Quitting My Corporate Job to Work Abroad Wasn’t Easy—But It Changed Everything

Renee, D.C.

Traveler Details: Age Range: 30s | Food Preferences: Adventurous eater, Loves local street food | Mid-range traveler | Afro-Caribbean American | Former corporate professional turned remote worker | LGBTQ+ traveler | Former HR specialist, now a freelance career coach | Living in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam | Values freedom, purpose, and authenticity

I used to stare at the same Excel sheets every Monday and wonder if this was it—if this was the life I was supposed to be proud of.

Don’t get me wrong. I had a “good job.” Salary, benefits, even a corner office by 28. But every year felt the same. Promotions gave me titles, not peace. I planned vacations just to escape the job I was working so hard to keep. One day I looked around, and I didn’t see a life—I saw a loop.

So I stepped out of it.

Leaving the Corporate Ladder for… the Unknown

It wasn’t a bold leap. It was a slow unraveling. I spent a year saving aggressively, paid off my debt, started taking freelance coaching clients on the side—and eventually gave my two weeks’ notice.

The plan? A one-way flight to Vietnam. Just to try it.

What I found was a whole new version of myself.

What I Gained by Working Abroad

• Time to build, not just perform.

In D.C., my value was tied to output. In Vietnam, I learned how to design a life around energy instead of exhaustion.

• Cost of living that gave me breathing room.

I went from $2,200/month rent to $450 in a modern apartment—with weekly laundry service.

• Clients who valued what I brought to the table.

I now work with people all over the world, helping them align their careers with their values. And I do it from cafés with $1 iced coffees.

• Community with other ambitious, curious expats.

The friendships I’ve made here are deeper than happy hours and status games. We talk about ideas, growth, what healing looks like.

What I Gave Up

• Stability (at first)

There were months I wasn’t sure where my next invoice would come from. But somehow, it always worked out.

• A clear path

The “next step” isn’t always obvious when you write your own blueprint. But the freedom to make it up as I go? Worth it.

Final Reflection

Working abroad didn’t just change my job—it changed me.

I’m no longer building a résumé—I’m building a life that reflects what I care about: growth, connection, wellness, creativity. I still work hard. But now it’s on my terms.

So if you’re sitting in your cubicle, daydreaming about something different, I’m not saying quit your job tomorrow. I’m saying listen to that whisper that says, “There’s more.”

Because there is.