“If we don’t change, we don’t grow. If we don’t grow, we aren’t really living.”
– Anatole France
I was stuck in a rut I could not escape – my work from home life during the pandemic began to feel like I was living at work. I felt trapped in a suffocating routine and began having panic attacks. I dreaded going to bed because I dreaded starting a new day. I had become one of the “living-dead people” and a slave to a routine I hated.
At 33, I asked myself, “Is this it? Is this the rest of my life?”
My answer? “Absolutely not.”
I realized I had reached peak millennial burnout, and I needed a change. But how does one just change?
For the first time in ages, I made my mental health a priority. Gradually, I carved out precious moments to meditate, and in those quiet moments, I realized something: I had become complacent and stopped living a long time ago — well before COVID upended everyone’s life.
After the whirlwind of the past few years, we’re all yearning for “normalcy.” But what if this upheaval is an invitation for growth? For me, a self-proclaimed (extroverted) introvert with a moderate aversion to change, the answer was clear: travel.
I contemplated the biggest leap I could take — and took it quickly, before I could second-guess myself. Why trade the stability of a 9-to-5 job for the uncertainty of freelance life and a one-way ticket to Los Angeles? Because it was necessary to reclaim my life — a leap of faith driven by a need to feel something real again. I’ve tried some new things and failed a few times, but through it all, I’ve reignited an unyielding curiosity about the world and myself.
And one thing I’ve discovered through all of this is that I’m not alone. I think we’re all on a quest for something more — something real.
So why travel, why now? Because why not? Why go back to a “normal” 9-to-5? These aren’t normal times. So be abnormal. Be curious. Be the most authentic version of you. Learn by doing, love fiercely, and travel incessantly — whatever nurtures the best version of you. This journey of self-discovery is messy, exhilarating, and essential. I’m committed to becoming the best version of myself — without compromise.
So consider this to be an exploration of my uncharted self — my most authentic self.
Anthony Bourdain said, “Travel changes you.” I’m living proof. So if you, too, are feeling stuck or yearning for something more, maybe it’s time for your own leap. Let’s embrace the unknown together.