On March 20, 2026, I decided to resign from my consulting firm.
Despite having a full-time job that paid me well, and a very interesting and professionally enriching assignment.
But I still decided to leave my full-time job to travel.
Without any real ambition to find a new position in the same role, or even to apply for a new job.
Did I have a plan? Not really.
Since I resigned, I won't receive the unemployment benefits I contributed to.
On top of that, I also have my mortgage to repay.
So I found myself without a safety net. But I did have a financial cushion to survive for a few months.
After more than 4 years of corporate work since earning my engineering degree, I decided it was time for me to turn the page.
Leaving my full-time job wasn't an easy thing, to be honest with you. But something told me I had to.
Here are my 5 reasons.
I left my full-time job to take a break from corporate life
Like any dreamer who wishes to travel the world, I've always had this dream of dedicating a part of my life to doing it one day.
While I was still a student at my engineering school, I had time during school holidays to travel. By stringing together temp jobs alongside my studies and with the help of scholarships, I managed to travel cheaply to Japan and Taiwan.
That was truly the time when I had the chance to experience volunteering at hostels, typically doing chores in exchange for free accommodation.
Between the ages of 19 and 23, I considered that period my golden age. Because those were my moments of questioning everything I had experienced during my solo travels, meeting travelers from all over the world with diverse backgrounds.
Many of them had voluntarily left their corporate jobs to devote themselves entirely to their round-the-world trip. Others started freelancing to work remotely and travel.
Being around them was a source of inspiration for me, because before that, I had never known that one could combine travel and work. It was as if a universe opened up to me, telling me that the world is far too vast to think that only one path existed in life.
Then, since I entered professional life, things changed. I was exchanging my time for money to build my life projects.
I started saving money, then bought my first home. When I had enough vacation days, I could afford to travel for about 2 to 3 weeks.
During one of my trips to Portugal, I met my current girlfriend, and we decided to move in together a year and a half later.
Time passed, and work monotony slowly crept in. I was stuck in the daily grind, all while thinking that one day, this routine would break.
Until the day I decided to hand in my resignation.
Not that I didn't like the job anymore.
But because it was time for me to take a break.
Because I longed for something else. I wanted to truly dedicate myself to what I had always wanted to do.
My goal : To use this break to focus on what mattered most to me.
I left my permanent job to develop my travel blog
That was the main reason I decided to quit.
It might seem ridiculous at first, but I had my reasons for doing it.
Because my travel blog Le Solo Backpacker has existed for a little over 3 years, and over time, I felt that to turn my personal project into something tangible, I needed to dedicate much more time to it.
Today, my blog doesn't generate much income financially. I could have stopped it overnight given the results.
But my deep interest in travel, everything I've learned throughout my solo adventures, and being convinced that my vision can offer solutions have allowed me to stay the course, keep faith in my ability to succeed by trusting myself, and believe that one day, I would manage to make my project viable.
The support from my family, friends, colleagues, as well as some unknown people who sent me positive messages by email, are what motivate me so much to write articles, even with very little traffic.
Because I firmly believe that all the work I do in my free time brings a lot of value to many of you who read me. And that's what gives me so much confidence to dare to step out of my comfort zone.
My goal: to make this blog as comprehensive and detailed as possible, and to help you calmly plan your next trips with me.
With every article, I give my all to provide you with all the necessary information. I very often modify the format of my articles to adjust to my expectations (and YOUR expectations), and to give you the best possible experience.
Some of you have seen me grow with this blog. You've surely witnessed the evolution of my blog, its design, and how much details matter to me.
Even if I sometimes post articles irregularly, I always keep in mind that my blog needs to be updated frequently to gain more visibility.
I quit my full-time job to become a Digital Nomad
This time, I decided to take it to the next level: swapping my salaried job for becoming a Digital Nomad for 2 months (or more).
Heading to Colombia for 1 month, then 3 weeks in Thailand, two new countries I haven't had the opportunity to visit yet!
It was time for me to discover another way of traveling, to see if this status that all travel influencers praise so much is truly what they claim.
According to them, being a Digital Nomad means geographical freedom, more time to travel, and independence.
So I decided to give it a try, working from anywhere to document my travels as I go.
My goal : to truly show you what it's like to be a Digital Nomad, by revealing both the positive and negative aspects. I want to show you what goes on behind the scenes, how much I spent in 1 month abroad, how I manage my time between writing articles, creating videos for social media, and traveling, and how much my work earns me. Absolutely everything!
So far, very few articles discuss this topic candidly. And many of you truly wonder if it's possible to make a living from it.
Because I believe it's time to demystify this much-coveted dream: living off travel with an online business.
We hear much more about success, but not enough about failures, and the proportion of entrepreneurs who end up abandoning their dream of becoming a Digital Nomad.
That's also a reason pushing me to take this risk. Will I succeed in making a place for myself among nomadic entrepreneurs?
I quit my full-time job to go all-in on social media
When I first started my travel blog project, I hadn't considered getting into creating videos and Reels.
As I'm naturally an introvert, I couldn't see myself appearing on camera for you all.
Writing articles was much simpler than speaking. I could take my time to think about what I wanted to write and share, whereas a video requires knowing how to capture attention.
I also thought that being uncomfortable in front of a camera would make me completely freeze up and appear less credible to you.
This fear was valid, as the thought of not being good enough really held me back.
The problem is, in my quest for perfection, I kept putting off my intention to get started on social media.
I realized it was important for me to connect with you, and that this is something I'd like to develop. So, I necessarily had to open myself up to the public.
I recently started posting videos on my TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube accounts.
Initially, I had no intention of going viral with my content. I was more interested in experimenting by publishing short, informative videos to see if my content resonated or not.
One of my Reels performed really well, the one about my trip to Madeira, with over 28,000 views on TikTok today.
I received a lot of positive comments and feedback from people who liked the content. At that moment, I thought to myself: “Wait, so if I keep publishing Reels regularly, can I really build a community and make my project truly viable?”
Surprisingly, my Reel about Madeira managed to bring a lot of people to my travel blog. And for Google, that's a good sign, because it means people are interested in the content.
That's when it clicked for me. I needed to continue in this direction and regularly create content to hope to see my project flourish.
I had a choice between staying in my permanent job and continuing to produce my content irregularly, or fully committing to my blogging activity while diversifying with social media.
The answer, as you might have guessed: I quit my permanent job.
My Goal : to use social media to expand my visibility on a larger scale in addition to my travel blog, and to connect with my followers.
Because I truly believe that building a community that shares my values, offering my help by answering all your questions, or even inspiring people, can only bring good things, both for me and for you.
I quit my permanent job to avoid having regrets
Let's be honest. Leaving my permanent contract also means giving up the comfort I had to dedicate myself to projects close to my heart, but whose future is uncertain.
I won't have a regular paycheck at the end of each month, nor the certainty that my project will eventually become viable.
I'm going traveling with the goal of gradually building my project around travel, because deep down, that's what I truly want to do.
This requires a significant financial investment from me, in addition to the expenses I have to pay each month. This means I only have a few months to hope my project comes to fruition, otherwise I'll have to reconsider my ambitions.
This feeling of not knowing what my future holds scares me. Perhaps you feel the same way.
As personal development gurus often say: “live your life without regrets before it's too late.” This phrase takes on its full meaning at this stage of my life.
After careful consideration, if I continued in my routine, it was highly likely that I would never dare to take the plunge.
Life events can happen and completely hinder the possibility of changing direction.
I told myself that the sooner I do everything I've always wanted to do, the lighter my conscience would be.
Because even though leaving my permanent contract scares me, this choice could only be beneficial for my personal growth.
In the worst-case scenario, if things don't work out as planned, I could always find a job when I return. But at least I would have tried!
I'll come back with clearer ideas, and certainly with knowledge and skills I would have acquired over time.
FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions When Leaving a Permanent Contract
Can you get another permanent contract after leaving everything to travel?
For many travelers who chose to go on long trips, getting another permanent contract is as easy as finding one before their trip. Being able to justify the reason for such a career break helps you feel more confident during the job interview.
Should you resign or negotiate a mutual termination agreement before going traveling?
The best thing to do is to negotiate a mutual termination agreement if you can. Because it allows you to receive unemployment benefits from France Travail. Before your trip, don't forget to freeze your benefit rights, because if the administration realizes you're not looking for work during that time, you'll lose those rights.
How do you know when it's the right time to leave?
Always have a safety net before leaving your permanent job: a financial cushion to tide you over for a few months, a place to stay if things go wrong, and a few years of professional experience will give you more peace of mind than leaving on a whim.
Is it really possible to live by traveling without a permanent job?
Yes, these days, I see many employees transitioning to freelance work to gain freedom in choosing their assignments and to negotiate with clients for 100% remote work. Many companies allow freelancers to work from anywhere.
How to fund your travels after quitting your job?
There are several ways to fund your travels after leaving your permanent job. You can find seasonal jobs while traveling, take on freelance assignments, or do affiliate marketing. Social media platforms like YouTube or TikTok can also be avenues for generating income.
Conclusion
I mainly wrote this article for myself. Its primary purpose was to remind myself why I decided to leave my permanent job, and the 5 reasons that pushed me to do it.
I also believe this article might resonate with you, with all those who are afraid to take the plunge due to fear of the unknown.
Finding an honest testimony from people who dared to take the leap is not commonplace. It's even something I wish I had.
So, I decided to break the silence and become the experiment myself, documenting my entrepreneurial journey.
I certainly hope my article can address your doubts.
I warmly invite you to follow my adventures through this blog, where I will regularly post updates on my projects and give you every reason to embark on your own adventure, just like me!
