. The year 2022 was my lowest point: emotional collapse, financial hardship, physical symptoms, and isolation.

 

9. Quiet rebuilding and newfound strength

Thanks to a profitable house sale, I regained financial control. I completed renovations myself, moved to a peaceful area for my cats, and accepted a gifted plot of land from my partner to build a custom little home, debt-free.

 

10. A new chapter built on meaning

Mini passed away in May 2025, after nearly three years of battling diabetes. That grief closed a long and painful chapter of my life. Only my other cat, Chouchou, remained by my side,  along with a new artistic project, Woundipets, that blends my love for animals with creativity and compassion.

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AUTHOR'S NOTE:

From the outside, my life may seem like a series of unfinished paths... as if I gave up each time things got hard.

But there’s one thing I’ve never abandoned: my artistic journey.

Every job, every side project, every survival strategy was never the destination. They were simply ways to keep going… while waiting for the moment I could fully dedicate myself to what truly mattered.​

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