On this post, I’m going back to my roots with the original topic of this blog.
Finding the balance between work & wanderlust.
When I started this blog, I wanted to focus on my journey of traveling the world, while I continued working my remote job in renewable energy.
But as we all know, nothing changes more than the plan!
After a month in Brazil, I found myself moving from Charleston, South Carolina to Atlanta, Georgia where I currently live with my loving partner.
No regrets.
I’ve been able to build roots with someone I trust for the first time in a long time.
So I’ve actually been enjoying staying in one place.
I’ve also found that wanderlust can have multiple meanings, like wandering within the complexities of one’s own mind, which I often find time to enjoy.
So how is the balance going?
To be completely honest… not so hot.
Even without global travel as a factor, I’m still struggling to find the balance between working and living.
I’ve been exploring this truth and trying to understand why I feel this way.
I intentionally chose to pursue a career in the solar industry, which I’m very passionate about, so it’s not for lack of genuine interest.
I’ve made it into the 90th income percentile for people my age, so it’s not for lack of payment.
Yet still, at the end of the day, even with my ‘above average’ salary in a field I truly enjoy… I still struggle to feel fulfilled.
Why?
Maybe I’m not burnt out on the actual work I do.
Maybe I’m burnt out on the way society has normalized work being a form of indentured servitude.
Do we live to work or work to live?
Do we know the difference?
Even though I’ve chosen this path, I still feel limited by the corporate hierarchy.
Even though I make an impressive salary, I still can’t afford to buy a house in this economy.
Even though I have benefits & insurance, I still overwork myself into a state of stressful anxiety.
Then I look around and realize that I’m not the only one struggling to find balance in the current work structure.
I’ve noticed that a lot of us seem to be burnt out.
Always running towards ‘one day’.
Running on empty, but still going.
Here’s a crazy thought…
What if we all decided it’s okay to put ourselves first?
What if we woke up in the morning, and decided to do something that feels good, instead of just automatically doing what we feel we ‘have’ to do?
Would the world meet us with empathy or criticism?
If we are met with criticism, would it immediately discourage us?
Should we allow ourselves to be discouraged?
Can the external world limit our internal knowing?
I believe in a world that values personal well-being over productivity.
I believe it’s okay to nurture yourself and find the balance in your own life, before showing up for anything else.
I believe it’s possible.
What do you believe?
How do you find the balance between working & living?
Feel free to offer insights in the comments!
Work & Wanderlust 
I understand your disillusionment, I’m grappling with pieces of it myself. Societal messaging runs contrary to our intuition which breeds a disconnect and sense of strange otherness. We desire more time to explore this life while we are in it and live to our full potential. Yet there is no time and nobody seems to care the way that we do. I hear your confusion as you think “I’ve got the dream job and am extraordinarily fortunate and yet…important things are missing” we feel guilty for wanting more. I would choose less money if it meant more time to connect with myself and the world around me, to pursue those things which are meaningful. We change. Who you were is not who you are now. Find out who you are now and what you want and then lean towards it. You do t have to up stumps and jump into a drastic change, just begin to lean more into the things that feel right. Small changes every day will put you on a different path a year now and it will feel authentic and effortless. Think with your heart.
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Thank you so much for the thoughtful response. Your words ring true and meaningful around this. I have spun round and round on this & you’ve given me more insightful things to meditate on. I like how you mention not making a drastic change and just learn to lean into new things that feel right. That’s what I’ve been trying to do lately, and I took some time off work to ground myself & try to feel like myself in this society (: Wise words, thank you again! Namaste.
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Hi Alyssa, whilst replying to you I found some solutions of my own. It’s funny how we bump up against the people we need to, even in this vast pool, and are able to have a conversation which leads to the illumination of our own experience. I’m glad my response resonated and I hope you are able to find a peaceful place from which to pivot.
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