Go to school, graduate college with good grades, and maybe get rewarded with a shiny 9-5 corporate job. Does that sound familiar? This is the system society has laid out for us in order to be “successful.” Those who conform and follow through are considered qualified, intelligent, and hard-workers. No matter what, people will always judge those who choose anything less. Non-norms going down a different path will rarely receive words of encouragement until they have already succeeded. Even then, whispers can be heard where they are are viewed as lucky, suspicious, bitcoin (haha no), or “had help from their rich parents.” The overwhelming noise of negativity makes it difficult for others to think outside the box and to break free from the golden chains which holds us back. Society expects us to be average, not take risks, and settle for less. We should all just stick to our day jobs and consider it a blessing to have.
Well fuck that!
You shouldn’t have to do something just because everybody else thinks it’s the right way. Let me take a step back and make this clear. My goal is not to discourage people from choosing the “normal” path, but to help them realize it’s okay to diverge from it. The risks you take may not always go as planned, but it will give you the momentum to reach where you want to be. Whether you’re in school or slaving away in a corporate job. If you have been unhappy for a prolonged period of time and your guts keep telling you that you need change, then make it a goal to start changing now. If you never step outside of your comfort zone and try, then the answer will always be no.
"Only you are to be blamed if you're on your deathbed full of regrets."
I’ve been through the “system.” I come from a traditional Asian family who migrated to America from Vietnam (though I’m Chinese). My parents had to endure difficult times to make certain their children has the golden opportunity to attend college and secure a well paying job. I’ve always felt that I have the heart and mind of an entrepreneur, but it was already ingrained in my head to finish college. I ended up graduating with a degree in business finance and immediately began my journey to fulfill the American Dream.
It was difficult trying to get hired straight out of college. Entry level jobs required 3-5 years of work experience. I thought to myself, “is this a joke?” I was getting desperate because many of my friends had already secured prestigious jobs. I was heavily criticized by my peers telling me I was the problem and that I wasn’t trying hard enough. I quickly accepted the first offer that came my way in fear of not receiving anything else. It was a supply chain management position at a giant fortune 500 oil & gas services company. The pay was low and I had been hoping to get into the trading industry. I convinced myself to suck it up for a year and then apply to another company that will align closer to my goals.
A year passed and a recruiter contacted me to reapply for a position at a company where I was previously rejected from. It was a financial trade reporting position at an energy trading company. I was literally bursting with joy when I received an offer letter. I started the new job motivated, rarely took vacations, excelled in my position, and even gained a lifelong mentor. I received several pay raises and was promoted to lead within two years. Things started off quick and busy, until I unknowingly suffered career fatigue. I became constantly exhausted from the feelings displacement and boredom. On top of that, I was dissatisfied with how the company tends to underpay their worker bees. I quickly learned that if you’re good at your job, you will be rewarded with more responsibilities at minimal to zero pay increases. Frustrated with my situation, I began to seek out companies who values their employees more and offers a competitive salary. I thought a change in work environment and salary increase would make me happier.
Little did I know, my goals were all wrong.
In 2015, my older sister decided to plan a family trip to Nicaragua during the New Year’s in hopes to encourage us to travel more. It was my first time traveling internationally since becoming an adult. I was nervous when requesting for a whole week off since i’ve been conditioned to think taking time off is discouraged. Up until this point, the prospect of travel hadn’t crossed my career-obsessed mind. My vacation request was approved.
Traveling to Nicaragua was the turning point of my life. Even though the country is underdeveloped and poor, the locals were mainly courteous and heartwarming. They live a non-materialistic life where status and popularity isn’t attached to the car you drive or the brand of clothes you wear. Indeed, living in Nicaragua is rough, but they are most grateful to be with family and friends in a beautiful environment. It made me realize that western society culture has successfully trapped us in the rat race. We have been brainwashed to overspend on useless shit making it difficult to get out before it’s too late.
We have prioritized our goals to earn more money because that is the universal definition for success. When you don’t have enough money, they’ll be glad to give you a loan with absurd interest rates. It gives us the ability to buy nice houses, throw lavish weddings, have kids and start college funds. This is what most would consider the American Dream. Once society has you locked down, you’re less willing to take risks because you now cannot afford to lose your job. You start pushing off everything that makes you happy and you end up lying to yourself thinking you can buy yourself the freedom to enjoy life later.
While there’s nothing wrong with that lifestyle, it just doesn’t intrigue me. At least not right now. As I began to travel more often after Nicaragua, I realized just how tiny we are. There’s so much more to see and explore in life than to be stuck in the corporate grind. Nobody ever says, “damn, I wish I was at the office more often.” Being tied down behind my computer and executing the same repetitive routines made me angry. I couldn’t imagine doing this for the rest of my life and then dying. I wanted out of this lifestyle, and I wanted it now.
"Years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the things you did do.
My next two jobs each suffered the same fate. I always began motivated but eventually heading back down the same rabbit hole. It started coming faster, and much harder. The 9-5 jobs weren’t even 9-5 anymore. It was more like 9-9! I continued convincing and lying to myself until I was at the peak of my career. I had worked my way up in the corporate ladder and became a manager, making well over six figures at a young age. Having extra disposable income allowed me to take short exotic vacations to refresh myself. But it was never enough. I soon found myself constantly daydreaming in my suffocating cubicle with bright monitor lights glaring across my sad face. I was lost, dazed, and confused. I began to question whether my social status, wealth, and success were worth it.
I woke up everyday, uninspired with no will to live.
I was going down the path of serious depression and knew I had to do something quick to change my situation. My sister had just quit her job and took a year long trip around the world. This largely inspired me to do the same. So I prioritized paying off all my outstanding debts such as student and car loans in order to minimize my risks and excuses. It was several months later after I was already ready when I finally had enough of the corporate bullshit and pulled the trigger. I finally put in my resignation at age 29 to travel the world.
It was as if a tremendous weight had been lifted off my shoulders. I now have more time and freedom to pursue things I’m passionate about. Things that made me happy. I’ve grown and gained new perspectives in life, ones only able to be acquired through traveling. I still hear the same chatters that used to make me hesitate my decision.
- You have a great and high paying job. It’s wasteful to throw it all away.
- Traveling is expensive. Where will you get the money?
- You’re not getting any younger. You’ll eventually need to settle down.
My journey hasn’t been entirely easy, and it is still only the beginning of my pursuit of happiness. I don’t have a set plan and I do often worry about running out of money. But part of the learning experience is finding a way. I tell myself i’ll go back to the “real word” when i’m ready. As time passes, I question myself if I could ever go back to that dreadful life? I’ve never once regretted my decision to take the plunge. I want to be able to define my own “success.” Needless to say, I won’t be going back to the 9-5 life anytime soon.
-Max the Explorer 11/29/2018
Was this post inspiring for you? Drop a comment below to let us know your thoughts!
This is inspiring. I was thinking the same. I don’t doubt you will have lots of success. When you follow your dreams you never lose. I also have a blog would appreciate the support.
If you never play the game, you can never win either! Thank you for your support. Will do the same for you 😉
Very inspiring indeed! I’ll always remember the moment I realized how much I love traveling. And I do travel as much as possible ever since. Happy travels! (:
Thanks, Backpacking Panda! That first moment we catch the travel bug is truly a remarkable feeling! Never stop exploring!
Wow, all of this takes me back in time. I was at this same spot for a few years until I also decided to pull the plug on the 9-5 two years ago, and I’ve been happy ever since.
I travelled for a while and now have rellocated to China at a job that gives me more than enough free time to continue travelling.
Cheers to you and good luck! 👍
That is inspiring to hear, Dan! Thanks for sharing this with us. Looking forward to plenty more stories!
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