I’m 25 and spent 3 years studying, eventually gaining a degree in Computing and Management Sciences. After 2 years I realised that I didn’t want to work in that area for thew rest of my life, but I’d put in so much work and money i finished the course, so at least i’d have a degree.
I always wanted to travel so after I graduated I went backpacking for 15 months. I went to Japan, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Cook Islands and finally USA.
It was a real life changing experience. Appreciating different cultures, and seeing with my own eyes that the English way of life is not the only way. Seeing how shit life can be for some people who suffer the worst poverty and disease. They no nothing of the rat race only survival. It changed my perspective and made me appreciate what I have.
I also saw how good life can be for some people. I bloody love the Ozzy lifestyle!
One of the best things about it was travelling alone. It was shit scary at first but eventually my confiednce grew. I met tons of great people and my confidence in myself as a person is higher than ever before. All of my friends and family have commented on how much more confident I am.
Now I have to admit I’m a little insecure about where my life is heading. I’ve been back since August and i’m working at one of the biggest energy companies in the UK. I don;t mind mt job but I don’t love it. The bosses like me and they’re really big on staff development. One of my bosses is always asking me what im doing with my future and is keen on getting me to go higher and become and Analyst making decent ???. Sounds ok but I just don’t really care about my job. I’m really just doing it for the money. I do get some job satisfaction but I’m just not keen on the corporate thing.
Anyway, I want to travel again. I’m looking at teaching English as a foreign language for a year. I know in South Korea i could save ?5k in 12 months whilst still living a good life. That ?5k would also send me around south America for 6 months. Seeing South America is a dream of mine.
I like the idea of teaching English too. I think i’d make a good teacher and would enjoy actually making a difference to people. Something more than just numbers on a screen. Something meaningful.
A lot of my friends are jealous that I have been travelling whilst they are settling down with girlfriends, getting mortgages and progressing the career ladder. I also envy them for having a career and money!
I’ve got other friends who are critical that I might go travelling again. They say “You’ve got no roots, no money, no career prospects, no investment in your future.” They’d rather travel when they retire. But why wait unitl you’ve worked yourself in to the ground and are too buggered to travel? Sometimes i wonder if they are right or if they are just masking feelings of jealousy because they are too scared to do what i’m doing. Perhaps it’s a bit of both. These are the very same friends who i hear saying that tey are not satisfied in their jobs anyway. It seems that few are.
Anyway i guess im just a bit scared that i’ll never find my true calling. I’m hoping that by the time i finish the next stint of travelling i’ll have figured a few things out and decided what i want to do with my life apart from travel!