I Gave Up Work And Now Travel The World
“I’m sorry but Jenny never showed up for her shift, I know it’s supposed to be your day off but I’m stuck in meetings and need you to go open the bar right now.”
The text you never want to see from your boss. I seemed to receive some version of this text all too often. 😒
“Are you serious? Come on man, I just worked the last 6 nights in a row”
“Please, I’m desperate…”
And that was how I got roped in to working on my only day off, again. 😒🔫
As the electric motor that lifted the big metal gate covering the bar’s patio grinded to life and the “clack, clack, clack” sound of the metal slabs of the slowly lifting gated rang in my ears I thought about how I’d originally gotten into this
business for the flexible hours. But these days it seemed more like a fantasy, working nights, so I could have my days open to work on my production left me with out a social life and too exhausted to think.
I unlocked the heavy glass door and walked into the dark bar, leaving the sunny warm day behind me and took in the
smell of stale beer and whatever the kitchen guys had been frying up last night.
Gross. 🍺🍔
“Why is the AC always set to arctic freeze in here” I said out loud to the empty bar as I started turning on lights and
counting drawers. 🥶
This isn’t the life I had envisioned for myself after almost 18 years of living and grinding in LA. I took this job because
the money was great, but only as long as I was there ALL THE TIME!!
I missed more birthdays and events than I could count and hadn’t been on a vacation, not even a weekend getaway in ages.
For the last two years I had worked every weekend, and holiday, No matter how big or how small; Christmas, New Years, valentines day, presidents day, the fourth of July, you name it, I was there, behind that bar, and I was over it!
I wanted to pay off my debt, finish choreographing and produce my cabaret show and never step foot into another bar I wasn’t drinking in or performing in ever again!
Plus I’d always had this dream, ever since I was a little girl, looking at the photos from my parents 6 month, around the
world vacation, to travel! And not just a week here or there, but to really travel, to spend a month in a place and get to really feel what it would be like to live there. To experience different cultures and lifestyles. 🌎✨
How was I already 36 years old and still working a dead-end job just to barely get by.
When my parents were my age they were already married, owned a house, had two kids and had been all the way around the world.
What went wrong?! What did I do?!?
Something had to change and it had to change fast!!
I felt anxious and resentful that my life was passing me by and I was going to miss out! What if I never got the chance to travel full time? The thought sent chills down my spine.
Then a miracle happened, my bar got sold. They announced it the day I closed escrow on my house, my $300k
mortgage depending completely on my job security. I was terrified! 😯
But wait, sometimes out of the biggest tragedies comes our biggest triumphs, and mine was getting fired.
Yep, I slaved away at this dumb bar, making someone else rich, sacrificing my friends, my relationships and my dreams only to get Fired!?!?!
I didn’t see it in the moment, but it would turn out to be the best thing for me. 🎉
It meant I could cut my hours, and finally finish my show! Which I did!! And to sold out audiences our entire run!! 🙌
🙏 I’d never been happier. But now I faced a cross roads. I could stay in LA and build my show, which meant more 16 hours days and hustling nonstop and barely getting by OR I could shut it down, sell my house and go travel!!
That’s right, you guessed it, I quit my job, shut down my show and put my house on the market and left LA after 18
years. I was beyond excited for the next chapter of my life to start and the adventure I was embarking on.
But life never really goes the way you expect.
I had to move in with my mom at 36 years old 😳 And the house didn’t sell, it sat on the market eating away at my savings. And I couldn’t find a job in Colorado that didn’t insist on a 2 year commitment which I couldn’t make because the whole point was too go travel. 😱
So here I was, stuck in Denver, living with my mother, no money, a mortgage and a quickly dwindling savings account. 🤦♀️
I sank into a depression, panicked that I had made a horrible mistake. I’d had a good life in LA, friends, a job, a
production I was proud of and I gave it all up for this?
I started looking for ways out. Some way, any way to salvage my dream and my life.
Everyone I knew who was traveling full time or living abroad worked online. So I knew that had to be the key! 🗝
But I am so UN-computer savvy it’s not even funny, I can barely send an email 🙈 So I knew I was going to have to learn, and to do that I needed to find a course, or a coach, some kind of mentor that could hold my hand and walk me through exactly what to do, step by step.
I looked into a number of different options but they left me with an Icky feeling, like a shamefully sleezy salesman or something 🤢 and I just knew it wouldn’t work for me if I didn’t feel good about it.
I started researching how to start a blog and monetize it, but I’m no writer and didn’t really have much of a social media game. I thought I was doomed.
That’s when I found an awesome Digital Marketing platform. I don’t know why it stood out to me but it did. It just felt different, it felt right, Like it just clicked.
So I dug deeper and what I found was an amazing community of people, of all ages and backgrounds.
And they all seemed happy and excited about what they were doing.
Not to mention they were all so friendly and made me feel really welcome! 🥰 There are a ton of tools available, and lots of friendly faces to turn to for help. Whether to answer questions, give helpful tips or just some general guidance.
And it was exactly what I was looking for in terms of it being easy to get started and a step by step process that super easy to follow.
I’m learning a new skillset that will be super useful in all areas of my life and I can use well into the future.
And the best part is I get to help people!
And now not only do I travel full time but I can stay abroad indefinitely because I am making more than enough money. 🥳 Total FREEDOM!!!!
I did it! I found something I like, that’s fun and empowering and fits my life schedule. Not only am I doing something I believe in, but I feel proud of it as well 🙌
So if you’re like me and looking for more time and freedom drop “Info” below and we’ll chat!
I know it’s not for everyone but it worked for me so if you’re curious just click the link, enter your name and email and we’ll send you an email back with a private link to our live broadcast so you can learn more.
www.evaleetravelsnow.com
It’s totally free and doesn’t cost you anything to see if it’s a fit for you.
Best,
Evalee 🤓
Credit. https://www.facebook.com/spiritnaturetraveler/
