We Bought Every little thing to Journey the World. Right here’s What It Taught Us.

Rising up in North America, we have been taught there was a path to observe: go to highschool, get good grades, land a steady job, save, get married, purchase a home, have youngsters, and spend the remainder of your life taking good care of them.

So we strived for that path. We labored our 9-to-5s, chased profession success, and finally opened our personal physiotherapy clinic. We poured our hearts into it, and the enterprise thrived.

On paper, we had every little thing: a cushty life, a robust marriage, a profitable profession. However nonetheless, we discovered ourselves asking — is that this actually it? We had completed every little thing “proper,” but one thing was lacking.

So sooner or later, we stopped asking and determined to search out out. We bought every little thing, left all of it behind, and set off in quest of a life that truly felt like ours. Now, after greater than a yr and a half of touring the world, formed by the cultures we’ve skilled and the folks we’ve met, these are our realizations about what actually issues in life.

1) Life’s price isn’t measured in {dollars}

The place we come from, success was at all times outlined the identical manner: a giant home with a white picket fence, a elaborate automobile within the driveway, and a checking account that retains on rising. We grew up believing that the more cash you had — and the extra shiny issues you could possibly purchase — the happier and extra fulfilled you’d be.

So, we adopted that path. We constructed our careers, opened a personal physiotherapy clinic from scratch, and grew it right into a thriving enterprise with a staff of 9 wonderful therapists. Because the revenue elevated, we upgraded to a nicer automobile, rented a stupendous apartment, and began saving extra. 

However finally, we discovered ourselves asking: Okay, we now have all these items… now what?

Watching the numbers rise in our checking account not introduced the enjoyment it as soon as did. We had every little thing we have been taught would make us really feel fulfilled: a profitable profession, our personal enterprise, married, with a pleasant automobile, and a steady checking account — and but, one thing felt lacking. So we made a drastic choice: we let all of it go and determined to chase what actually made us really feel alive — journey.

Now, over a yr and a half later, having let go of all of the standing symbols and dwelling on a fraction of our previous revenue, we’ve by no means felt extra alive. We’ve hiked to Everest Base Camp, danced salsa in Colombia, discovered Spanish, tracked wild lions and a delight of elephants on a self-drive safari by Namibia, and made unforgettable friendships all around the world. Our life lastly feels full, not due to what we personal, however due to what we’ve lived.

As a result of it doesn’t matter what society tells you, happiness doesn’t come from {dollars}. It comes from new experiences, deep connections, and selecting a life that truly appears like yours. So cease chasing that so-called “dream” of more cash — as a result of the reality is, it’ll by no means really feel like sufficient.

As a substitute, make investments your time in experiences that really enrich your life — whether or not it’s touring to a brand new nation, laughing with buddies over dinner, lastly taking that dance class, or just doing one thing that makes you’re feeling alive. That’s the place life will get wealthy.

2) The 9-to-5 grind is a cage we constructed ourselves

I’ll be sincere: promoting our enterprise and strolling away from a steady 9-to-5 job was terrifying. We grew up being advised that this type of job was the definition of success. It was what you needed to do to get forward in life. However regardless of the concern, we took a leap of religion… and got here to a shocking realization:

The 9-to-5 grind is a cage we constructed ourselves.

Don’t get me improper — laborious work and a gradual revenue matter. You have to pay the payments, purchase groceries, and hold a roof over your head. However the concept that you will need to work 5 days every week, 40 hours every week, simply to outlive? That’s a fantasy — and a limiting one.

Earlier than we bought our clinic, we tried a small experiment: we reduce to working simply three days every week to provide ourselves time to plan our subsequent steps. Inside weeks, we seen one thing large — we have been happier. We had time to do the issues we’d at all times delay. We cooked, exercised, noticed buddies, ran errands with out stress, and nonetheless made sufficient to assist our wants. Our life didn’t disintegrate. In reality, it began to really feel like ours.

Then, whereas touring by totally different nations, we began to see this concept play out in all places. One second that caught with us was once we traveled by Sicily. We walked right into a restaurant round 2 p.m., solely to be advised by the proprietor that they have been closed for the day — they’d made sufficient and have been off to benefit from the climate.

At first, we have been shocked. In North America, you by no means flip down a paying buyer. However then it hit us: they have been selecting achievement over countless hustle. They’d had sufficient, and that was sufficient. We noticed the identical factor once more whereas street tripping by Greece: companies closing early, folks prioritizing gradual lunches and household time over squeezing in additional revenue.

And that’s when it actually sank in:

The grind isn’t obligatory — it’s simply the script we have been taught to observe… and by no means thought to query.

3) We want only a few materials items to be comfortable in life

Whereas in Brazil, we shared our story with a neighborhood household, about how we bought every little thing and now journey the world with simply two backpacks. Their response? Whole disbelief: “Wait… that’s all you personal?”

And yep — that’s it. Simply two backpacks, and we’ve by no means felt freer.

Again in North America, life was a relentless loop of shopping for the following shiny factor — the newest automobile, a much bigger TV, a trendier outfit, the brand new sofa, despite the fact that we already had a sofa. However now that we’ve let all of it go, we notice one thing shocking: not as soon as have we missed any of it. Not as soon as have we seemed again and thought, “I want I nonetheless had that purse or that gadget.” The enjoyment from materials issues fades quick. It lasts a couple of days, possibly weeks, whereas it’s nonetheless new.

However the pleasure from experiences? That sticks with you without end. Soaking in a personal onsen overlooking Mount Fuji throughout our street journey by small coastal Ryokan cities in Japan? That reminiscence will without end carry smiles to our faces. 

There are even moments from journeys we took over a decade in the past that also flood us with happiness. That’s one thing a sofa can by no means do.

You’ve in all probability heard the saying: “Spend on experiences, not issues.” After 1.5 years of dwelling it — we are able to let you know, it’s completely true. Happiness doesn’t come from what you personal. It comes from what you reside.

4) Actual development begins the second you step outdoors your consolation zone

Two years in the past, we had every little thing we have been advised we needed — a profitable enterprise, a automobile, and a cushty apartment. However we began to appreciate that our comfy life had quietly was complacency. We have been so settled that we stopped attempting new issues. That spark? It was fading.

Sound acquainted? Maybe you have got a buddy who skips each social plan, avoids becoming a member of dance or health courses, and treats something after 9 pm prefer it’s midnight. That was us. Caught in a comfortable little bubble.

However this previous yr? We’ve lived virtually totally outdoors our consolation zone. We’ve stumbled by overseas languages, hiked brutal multi-day treks, danced in entrance of strangers, and had conversations we by no means thought we’d be courageous sufficient to start out.

And one thing unbelievable occurred: we grew. In confidence, in braveness, in curiosity…

Development doesn’t come from routines or consolation. It comes from difficult your self. And it’ll not solely make you a extra full individual, but in addition immeasurably happier. 

5) Magic is within the human connection, don’t let your self lose it

To shut off, right here’s one closing lesson that feels extra vital now than ever: the actual magic of life is in human connection. And in as we speak’s world, it’s one thing we’re dropping.

Again residence, life had turn out to be very isolating. Everybody was busy, glued to their routines (or their telephones), and spontaneous meetups felt uncommon. Within the phrases of Esther Perel, society is affected by “social atrophy.”

However over the previous yr, we’ve reawakened that spark. We’ve met strangers from each nook of the world, not by plans or apps, however by real, surprising moments.

Like two Indian-British women we met on a rooftop in Arequipa, just because we provided to take their photograph. That small gesture led to a stunning three-hour dialog about life, tradition, and desires, with out even as soon as taking out our cellphones.

It reminded us of one thing highly effective: human connection is vital, find time for it. Put down the cellphone, say sure to the lunch date, name up your buddy, and let your self be shocked by the wonderful new connections you make.

We Bought Every little thing to Journey the World

We stepped away from the life we have been advised we must always need and got here out with a deeper understanding of ourselves and what actually issues.

If there’s one factor we’ve discovered, it’s this: achievement doesn’t come from ticking society’s bins. It comes from significant experiences, private development, connection, and selecting to reside deliberately somewhat than on autopilot.

You don’t should promote every little thing and journey the world. However you do owe it to your self to query the script and write your personal.