Our society teaches us make safe choices; go to school, get a corporate job & work the rest of your life to save up for retirement. So naturally, that’s what I have been doing since I graduated college in 2019. Even though I was doing everything “right” it felt so wrong. I was unfulfilled in my job, I hated sitting at a computer all day & missing out on the beauty right outside my window. I wasn’t challenged or stimulated at all; I was bored. I thought there is no way this can be it. I only have one life & I want to live it, not watch as it idly passes me by while I look at a computer screen for 8 hours a day, 365 days a year minus 2 weeks of PTO.

However, for several years, I felt like I didn’t have a choice to do anything else. My boyfriend & I were saving up to buy a house & that was our next life milestone to work toward. We saved up more than enough for a down payment only to come to the conclusion that any house we bought would essentially be double the price with these high interest rates. There was no way we wanted to lock ourselves into a mortgage for the next 30+ years at these rates & with home prices at an all time high. It was honestly so discouraging. We had both been stomaching these jobs we did not like in the prospect of buying a home. After talking to my Dad, who is in real estate, we came to the conclusion we would have to wait for the market to soften & interest rates to come down. So what now?

We were both unhappy at our current jobs & we needed a change no matter what. The more we looked at getting other jobs or moving from CO to another state, the more we realized that wasn’t fulfilling us any more than our current jobs were. We needed a full on upheaval of our present paths; we needed to rethink the norms we had been taught to accept.

I am a rule follower. I work hard to achieve my goals & have always been one to make the “right” & “safe” choices. But where had that gotten me? It had landed me in a role that did not serve me. It was time to take a risk!

My boyfriend & I had both been passionate about photography, videography, & content creation for a while. It was a hobby we did on the side, making travel videos, doing portrait photoshoots, & learning about this fun & creative skill. We made our first travel video while on vacation to Cozumel, Mexico in 2021 & FELL IN LOVE with the process & the creativity it brought out in us. We would talk a lot about our dreams of making content creation into a living. It always seemed far fetched & risky.

We were lucky enough to go on a family trip to South Africa in 2023. We used this trip as a time to showcase our passion for photography & videography. Taking photos & videos of the Safari Game lodge we stayed at & documenting every part of the trip, we felt something come alive within us. We came home with the itch to try our hand at this content creation thing.

For several months we ruminated on the idea & discussed the pros & cons. I was so hesitant to take a chance, so scared of the what if’s standing in our way. Eventually, my boyfriend successfully convinced me to take a leap of faith & believe in us. What is the worst that could happen? We take an epic tour of the world & it doesn’t work out so we go back to the corporate world & are right back where we left off. When I put it like that it didn’t seem so risky. Now it seems like the risk is not betting on myself & not taking the chance to do what I love with the person I love.

& so we QUIT!! It was scary, it was exhilarating, & it felt downright weird. On my last day I had such a bittersweet feeling. Leaving the people who I had worked with for 3 years was hard but at the same time they were all so supportive of me. Something changed in my heart, I felt like I was starting on the path to something more aligned with my interests & values.

To be honest, I am still scared. Our new journey is just starting & there is no concrete plan. I have ALWAYS had a plan in life. Not knowing what comes next is a terrifying feeling, but it also fuels me to give it all I’ve got. My whole heart & entire soul is dedicated to the success of our next chapter. My future is riding on this. I don’t know what comes next, but there is something intriguing & stimulating about that. Something I haven’t felt in a LONG time. They always say the beauty is in the journey; so, come along on this wild ride with me!