The last time I wrote to you guys I was in a really bad place. I was feeling dissatisfied with my job and to put things plainly, I felt like I was doing nothing special with my life and it was hurting me a lot. I couldn’t talk to my higher-ups at work because they were too busy and honestly, probably wouldn’t have cared. I was feeling extremely alone. I’m happy to say that I’m feeling partially better. I ended up speaking to a youth career advisor in Melbourne who was helpful. I know I don’t sound ecstatic about the conversation but that’s because she wanted me to go back to uni and do something I’m passionate about. I decided almost instantly that I didn’t want to do that, which was exactly what I needed to figure out. It was like one of those flipping the coin moments where my entire life changed in a second because I realised that the outcome I got wasn’t the one I wanted. I never wanted to go to university in the first place but I felt like I had to, because that’s what everyone does. Now I know for sure that I want to leave Melbourne, travel around Australia (and then the world) and never conform to a life of the 9-5 Monday-Friday grind ever again.
I knew at that very moment, whilst getting career change advice in Melbourne, that I would be happy living a simple life in a small town for the rest of my life. I could work a wholesome job at a cafe and leave my problems behind. I wouldn’t have to worry about working outside of work hours. I wouldn’t get random work emails that were labelled ‘URGENT’ at 10:00 pm at night and have to action them. I could just be me.
I am very grateful for the career counsellor who proved me to that I don’t want to live a conventional life.