Why We Went from Well-Employed to Well-Traveled

By

If there’s one question people ask more than any other, it’s why. We thought it would be, “Where are you going?” or “How much will it cost?” or even “Where should I join you?” But it’s not. It’s “why?”

It’s not a bad question really. Both of us are leaving exciting enough/well-paid jobs at eBay, as well as a good amount of unvested stock. We’re leaving our beautiful loft apartment, which we love, and our families and friends, which we love even more. We’re delaying getting a dog and starting a family and getting Rob the Tesla that he so wants.

Why?

Because we want to wake up each morning and be excited for what the day brings. Because we can’t wait to look back on each day and feel like we accomplished something, whether that’s learning to scuba dive and kiteboard, spotting a wild elephant, komodo dragon, or orangutan, or ordering a beer in a new language. Because we’re too young for “cushy” and too old (and married) to do the things that spiced up our lives when we were 18. And because we can—we’re extremely fortunate to have enough savings, guts, and desire to make the next year work.

You may not agree with our decision, or even understand it, but we hope it at least inspires you to see what’s possible. And who knows, maybe we’ll see you on the road one of these days. Because after “why,” the thing we hear most often is, “that’s awesome!”

 

We woke up at 4:45 this morning, before our alarm, to see this amazing sunrise in Bagan, Burma. We were sitting near the top of a pagoda similar to the one in the left of the background. Awesome.

Would you ever quit your job to travel full time? Let us know in the comments.