Just found this sub! I have two simultaneously lives (China-focused national security researcher, Tokyo-focused urban studies professor) with solid professional success in both. Happy to offer thoughts or tips, if any of you have questions about your own personal journeys.
I recently turned 40, and I've learned a lot over the years about how to make two separate professional/intellectual lives work at the same time. So far, it's gone pretty well for me -- as a national security expert, I've gotten to work on a wide range of important geopolitical problems. As an urban studies researcher, our book on how Tokyo's unique urbanism works has traveled far beyond my wildest dreams, and even got shortlisted for Urbanist Book of the Year. There have also, of course, been a lot of challenges and setbacks along the way. I've done my best to learn from them; if you think there's advice or perspective I could provide that would be useful for your own journeys, please ask me anything you want.
Edit: *two simultaneous lives lol, wish I could edit that title typo