Going Back to the City Life in Sydney
Have you ever felt stuck? Have you ever felt like you need to step aside for a moment and take a break from your life? The same routine, the same job, the same people you meet every day, time and time again, all that sameness gets even to the best of us. I’m sure each and every one of you reading this has at some point in his or her life felt like that. But few of us have the courage to break free and see what’s it like on the other side. This is the story of how I got sick and tired of running the rat race and decided to take a break, which in hindsight turned out to be the best thing that has ever happened to me.
Ever since I can remember I felt like my life has been predetermined. It’s like someone else has decided what I should do even before I was born. Kind of reminds me of the myth of the three Fates in Greek mythology, who weaved the metaphorical thread of the life of every mortal on Earth and decided his fate. Well, that was me. Guided by the morals of society I was bound to follow the norms and live how I was supposed to. Study hard, get good grades at school and later on – at Uni, get a stable job that pays well, etc. You know what I’m on about here. But being the free spirit that I am, needless to say, things didn’t go exactly as planned.
After graduating University I got a job in a well respected international corporation based in Sydney and things were going pretty good. But after spending about a year stuck in an office for more than 8 hours a day, I got sick of that routine and began thinking of quitting my job. I asked myself, is it all of that worth it? The only thing that was holding me back was my fear. What if I make the wrong choice, what if I let myself down or let down those who care about me? So I decided to stay. But I did my job reluctantly and quite naturally, my performance plummeted.
One morning I got out of bed drained, hating my job and my life. That’s when I knew I had to go out of my comfort zone and try something new, something that would make me happier. That same day I signed and handed in my resignation notice and started counting down the days until my freedom.
After work I went straight back home and started thinking about what I wanted to do with my life. When I thought about it I was simply overwhelmed. So many paths to choose from, so many things and places I wanted to see and do. It’s beyond words to express how I felt at that particular moment. So, having carefully weighed all my options, I decided to hire a small yacht and travel the world.
Even before my adventure had started, I had to learn the first of many life lesson, namely, to figure out which of all my worldly possessions I didn’t need. Since space is a commodity I wouldn’t have living on a boat, I had to decide what I was to take with me. I found my new home relatively easily and I spent every waking moment aboard, trying to fix everything that needed fixing. I also made all necessary arrangements that end of lease entails, like cleaning the house, taking care of the utilities and so on. I also said my goodbyes and off I went.
My plan was to spend a year traveling but as people say, life is what happens when you’re busy making plans. So things changed and in the course of my adventure I found a serene, secluded island with very few people living there. I liked everything so much there that I decided it was worth staying. So I did. I lived there for more than six months and loved it. I saw first hand that people don’t need much in order to live their lives to the fullest, a lesson that will stay with me forever.
After about two years at see, countless new places and fun people, I decided it was time for me to go back. Back to my friends and family, back to the city life, back to Sydney. And let me tell you, adapting to the city wasn’t easy at all, but I still managed. What this experience taught me was that corporate life and the hectic life people nowadays are struggling with isn’t for me. That’s why since I got back I have been dedicating my time and my passion to doing things I like for a living. It turns out that city life isn’t that bad after all. That is, if you know what your true calling is.
So if you’re stuck in a job you don’t like, break free from mundane daily life, take the risk and start over. Just work up the courage and take a leap of faith. It will definitely pay off by clearing things out for you and turning you whole life around for the better.