Last week, I was reading Shannon’s RTW (Round the World) trip blog and came across a post about the moment she committed to a RTW trip. She mentions that she was going through “what can only be described as my quarter-life crisis.” And I had to consider how much of what I’ve done this last year has been due to a similar circumstance?
About two years ago, I got stuck in a quagmire of boredom. I was working a 9-5 with the company I’d been with for the previous 7 years. Frustrated with the lack of challenge and pretty much drifting through my work day, I anxiously awaited lunch breaks and the end of the day when I could jump on my motorbike and rev a little excitement into my day.
My social life was changing. Many of my friends were settling into serious career commitments, getting married, and starting families. A shoulder injury had sidelined me from most active sports and I was spending more and more of my evenings and weekends in-front of the tv instead of on a field or in a gymnasium.
Kelly and I were pretty much living together, though we both still had our own places. It was getting to the point where buying a house together and committing myself to one city was becoming an inevitability. It was the next logical step in the 1-2-3 guide to normal life.
The problem was that normal life wasn’t making me happy. It wasn’t just the job, or the changing social landscape, or the commitment to one place. It was all of it combined and I didn’t want to tweak it a little bit, or try to adjust an element or two. I felt a compelling need to change it all at once and try something completely different.
Thankfully, Kelly understood my impulsiveness and was in a somewhat similar situation. What followed was months of talking, research, preparation, doubt, and anxiety. But we did it with smiles on our faces.
In the end, I think I sabotaged it all for the best. I may own next to nothing and I may not call any one place home, but I’m making enough money and work on what I want to, when I want to. I’m closer with many of my friends and family than ever before. And I’m committed. Not to a place, but to a lifestyle that brings me great happiness.
I can’t wait for my mid-life crisis.
Posted by: Shim
I can not agree more! I don’t mind to have a crisis every few years :)
This sounds very familiar :)
We’re leaving in Februari. Planning everything as we speak. And although a few things aren’t going exactly as we planned, which causes some stress, I haven’t felt happier in years.
Thank you for the shout-out :-) I especially love what you say at the end:
“And I’m committed. Not to a place, but to a lifestyle that brings me great happiness.”
That is just so well said, so very well said :-)
Kelly is a great fit for you! She’ so crafty too!
Long term travel has its sacrifices and its rewards. I’m with you though, what you get is worth what you give up.
word!