The pursuit of happiness has been chalked up to working tedious and dead-end 9 to 5 jobs in order to meet the demands of a comfortable lifestyle. In one lifetime, a person will spend over a decade behind a desk working. Not every settles for a life spent toiling away, unhappy. Some people have decided to steer away from the daily grind and found happiness chasing another type of dream.
Jodi Ettenberg
Jodi Ettenberg was a corporate lawyer. After just over five years she found herself unhappy with the life she had created. So she quit her job and decided to eat her way around the world for a year. At some point, she decided to never turn back. Since then, she’s spent almost six years as a traveling food critic, reporting all her findings on her blog.
Liz Carlson
Teacher Liz loved to fill her students’ minds with knowledge and literature. The very first teaching job she took was in Spain, but after moving back to the United States, she took a dead-end office job. The 9 to 5 quickly took a toll on her happiness and Liz decided to save up her money, quit her job and travel again. Now, she enjoys her time pursuing her passion of writing while traveling to all seven continents.
Megan Smith
Megan Smith was in a long-term relationship and then one day, she wasn’t anymore. Feeling unhappy not only with the break-up, but also with her dead-end, boring career, she decided to pack up and jump across the pond. For over a year, she has been traveling across the United States, Canada, Europe, and a list of other places all by herself. She now lives a life full of adventure and joy.
Matt Kepnes
Matt Kepnes was on a trip to Europe when he met full time travelers. They had told him of quitting their jobs and exploring the world. The story hit home with Matt, whose dream had always been to backpack around Europe. He decided not to waste another second unhappy. When he got back to the States, he quit his job and headed right back to Europe. He’s been to over 70 countries and worked dozens of jobs to support himself.
Kim Dinan
Kim Dinan and her husband had worked hard all of their lives. She had the amazing life other people try so hard to get, but she knew it wasn’t what she wanted. For three years, they saved up every penny they could. They sold their belongings and set out to fulfill their dream of traveling the world. Since, they have climbed to the highest peaks of mountains, walked across Spain, and explored a deep Canyon in Peru. Despite their family’s warnings, the couple can’t remember a time when they were happier.
It seems that the daily grind isn’t always the answer. These people are living, breathing proof that if you dream it, you can achieve it. It may take a leap of faith, but life can be a fulfilling adventure. For these five people, happiness was more overpowering than the fear of the unknown. The most important thing in life is to do what you love.