In August 2022, I made a bold move and quit my dream job. Driven by the need to overcome burnout and discover happiness beyond the confines of work, I embarked on an ambitious journey to Travel The World. For eighteen months, spanning across continents and cultures, I explored South America and Asia, an adventure that cost me $34,000 and offered invaluable life lessons.
Initially, my travels were a whirlwind of bucket-list experiences. I eagerly checked off iconic destinations, from hiking amidst the breathtaking snow-capped peaks and glacial lakes of Patagonia to basking in the inviting, warm waters of Thailand. The initial months were filled with the exhilaration of new sights and adventures as I started to travel the world.
However, this initial excitement soon began to wane. Standing on the stunning coastal cliffs of Jeju Island in Korea, a sense of apathy washed over me. Even while exploring the vibrant streets of Japan, I found myself envying those working on their laptops in coffee shops. Despite living what many would consider a dream – to travel the world – I felt strangely hollow and increasingly burned out. It was during these moments of disillusionment that a stark realization hit me: I had drastically changed my surroundings, but I had failed to address my inner state of mind.
The Critical Mistake I Made While Traveling the World
It became increasingly clear that I was approaching my sabbatical, my grand adventure to travel the world, with the same workaholic mentality that had defined my career. Back home, my relentless pursuit of professional success and prestige had transformed me into an anxious individual, incapable of appreciating the present moment. Now, I was replicating the same detrimental patterns by adhering to a meticulously planned, almost military-like travel itinerary as I attempted to travel the world.
I was obsessively ticking off destinations, viewing each new place as a badge of honor, a testament to my adventurous spirit. Subconsciously, I believed that accumulating travel experiences would somehow make my life as fulfilling and validated as those of the travel influencers I secretly envied. I thought that by simply moving from place to place, I was effectively starting to travel the world and solve my problems.
This realization was a turning point. I understood that a significant change was necessary if I was to truly enjoy my time off and the opportunity to travel the world. To transform my sabbatical and, more importantly, my life, I took three key steps. These steps taught me invaluable lessons about finding balance between well-being and ambition, especially when pursuing the dream to travel the world.
1. Significantly Cutting Back and Refocusing My World Travel Plans
Lying in bed in Tokyo, a wave of defeat washed over me as I mourned the unraveling of my grand plan: to conquer all 34 countries remaining on my bucket list during this sabbatical. My initial goal was to exhaust my wanderlust, to “get all the travel out of my system,” so I could return home and single-mindedly focus on career advancement and family planning. I was driven by a fear of falling behind my peers who were achieving conventional milestones like buying homes and starting families. I wanted to travel the world and then get back to “real life”.
Tokyo
A traveler pauses to reflect amidst the bustling cityscape of Tokyo, Japan, highlighting the importance of mindful travel while exploring global destinations.
However, the very burnout I was trying to escape provided a crucial clarity. I realized the absurdity of my approach and made the difficult but necessary decision to drastically reduce my sabbatical bucket list by half. I shifted my focus from quantity to quality. What was the real value in seeing so many places if I wasn’t truly present to experience and enjoy them? This shift was crucial to truly travel the world in a meaningful way.
I relinquished the need to boast about visiting an excessive number of countries. I accepted that the opportunity to travel the world could be ongoing, even if it meant a slower pace in achieving traditional professional goals. Learning to prioritize my well-being meant letting go of the illusion of control and detaching my self-worth from quantifiable metrics. Instead of measuring success by the number of stamps in my passport or impressive resume accomplishments, I began to value moments of genuine connection, peace, and feeling truly alive. This redefined my experience of travel the world.
2. Embracing “Missing Out” on Popular Travel Activities
I began to actively combat FOMO (fear of missing out) and prioritize my own needs, even if it meant intentionally “missing out” on the most hyped and Instagrammable tourist attractions. This was a key shift in how I chose to travel the world.
For example, instead of enduring a two-hour journey to the mountain backpacker haven of Pai in Thailand, I chose to stay in the more tranquil city of Chiang Mai. There, I spent my days reading and watching documentaries in charming cafes, allowing myself to relax and recharge. Similarly, in Cartagena, Colombia, instead of joining a Caribbean island tour, I opted for extra sleep after an evening of dancing with friends. These choices, prioritizing rest and personal enjoyment over relentless sightseeing, allowed me to genuinely appreciate my experiences as I continued to travel the world.
Once I started prioritizing the pursuit of joy and well-being over a sense of obligation to fulfill an idealized traveler persona, I began to enjoy everything I did so much more. This intentional slowing down and focusing on personal needs transformed my journey to travel the world from a checklist to a truly enriching experience.
3. Giving Up the Hustle of Working While Traveling
In the initial months of my travels, I was still clinging to my work identity. I frequently found myself staying up late, desperately trying to formulate and pitch freelance story ideas. I was subconsciously attempting to maintain a connection to my professional life, as my self-esteem was still heavily intertwined with my job. The idea of fully disconnecting while trying to travel the world felt daunting.
Patagonia
The majestic landscapes of Patagonia, captured during the author’s journey, symbolize the beauty of disconnecting from work and embracing the present moment while traveling the world.
However, attempting to juggle work with travel proved to be counterproductive, exacerbating my burnout even further. Realizing this, I made a conscious decision to completely abandon freelancing during my sabbatical. Instead, I redirected my energy towards exploring subjects that had always intrigued me but were neglected due to the demands of my full-time job, such as history, geopolitics, and real estate investing. For the first time in years, I felt like a curious human being, genuinely learning about the world, rather than a worker bee defined solely by productivity. This shift was liberating and essential for me to truly appreciate my time to travel the world.
Cultivating a sense of self-worth and identity completely separate from my professional life has been profoundly beneficial. Now, I consciously make time for rest and leisure without guilt. This newfound balance allows me to approach work with renewed vitality and a fresh perspective, a direct result of my journey to travel the world and the lessons learned.
Integrating Well-being into Daily Life After World Travel
Upon returning home to Los Angeles in late February, I felt the valuable lessons I had learned during my sabbatical, while I was focused on traveling the world, beginning to slip away. The familiar anxieties and workaholic tendencies resurfaced as I found myself back in my old environment, searching for a new job.
To reconnect with the person I had become during my travels, I consciously incorporated daily practices that nurtured my well-being. I started to meditate, journal about gratitude, and take daily walks. These were practices I had always intended to adopt but never prioritized, fearing they would detract from my productivity. Now, these routines serve as anchors, helping me maintain and build upon the emotional growth I experienced while traveling the world.
Instead of reverting to burnout or feelings of inadequacy, I am now embracing this period of uncertainty as an opportunity to explore “what’s next.” I am actively learning to cultivate a fulfilling identity and life, regardless of whether I am working a dream job or currently traveling the world.
