Most people expect life to follow a certain order: work hard, buy a house, settle down, think about kids, and build from there. For a long time, I thought I’d follow that path too. Same job, same long hours, same routines. Nothing wrong with that life at all, but I started to realise that I was heading toward it without ever stepping outside the small corner of the world I knew.

I’ve barely left my hometown of Norwich. I grew up there, worked there, lived the same patterns for years. One day I looked at my life and thought: Is this it before I turn 30? Before I start making decisions that tie me down for good? That question stayed with me longer than I expected.

So I made a decision. One that felt risky, uncomfortable, and honestly a little chaotic. I chose to leave home, work, friends, and everything familiar, and head into the unknown to see what else is out there.

The Real Reasons I Wanted to Travel

1. Breaking out of the cycle

The long hours and constant grind were swallowing up everything else. The never ending cycle of work, Gym, sleep was taking a told on my mind and body. I didn’t want my best years to disappear inside the same routine. Before life gets too serious I wanted to breathe a bit before settling into the next chapter of life. So many of my mates enjoy the comforts of home and the predictable simple lifestyle of leaving school, find a job, work their way up the job ladder, buy a house, find a partner and live happily ever after. Which there is nothing wrong with how the majority of people who live this life. Just I’ve always wanted to know if there was more out in the world to explore. So here I am, off on my travels. Breaking the rules of society. A one way ticket. No plans. Just adventure and opportunity.

2. Before buying a house and thinking about kids

I know those things will come, and I want them, but not before I’ve actually seen some of the world. I didn’t want to look back one day and realise I never gave myself the chance. These are big commitments that I will fully commit to when the times right but I see these as ties that would make it harder to travel and explore. So my plan is to travel whilst I have time, enough money and no real responsibilities. If I’ve travelled and given myself the opportunity to see the world and create memories that aren’t just in the local pub, I will be fully committed to the grown up lifestyle full of adult responsibilities.

3. I’d never really left Norwich

It’s crazy how you can live your whole life somewhere and not realise how small your world has become. Travel felt like the only way to expand it. Norwich (my home town) is small. Everyone knows everyone, the nights out are repetitive and predictable. We go to the same pub with the same people and were all protected in this blanket of comfort. Its boring. Sometimes I wonder if I’ve made the correct decision to travel, and then I see the same mates going on the same nights out. Working for that Friday feeling. The buzz of no work for 2 days. It all seems mental to me. However, I guess that is the way of life. I want to experience the different cultures and how the different societies work together. I see it as an opportunity to learn.

4. Growing as a person

This was a big one. I wanted to learn how to feel more comfortable outside my comfort zone to break down the barriers that made me overthink, hesitate, or avoid new experiences. I know that in myself I would shy away from awkward situations or worry about what people think of me. If I had a public interaction with someone I would think about it, worrying what that person thought of me and if what I said had been taken the wrong way. I feel that it’s not an enjoyable way to go through life. Putting myself in awkward situations in unfamiliar environments will force me to climb these walls that I’ve built that have guarded me from being able to, in a way, ‘let go’ and relax around unfamiliar faces. Growth doesn’t happen when your life stays the same.

5. Catching up with my brother in Koh Samui

Family ties matter. He made the move just under 2 years ago, and seeing his life out here made me think about what’s possible. Meeting him on the other side of the world felt like a good enough reason on its own. In all honesty, it’s not the same at home without him. We’re brothers. We may not get on all the time and we have fights more than with anyone I know, but that’s what brothers are for. It’s always disagreements caused by caring for each other. Home isn’t the same without him. We’re a very close family and him being away is tough especially with the time difference. There’s no one who understands me more than him. So leaving rainy England for the sunny beaches of Thailand was an easy decision when I got to be reunited with my brother again.

Why Now?

Because waiting didn’t make sense anymore. Life wasn’t giving me a better moment. The timing wasn’t perfect, but is there ever a perfect time to go The idea of staying still felt worse than the risk of moving.

So I packed my bag, booked a one-way ticket, and stepped into a new chapter with no plan. Just curiosity, a bit of fear, a lot of excitement and the hope that this decision will shape the rest of my life in ways staying home never could.