How I Quit My Job to Travel Solo Full Time
I initially wrote this article for the ‘Woman & Travel Magazine’ but I always get asked this question so I thought it was about time I shared it on my own blog too!
In 2019, I found myself entering my fourth year of full-time primary school teaching. I was 25 by this point and I loved my job. I really did. There was just something missing. I had gone straight from high-school to university, and then from uni straight into a job. So it’s safe to say I had been at school for 20 years and I was 100% ready for a change.
I had a plan for my life. It was all sorted. I would do the smart thing. I would skip my gap year, go straight to uni and then into work, save up some money and then have my travel fix before settling down to have kids and buy a house. Not specifically in that order. Perfect!
When I had finally finished my first year of full time work, I decided I wanted to WAIT for my boyfriend to save up some money too so we could travel together. Then I wanted to WAIT to get an ongoing position at my school so I had a job to go back to when we returned. That was smart right? Then I wanted to WAIT until I had saved up $30,000. Then three more years flew by, I had broken up with my boyfriend, I still hadn’t been offered that ongoing position I so desperately wanted and my money was disappearing into thin air on items that brought me momentary happiness. Can you see the pattern? I had spent all this time WAITING and I probably would have watched my entire life flash past my eyes while I WAITED for the perfect time to travel. That’s just it though. There is no perfect time to travel. You’ve just got to woMAN up and take the leap. Just do it.
As soon as I had this realisation, I went straight into my boss’s office and told him that I wouldn’t be returning the following year as I would be gallivanting around the world. He was extremely supportive and wished me all the best! Having done it himself, he couldn’t recommend the experience more highly. At that moment, I lost my position at my dream school. I wasn’t upset though, just excited. I would now be finally living my dream life. I will eventually be returning home without a job lined up but in my heart I know everything works out how it should. Who knows, I may even change my career path after this journey?! You never know what opportunities will pop up when you least expect them.
2020 hasn’t quite worked out the way I had planned. Right now I’m meant to be sipping cocktails and partying it up in Santorini but thanks to COVID-19, I’m not. I’m not upset though and I’m definitely making the most of my time off! I have been busy exploring my newfound love of photography, establishing my travel blog and venturing out on mini solo road trips around Western Australia. I’m actually so happy that I have this opportunity to explore my beautiful home country and that my one year off has turned to two, possibly three, depending on when I’ll be able to use my credits to travel internationally again. I could go back to work, but right now I am loving this new path that I am on with my travel blog. If you’d like to know any more about the journey that I’m on/need any more convincing to leave your job/want some tips on setting up a blog/anything else that pops into your mind, please leave me a comment below or Contact Me! I’m always up for a chat!
