Believe it (or not) I get asked this question a lot.
And it’s a good question. Why would you leave behind something which is safe, comfortable, and secure. Something which had a good salary and a final salary pension scheme. Good working conditions and prospects. Paid holidays. Sick pay….
Damn it.
Just kidding. I like this question. It makes me think and check my decisions. It helps me to remind me why I did, in fact, leave behind the comfort of my well-paid career and take one big-ass-step into the black abyss of the unknown.
Drum roll please……
Because I knew there was benefit in making a change (boo…..anti anti-climax).
How about, because I knew there was life outside of my own four walls (better…..).
How about, because I had a dream and I wanted to give that dream a chance and get out my comfort zone, see some of the world, meet people, and go on adventures, and just give myself a chance to live…..(YES!).
To be honest, it was all of those and a lot more.
No, I don’t regret it, and yes, I still feel a pull toward what I knew in terms of work, money, and security.
No, it’s not always easy, and yes, it is hard being unsettled (having come from a life of such routine).
I know it’s easier for me to do this because I have no dependents, and live in a country that enables it. But, saying all that, at the end of the day I think it all comes down to one thing.
Choice.
And acting upon that choice.
John Alex Clarke 