We all heard of the mid life crisis, right? I only saw it in films to be honest, my parents definitely embrace the getting old part and it’s lovely watching that. But I surely didn’t expect myself to be going through a quarter life crisis. But the pages just started to flick through so quickly. One day I’m at uni, going on a hangover to a lecture, then coming back to my accommodation for an afternoon nap, I’d do some studying after, have my little waitressing job and party. Life was easy, it was simple, and it was like a breath of fresh air at the sea side. It was new and exciting, I’ve never had this much freedom before. I was in my element. 

And now I’m in my late 20’s and things are changing at a rapid paste. All of a sudden everyone seems to be doing something with their life, buying a house, getting married or popping little cute humans into this world. I love watching them do these things, and I root for them with my heart. But why am I not there? I started to bury myself with questions as to why I don’t feel ready for these things. I’m  not even happy in my job, I wish I was, because the people I work with are absolutely wonderful. But there’s no joy, I’m not happy on a Monday morning, every day crushes my soul. As if I meet a dementor every day and they stuck the happiness out of me. 

I know that the problem I had is a very 21st century kind of problem, ‘poor girl isn’t happy at a job where she gets paid well and is valued’. But you know that saying “money doesn’t bring happiness” ? Well it was sort of like this. I was on a mission to find a job that will bring me joy. That will make me want to get out of bed, I was sure that this is the root of this misery. So I started to look around online, had few interviews that led to rejections. Some of them I even cancelled, because “will I feel joy selling advert slots on the radio?” The answer is no, because them adverts annoy the hell out of me, how can I tell a business owner that spending thousands of pounds will definitely bring them profit, when even I don’t listen to them. 

I was back to square one *sigh*. 

I spent a lot of time thinking on what do I enjoy to do, what brings me joy? When was the last time where I was just over the moon and it wasn’t just a small moment. October 2023. My trip to Vietnam. The two weeks that I’ve spent there were absolutely incredible. I fell in love with the country, the views, the people and their culture. And when I was going back home, I felt it, that I’ll be back soon, that this is not a goodbye. 

I’ve had an epiphany. I want to travel. This was it. I knew that I need to quit my job, and go. Go see the world, learn, and meet new people. From that moment on, everything fell into place. I’d say that a bit of luck and good karma came towards me as well, because it’s not always you can just pack your bags and go. I was in a committed relationship, with a house that we rent and I had commitments. But I got lucky. So, I told my parents, quit my job (those two things were both extremely terrifying and I was shaking like a chihuahua, but I did it). Then my boyfriend helped me click that ‘book it’ button on my one way ticket, for my first ever solo trip. 

The pressure, the stress and the daily visits from the dementors were gone. 

Just like that. 

Aggie x