In August 2022, I quit my dream job. Looking to heal my burnout and find happiness beyond work, I spent a year and a half — and $34,000 — exploring South America and Asia.

For the first several months, I dashed through my bucket list destinations, hiking to snow-capped peaks and glacial lakes in Patagonia and bathing in warm waters in Thailand. 

But the thrill quickly petered out. I stood on the dramatic coastal bluffs of Jeju Island, Korea, and felt apathy. While roaming Japan, I peered with jealousy at people on their laptops in Starbucks. 

I was living my dream, but feeling burned out and hollow. That’s when I realized I’d made a huge mistake: I had changed my circumstances, but not my state of mind.