If You Don’t Like Your Life, Change It

Three years ago, I was stuck in traffic on a rainy Tuesday morning, sipping lukewarm coffee, and mentally preparing for another 8-hour shift in a cubicle that felt more like a padded cell. My calendar was packed, my inbox overflowing, and yet—I felt completely empty. I kept thinking, Is this it? Is this what life is supposed to feel like?

The answer, as it turns out, was no.

That afternoon, soaked from the rain and emotionally drained, I stumbled across a quote online that stopped me in my tracks:
"If you don't like your life, change it."

So I did.

I sold my car, gave notice at my job, put most of my stuff in storage, and booked a one-way ticket to Bali. Scary? Definitely. But staying stuck scared me more.

My first morning in Ubud, I woke up to sunlight filtering through palm trees and the sound of roosters in the distance. No alarms, no commute. Just me, a little bungalow, and a big unknown future.

Since then, I’ve lived out of a backpack, worked remotely from cafés in Lisbon, volunteered at an animal sanctuary in Costa Rica, and taken cooking classes from a grandma in Chiang Mai who still texts me recipes. I’ve hiked volcanoes, gotten lost in local markets, made friends from all over the world, and found a version of myself I didn’t even know existed.

Changing your life doesn’t always mean selling everything and hopping on a plane. It might mean saying no to things that drain you. It might mean setting boundaries, starting a side hustle, or even just taking a solo weekend trip to clear your mind. But the key is movement. Choice. Courage.

Travel taught me that there’s no one “right” way to live—just the right way for you. And sometimes, it takes a little distance from the familiar to remember what really makes you feel alive.

So if you’re reading this and feeling stuck, hear me out:
You are not a tree. You can move.
You can change.
You can start today.

Even if it’s just a small step—take it. Your future self will thank you.