I left my job at 50 to keep a promise to my wife. I didn't expect rural Japan to change my career.

At 50, David Ellis moved to Japan and built a new career promoting hidden destinations near Mount Fuji.

Provided by David Ellis

When I returned to Japan at 50, it was to keep a promise.Fresh out of university in 1990, I had the opportunity to teach English through Japan's Ministry of Education. I had no idea how to teach, but I wasn't about to pass up the chance to live in Asia.I expected to leave Japan on my own after a few years. Instead, I met the woman who would become my wife.

It happened in an unusual way. While we were rock climbing about 50 feet off the ground, a friend asked me in broken English if I wanted a lover. It struck me as a funny time to ask, but I was intrigued.Through a friend of a friend, we were introduced, and we married a couple of years later. More than 30 years on, we're still together.

Ellis and his wife built a family while living in the UAE and Qatar.