About six years ago, my ex inspired me to focus on self-improvement, and one of the areas she got me into was personal finance. I’d always been curious about it, but I only knew the bare minimum. You’d think, after going to business school and even taking finance classes, I’d have learned something useful about managing my own money. But nope, none of that was ever taught.
So, I took matters into my own hands. I picked up I Will Teach You to Be Rich by Ramit Sethi, a book that completely reshaped how I saw money.
I finished it in days, and once I implemented some of the things Ramit talked about -automating savings, setting up investment accounts, being intentional with spending. I felt like I finally had some control. For the first time, I wasn’t just working for a paycheck; I was actually making my money work for me. That book sent me down a rabbit hole—watching personal finance YouTube videos, reading blogs, listening to podcasts, following PF influencers, even attending meetups where people just sat around and talked about money (crazy, right?).
After all these learnings and conversations, it became clear: escaping the 9-5 isn’t just about quitting. It’s about building a way out and having the OPTION to quit.
That’s one of the reasons I took a solo trip, a decision that ended up changing my entire perspective. Traveling alone forced me to rely entirely on myself. Every decision, every problem, every moment of uncertainty - I had to figure it out on my own. And through that, I realized just how much freedom and independence actually mean to me. Being able to move at my own pace, explore new places on my terms, and meet people without any expectations - it was the most free I had ever felt.
And that’s when it all connected.
This trip wasn’t just a vacation. It was a wake-up call. It made me realize that the structured path I was on - the 9-5 grind, the lifestyle creep, the idea that you have to wait decades before you can actually start living - wasn’t the only way. There’s a whole world out there, and I had more control over how I wanted to engage with it than I ever thought.
Coming back, I couldn’t stop thinking about it. I kept reflecting on the trip, on my job, on the kind of life I actually wanted to build. I don’t have all the answers, but over the years, I’ve learned a few things about money, time, and just recently, what freedom actually feels like.
And if you’ve ever questioned the 9-5 grind, or wondered if there’s another way, maybe this will get you thinking too.
Read the next part here.
