Why I Quit My Job to Travel

Go to school, get a job, save money, buy a house, get married, have kids, save more money, then retire. That is what we are all expected to do right? Well that’s not for me. Do I plan on doing these things one day? Probably. But right now is not my time to follow the norm. I have nothing against the people that do this with their life, but it’s not what I want or need at this stage in my life. This past Friday was my last day at my job before I get on a plane with a one way ticket. I am feeling many emotions: happiness; sadness (I work with kids, so saying bye to them is never easy); guilt because I’m not following society’s idea of what a 27 year old should be doing; scared because I’ve never done something like this before; relief because I have never experienced life without school or work stress; but overall excitement for what’s ahead. 

It wasn’t an easy decision to quit my job. I went back and forth about it countless amount of times, but in the end, I decided to quit my job and it feels right. 

One reason I quit is quite frankly because I love to travel. I love experiencing new things, meeting new people, learning about other cultures, and seeing new places. You learn to be more open minded and realize that we are all humans sharing one planet. You learn to communicate with people who don’t speak your language, you learn to problem solve when something goes wrong, you learn to appreciate what this world has to offer, and you learn to be grateful for everything that you have. And to be honest, I really want to scratch off more countries on my map. 

I decided to leave my job to travel as a way to push myself out of my comfort zone. The past few years I have really tried to get out of my comfort zone as much as possible. It gives me a sense of self growth. It challenges me to reach my full potential. I always surprise myself with what I am capable of. I did a triathlon for the first time, got scuba certified, went bungee jumping, learned new hobbies (one of which was starting this blog website on my own), etc. Pushing myself out of this zone is one way I overcome my anxiety which can hold me back at times. So now I get to add budget traveling to my list of things I’ve done to escape the comfort zone. 

I am a type A person. I like plans, order, organization, and what to expect. I overthink every decision. And don’t get me wrong, these qualities have also helped me be very successfulI, but I envy the care free people who can easily go with the flow. Traveling without any income and with barely any plan scares me which is why I know this is the right choice. I also envy the people who are always present in the moment. I often dwell on the past and constantly get anxious about my future. I am hoping this trip will help me to learn to live in the moment and be present.  

I value experience. I view money as an avenue to have experiences. I would rather experience new things than spend my savings on material goods. I have worked hard and have saved money to get to a place where I can go on this trip. To me, money isn’t everything, but it definitely helps my ability to travel. And now I am beyond excited to spend my money on experiences I will remember for a lifetime.

The main reason I have left my job is to finally find myself. I have always done what everyone expects of me and now it is my turn to find what truly makes me happy. Will I stay in the same field that I work in now? No idea. Do I want to come back and live in Chicago? Not sure. My life is currently a giant question mark and for once I am okay with that. To Iceland and beyond! Cheers!