How She Quit the 9–5 to Travel the World
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Sophie left her “perfect” job, house and life in Warsaw last year, to travel. She has travelled to and lived in 12 countries within the last 9 months.
Last year, she came to the realization that she had EVERY THING she ever wanted: great house, great job, and great money. She wondered, whether that is all she ever wanted. “Do I want to repeat this life everyday for the next 70–80 years?”
“Working 9–5 in the same office, with the same people, getting the same beer every day after work, laughing at similar jokes afternoon and finishing the day in the same house watching the same series, every night.”
… Nope!
She asked her company for a one month of remote work situation, and got it. Soon, she landed in Bangkok, Thailand that turned her world inside-out. She met herself and changed her lifestyle accordingly.
Sophia embraced serendipity to experience the magic of life
“After one month of living in Thailand, I returned to Warsaw. Being back at my “perfect” apartment and job, I realized that I could not live it anymore. My old lifestyle felt like prison, and I felt FOMO every moment of every day. I was missing out on meeting new friends and experiencing new sides of life every day.
I asked my boss for a second remote work situation. He said no. I was craving after quitting. My grandmother advised me to do what I thought was right. My friends warned me not to jump into such a decision. And, I felt trapped in Warsaw. Until a day that I woke up with the decision of quitting. And at lunch, in a Chinese restaurant, I got a fortune cookie. It said:”Do what you think is right. Your success story is inside what makes you happy.”
That was it. I left my job. I had some savings that took me to Doha, where I visited a Mexican friend, whom I met in Thailand.
Then, I flew to Cambodia and India. Quite vividly, I remember the afternoon that I was working by a pool drinking a glass of beer. A random email notification popped up on my computer. It was from an unknown sender; a company that offered me a job with a much higher pay and promotion. I said no. I didn’t want that lifestyle anymore. They replied back: “We know about your situation with your previous company. We are totally okay with you working remotely!” The rest is history. I have been traveling since. I have lived and worked remotely in 12 countries in only 9 months. “
“Home is where I connect to wifi without asking for the password, Haha! Seriously, home is where your people are. People that have the same vibe, and you leave your heart with.”
Travel Tribe: As Confucius said; we all have two lives. And, the second begins when we realize that we have only one. When did your second life begin?”
Sophia:” Two weeks after my arrival in Bangkok, Thailand. I met a guy. We spent the next 7 days together. Throughout those days, we talked about many things. Our attitudes towards life were totally different. He was a traveler; flying from country to country to discover the world. I was a tourist; vacating my life of Warsaw for a month in Bangkok. I was always organized, planned and stressed. He was always relaxed and open to every new event. Then, he left to go to Vietnam, and I found tears on my cheeks. I was surprised, because I wasn’t in love with him or anything like that. So, I kept wondering about why I felt so strongly disconnected when he left. The answer to this question was the moment, I started my second life.
I realized that I found love for life in him, and saw my potential self in his. I met myself in his lifestyle. And, found what I was missing out on.”
Travel Tribe: Doesn’t it feel lonely to travel solo?
Sophia :” You can meet all these amazing people that you couldn’t meet any other way else. Like a while back in Taiwan, when I was staying at Happy Taipei hostel. I would mostly work out of the kitchen, where other people would also hang out. And, one day, I saw a Hugh Grant duplicate , a brit architect guy, with all his papers scattered around the table, working like he is in a huge office by Big Ben. I said hi, and a few minutes later, I was all ears to his life story. A few years back, he was traveling in Europe on a train with his daughter. The train got into major accident and his daughter died. After the accident, he packed his life into a car and drove and drove; around Africa and later South East Asia. I was drowned in his stories about his daughter, the changes in his life, things he’d seen around the world and cultures. So, No! How else could I meet such an inspiring friend, if I wasn’t traveling solo?”
Travel Tribe: What does traveling teach you?
Sophie:
- “Most than anything, it teaches you to be open minded. To trust people, and understand that people would rather help you that hurt you.
- The first time that I stayed with a couch surfer, I wondered how would someone open their home to a stranger? And, then I realized that I would definitely do the same thing for some traveler like myself. You learn empathy and seeing the good in people.
- 50 pound backpack is enough! You really don’t need high heels.. Haha!
- People will show you were to go. Just ask.
- Say Hi. Don’t be afraid to do so. It takes only 5 minutes to become best friends.”
Follow Sophie’s adventures on social media:
Sophie’s website: http://whereiszebra.com
Sophie (@whereiszebra) * Instagram photos and videos I was a 2d artist working 9–5 in an office…Now the whole world is my office 🙃 👻: zofiorek NEW POST
Follow her on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gdziejestzebra/
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