Have you ever thought about leaving clinical medicine to travel the world- but then immediately dismissed it as a pipe dream.
Have you checked all the boxes of a successful career and great salary, but still feel empty inside- like something is missing?
In this episode, I interview Kristin Addis, of Be My Travel Muse. She is one of the world’s TOP solo female travel bloggers and was my personal inspiration for leaving clinical medicine to follow my dreams.
In this episode you will learn:
- The story behind Be My Travel Muse, and why Kristin decided to take the leap and start solo traveling.
- The secret behind her blogging success and how she was able to reach over 5 million annual readers
- How to start building up bravery and taking baby steps to follow your dreams.
This episode is such a “dream come true” conversation for me personally, and I’m so excited for you to listen in!
Use the audio player above to listen, or tune in on Apple podcasts or Spotify.
How Kristin Bought a One-Way Ticket to Bangkok
Kristin was working in a prestigious investment banking job making a great salary but was feeling empty and unhappy. What she thought would make her happy, didn’t pan out. She took my savings and decided to quit her job and take a sabbatical. She initially thought of it as a sabbatical that would help her pause and see what else it out there, but little did she know, that her whole life was going to change forever. That was 10 years ago, and she still hasn’t gone back to working as an investment banker.
Leaving investment banking is like leaving clinical medicine
Investment bankers, much like doctors, earn a good amount of money. Most of these professionals are trapped into thinking that they should just be content with their high-paying job. Kristin had to agonize about her decision to leave her job for months. Leaving investment banking probably felt just as painful and difficult as leaving clinical medicine. Ultimately Kristin realized that the huge amount of money she made was not her end goal in life. Despite the lack of support from her friends and family, she still pushed through with quitting her job. She stepped away from the norm and other people’s voices to prioritize what she wanted for her own life.
Stepping away from societal constructs
There are societal expectations that people must meet certain milestones according to their age. It’s such a strange construct that puts all of us at risk of settling. We give in to the fear of being left behind due to the pressure from society. Life is long and short at the same time. Young people should not be compelled to follow the timelines others set for them. Go at your own pace. There is no rush.
From Struggling to Finding Success
When Kristin traveled to South East Asia, she had to be frugal and make the most out her pocket money to get around. (This is exactly how I felt initially when leaving clinical medicine) Kristin remembered being stressed because she had to rely on her blogging and freelance writing in the beginning. But she went on believing that not going back to her corporate job was the right thing for her.
The key to her success was grit. If you are just starting on their journey, just keep going, keep learning, and don’t give up. Working long hours on something that is personal for you is more worthwhile and fulfilling than working long hours for a soul-sucking job.
Leaving clinical medicine (and investment banking) means no turning back
There were times in the beginning when Kristin had doubts about the future of her chosen path since blogging was not earning her money. Even when it was a struggle- it never crossed her mind to return to her old life. She continued with her hard work and now she enjoys the fruit of her labor. She struggled at the start but now values the freedom and adventures that her decision has brought to her life.
What it takes to be brave
One crucial thing that prevents people from being brave is listening to the outside voices. The voices that fill a person with doubt and debilitating fear. (I had so many of these voices when leaving clinical medicine, but I learned to ignore them)
Going against the grain is always going to feel weird and scary, but it helps to find a person you admire who is doing something similar. Bravery is not an innate quality. All people have the capability to be brave but they must put themselves out there. You can take baby steps if you can’t make huge leaps.
People from the medical field have developed a paralyzing fear of failure due to conditioning and training. This makes leaving clinical medicine particularly scary. The best way to overcome this fear is to bring awareness to the voices of fear and identify where they are coming from. It’s also helpful to look forward from the lens of your deathbed and identify what would make you feel regrets.
Most Empowering Part of Solo Traveling
The most empowering part of being a solo traveler is encouraging people to do the same. Deciding to travel alone can be a terrifying decision. People will try to talk you out of it and convince you that it’s too dangerous. Kristin feels empowered by fighting this stigma that it’s “too dangerous” for women to travel alone.
Kristin wrote a guidebook on solo female travel called, “Conquering Mountains: How to Solo Travel the World Fearlessly,”. The inspiration for this book came after Matt Kepnes of Nomadic Matt invited her to write a guest column for his blog as a solo female traveler. They decided to work together and write a book on the same concept. She hopes that her book gives readers the confidence to travel alone and get to know themselves better.
If you are thinking about leaving clinical medicine
If you are thinking about leaving clinical medicine (or really any job), it is important to take some time to self-reflect. Ask yourself if you still want to do what you are currently doing. Analyze what aspects of your current situation could be improved. Once you realize that you are not happy with your current situation, you must ultimately step away and figure out what’s next. It’s also okay to not know things yet and to take a break in order to do so.
