Why I'm NOT quitting my job to eat around the world (and make six figures)

We've all read seen clickbait articles about leaving a boring, mundane office job to travel the world and make tons of money.

(Unsurprisingly, this article is from Cosmo)

But what would actually happen if I quit my job and tried to eat around the world?

1. My parents would yell at me
2. I'd waste essentially my entire higher-ed experience in which I've incurred tons of debt
3. I'd contract some kind of disease, and die. (Since I don't have a rainy day fund/wouldn't have healthcare, and this blog would discontinue because I haven't uploaded my consciousness to a cyborg Steven)

Besides death, a few more things keep me at my 9-5:

STABILITY

While I LOVE travel, there's something nice about always having a place to come home to and a space that is your own. I'm not sure if I could handle the lifestyle where people are able to fit everything in a bag and move with short notice, there's too many things I touch that spark joy: my extra firm mattress, my memory foam pillow, my air ionizer, basically everything I own.

Some people like working at a different place each day, but for me to truly focus, having one reliable space I can call my own boosts my productivity. For the bar exam, it was the law school's moot court board room's double monitor set-up. For my law job, it's my spa-ffice. For those who can work at home, I would encourage doing that as much as possible so you drive less and there's less carbon monoxide pollution/global warming. But I like to separate work from home, since home is a place is for me to unwind and recharge- which is a comfort that travel doesn't always provide (vacation is different from travel).

Speaking of home, I also have to pay rent, which a government public service job barely helps me achieve (thanks for existing taxpayers!) I also have health benefits, retirement, and hopefully a pension. I'd rather have a steady income than experience days of uncertain financial status, so I'll settle with traveling occasionally rather than permanently.

GRIT

What's also keeping me from quitting office life is my personal belief that hard work will eventually lead me to a job and position in life where I am comfortable. But it's not just about hard work, it's about passion, perseverance, and grit. Angela Lee Duckworth has an incredible TEDtalk about grit, and I apply the principles not only to education, but also to work.

Most things we value are attained through gradual hard work, and I experienced this through my parents. My mom and dad are refugees of the Khmer Rouge, and immigrated to the U.S. without knowing any English or having any material possessions. Nevertheless, they worked at a donut shop, eventually saved enough for their own business, and were able to provide a better life for my sister and I that allowed us to graduate college. I hope to never experience the terror my family went through in Cambodian concentration camps, but I appreciate their grit and am not willing to sacrifice all they've done for a personally lush lifestyle.

I'm sure these food and travel bloggers all share a form of grit, I just wish it wasn't advertised as instantaneous (although later in the article they talk about how it took a few years to develop their business). If you're lucky enough to have no obligations to family, loans, a mortgage, etc., go for it and live that lush life! For now, I'm focusing on developing my skills at my job, occasional travel, and dipping into side hustles.

#CantBeHateful #GottaBeGrateful