Its one day to my birthday, I am lazing around in a company-given apartment, in the humid summer heat of Doha- Qatar, where I just moved a couple months ago for work. I shall not turn on the Air conditioning (AC) because I overheard AC will not only dry my skin and eyes, it'll make me put on weight. But who am I kidding, this is mad impossible heat and AC isn't a luxury! Moving on, before leaving my previous employer, I mentioned to one of my seniors that as soon as I was done with the work-break, I would hit the skies flying. Nothing, in reality, could have come as precisely true as these words.
At the start of 2013, my discomfort with my status quo hit its limit. I knew that what I needed to do was to quit my job, but I wasn't coming by any job offer, let alone an interview. During the months that followed, I tried to change and correct everything around me including an extreme house makeover, a radical change of hairstyle, even a switch of my workplace desk location. I became a very dissatisfied employee. I knew my level of dissatisfaction was at the verge of driving me to destroy everything I had worked so hard to build during the past 4 years in the department. I also realized that past work-related unresolved issues were holding me back from enjoying my work and life, and after trying to resolve them unsuccessfully, the remaining healthy option was for me to... walk. away.
Looking back, I could have been more graceful with the exit. On a Friday night, after a tension-filled week in the office, I could swear, I heard a voice tell me “resign”, but I also like to think I momentarily lost my mind, googled a resignation letter, edited it slightly, said a short prayer that went something like “Lord! what on earth!!!?” then hit the send button. I knew that was the kind of a move in the category of " go crazy, burn the bridge and hope that the fire will light the path ahead". There was no turning back no matter what. I was so compelled to quit that it felt like if I didn't hit that send button, I would never get another driven momenta to change my circumstances.
Heck, here I was, after serving my 30 day notice period, with absolutely no idea what next. Blank! Zero! Nil. Nada. Zilch. Luckily, I had my MBA dissertation to finish, which kept me busy and out of trouble. At the same time, I got down to building a web resource www.thexecutivewoman.com which quickly became my daytime job. Yep, I became busier and motivated than I had been in my previous job. During this time I built a wide range of business networks and was quickly making my way into management consulting, when one day I stopped and asked myself if this is what I quit my highly paying job for. I mean, did I take the most scary step of my entire life only to fall immediately back to the same ol' stuff? Why was I doing everything I was busying myself with? so...and so? then...and then? I put all that aside, sold all my belongings, packed my bags and literally left for the unknown.
At the start of 2013, my discomfort with my status quo hit its limit. I knew that what I needed to do was to quit my job, but I wasn't coming by any job offer, let alone an interview. During the months that followed, I tried to change and correct everything around me including an extreme house makeover, a radical change of hairstyle, even a switch of my workplace desk location. I became a very dissatisfied employee. I knew my level of dissatisfaction was at the verge of driving me to destroy everything I had worked so hard to build during the past 4 years in the department. I also realized that past work-related unresolved issues were holding me back from enjoying my work and life, and after trying to resolve them unsuccessfully, the remaining healthy option was for me to... walk. away.
Looking back, I could have been more graceful with the exit. On a Friday night, after a tension-filled week in the office, I could swear, I heard a voice tell me “resign”, but I also like to think I momentarily lost my mind, googled a resignation letter, edited it slightly, said a short prayer that went something like “Lord! what on earth!!!?” then hit the send button. I knew that was the kind of a move in the category of " go crazy, burn the bridge and hope that the fire will light the path ahead". There was no turning back no matter what. I was so compelled to quit that it felt like if I didn't hit that send button, I would never get another driven momenta to change my circumstances.
Heck, here I was, after serving my 30 day notice period, with absolutely no idea what next. Blank! Zero! Nil. Nada. Zilch. Luckily, I had my MBA dissertation to finish, which kept me busy and out of trouble. At the same time, I got down to building a web resource www.thexecutivewoman.com which quickly became my daytime job. Yep, I became busier and motivated than I had been in my previous job. During this time I built a wide range of business networks and was quickly making my way into management consulting, when one day I stopped and asked myself if this is what I quit my highly paying job for. I mean, did I take the most scary step of my entire life only to fall immediately back to the same ol' stuff? Why was I doing everything I was busying myself with? so...and so? then...and then? I put all that aside, sold all my belongings, packed my bags and literally left for the unknown.
Weesp, my second home; a small city, just outside Amsterdam.
I knew I could not afford a wrong turn at this point. I didn't want to take a path just because it was the most logical route to follow. As a matter of fact, I didn't want to follow any damn path. I wanted to pave my own path. I thought to myself, how about I give all these career shebang a rest, throw my hands in the air and um walk. ah? How about I try to do all those things I couldn't do because I was employed. You know, stuff like taking my guitar and hitting the streets to entertain passers by, for free. Huh? interesting stuff like bar-tending in a roadside country pub somewhere in the middle of no where for an hour or so. How about trying to live in a continent other than the one I was born in. Even better, taking a 6-hour day bus with my best friend to just to spend time with her at her pre-wedding party, and then randomly decide to spend a week in the next town volunteering for a not for profit conservancy organization.
I started looking into relocating...to wherever, and that’s when I bumped into www.wanderingearl.com. I have a dormant desire to eventually settle in Europe, for adventure sake, so I started researching on visiting Europe. Wandering Earl opened my eyes into the world of long-term travel and to cut a long story short, I sold all my belongings, packed my bag and literary stepped into the unknown, starting in Europe.
I started looking into relocating...to wherever, and that’s when I bumped into www.wanderingearl.com. I have a dormant desire to eventually settle in Europe, for adventure sake, so I started researching on visiting Europe. Wandering Earl opened my eyes into the world of long-term travel and to cut a long story short, I sold all my belongings, packed my bag and literary stepped into the unknown, starting in Europe.
Street guitar
My first intention was to visit Netherlands for a month to see if I could move there, but I decided to take all the 90 days provided in the Schengen visa. Why not! While in Europe, I pushed my travelling interest further and went to see Belgium for a month. My planned trip to Rome and Paris was cut short by time constraints and by this time the reality of going back home in Nairobi meant I had to think a plan ahead.
Ghent by night
Once you start traveling, it is true, you never want to stop. Between my trip back to Holland and later to Nairobi, time flew too fast for me to mentally organize a working plan. Simply put, I hit the confusion and lost buttons. I did not know what to do next. This was the first time in my life to hit these buttons. I always have had the future well thought through, never mind that half the plans fell through the cracks. I could not go back to how things used to be because I had changed; my world view had taken a 180 degree turn during those 3 months of travel- I was a different person. Oh and I didn't even have a house of my own in Nairobi anymore. It was crystal clear to me that I did not want to settle in a conventional 8-5 job. I wanted to continue travelling to figure my life out.
A warmer day in Weesp at the end of winter
By this time, my savings had gotten to a point I needed to start making money to finance my never ending journey. The next plan for me was to find English teaching jobs and volunteer opportunities abroad that would keep me travelling. I booked a ticket to Hong Kong to go teach English. During this time, I started building a personal blog where I would tell the story of the world as I see it.
…then one day when I was busy minding my business, I came by a job vacancy ad that would land me a job which would take me to over 100 destinations worldwide. I canceled my HK ticket. Packed my bag again, and here I am. What a turn of events!!! How did the pieces fit so perfectly? I still haven't been to HK, but its on my list.
This journey has so far taught me real humility, simple living, faith and hope. I've learned to embrace new friendships and keep the real ones, and to let go those that need to go. I've learned to embrace the real me and I plan to stay true to who I am. No matter what titles, positions or statuses I gain out here, I want to make a positive difference or addition to the people I meet, the places I go or stay, and through my words and presence. I may forget who I am at times and what I am about, but I hope that I always come back to this place and remember what really matters. This is a great new beginning for me, it is a new day in paradise.
…then one day when I was busy minding my business, I came by a job vacancy ad that would land me a job which would take me to over 100 destinations worldwide. I canceled my HK ticket. Packed my bag again, and here I am. What a turn of events!!! How did the pieces fit so perfectly? I still haven't been to HK, but its on my list.
This journey has so far taught me real humility, simple living, faith and hope. I've learned to embrace new friendships and keep the real ones, and to let go those that need to go. I've learned to embrace the real me and I plan to stay true to who I am. No matter what titles, positions or statuses I gain out here, I want to make a positive difference or addition to the people I meet, the places I go or stay, and through my words and presence. I may forget who I am at times and what I am about, but I hope that I always come back to this place and remember what really matters. This is a great new beginning for me, it is a new day in paradise.
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