Third time’s the charm 🤞

As the U.S. embraces new leadership today after the presidential election, I find myself doing the same. But for me, the new leadership comes in the form of a pivotal career change.

I’m hoping the third time’s the charm with my career. I left my first corporate job after 3 years to fulfil my dream of backpacking India and Nepal, and then jumped immediately into the next one. Job hunting is challenging, and instead of staying patient for the right role, I accepted the first prestigious offer I received even though it didn’t align with my values. And although I enjoyed working with the people at the company, the role and the industry did not fit.

Working at Intel gave me firsthand insight into semiconductor manufacturing, a space where labor is often commoditized. My next role was in workforce sales, helping supply manufacturing facilities with labor. But over time, I became uneasy with this transactional view of human beings. I don’t see anything wrong with meeting market demand, but I want to focus my own work on giving more power to people rather than treating them as commodities.

I made the difficult and, admittedly, unconventional decision to leave the company and pursue the remote working lifestyle. This wasn’t rash or unplanned (there were endless logistics to consider), but it did break away from the standard career path society expects.

Everyone has a different financial threshold to assess a decision like this, and for me, I felt a strong urge to invest in myself in this phase of life to achieve an outcome I dream about. I want the flexibility to continue traveling around the world and have total locational freedom while working.

Right now, I am on São Miguel Island, one of 9 volcanic islands called the Portuguese Azores, an archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean. The Azores are remote and breathtaking, with cliffs that rise sharply over the ocean and volcanic rock lining the shore. The cold Atlantic is shockingly refreshing in our daily plunges, grounding us in the natural beauty of the islands.

I am living in a small coworking and coliving house which hosts about 10 people at a time. The majority of the guests are from the U.S. or Europe. They all seek a quiet place to balance both remote work and time in nature. There are freelancers, entrepreneurs and solopreneurs, programmers, salespeople, researchers, and more. The community changes often with the inflow and outflow of people, but the friendships and memories last. We often have group cross-cultural potluck dinners and share our interests by organizing yoga, hikes, diving, and surfing.

I feel a world of gratitude to have the chance to live this “renaissance man” life right now. I'm immersing myself in personal development—from yoga practice to language learning—while simultaneously pursuing creative and professional growth through writing, app development, and community engagement. The days are full and so is my heart.

I am leaning into the learnings that come with a decision like this. No one, not a university or a company, is mandating how I spend my time. I am learning to spearhead different projects and prioritize my time. I am learning to be ruthless with my goals. And more importantly, I am re-learning the power of long-term travel communities.

It wasn’t easy giving up the title and paycheck, but I’d rather invest in myself now than delay the same inevitable outcome. I’m ready to take risks, walk the walk, and share what I learn along the way.