It’s been 11 years since I left my first and only corporate job. I’m still having nightmares about being back.
At my desk. Supervisor nearby. Security card in hand.
Didn’t I hand it back on my last day?
Then I wake up.
Was it really that bad?
Not at all.
It was the biggest, most prestigious law firm in the city.
Top salary for a new graduate.
Rooftop gardens.
Swanky offices.
Gruelling hours, yes.
But also the camaraderie of peers, brilliant mentors, the thrill of a top-tier career.
Still, deep down, I knew.
This was not me.
I couldn’t explain it.
I couldn’t rationalise it.
I just knew.
What else could I do?
What else was I good at?
Where else would I get this salary, this title, this career path?
I often ask myself: how did I even get there?
Why did I want it so badly?
Was it family expectations?
The media’s version of success?
Who told me law was the answer?
At school, I excelled at everything.
The classic overachiever.
I could solve any task.
But that only made it harder to choose.
I remember spending hours in the school library.
Old career books.
Flipping through pages, desperately trying to answer the impossible question: what should I become?
We grow up hearing the question: What do you want to be?
At 16. At 18. At 21.
Before we even know who we are.
We are taught to believe we must get it right the first time.
No detours.
No experiments.
No second chances.
So we grind through jobs we don’t love.
Because we’ve already invested the time, money, and energy to get there.
The sunk cost fallacy holds us hostage.
We spend the years that are arguably our best years to try, fail, and explore—sticking instead to a career we no longer want but feel we cannot leave.
Then life happens.
The 30s, the 40s.
Salaries, mortgages, lifestyles, family responsibilities.
The golden cage feels unbreakable.
We stay.
We tell ourselves: I can’t leave. Too many people depend on me.
I’m grateful.
But am I happy?
It’s never too late to stop.
To rethink.
To ask yourself: is this really what I want?
Is this truly who I am?What did I love doing when I was younger?
When did time disappear?
What gave me energy, not drained it?
You were told: it will never make you money.
Maybe yes. Maybe no.
The truth? No one knows.
I left.
Many of my friends stayed.
They climbed. They became partners at the world’s most prestigious firms.
Do they love what they do?
A handful, yes.
Most?
They never explored anything else. They never had the space or the courage to ask: what else could there be?
The golden handcuffs are real.
The salary, the perks, the prestige keep you in.
But so does the relentless demand for your time.
The hours are brutal. The personal sacrifices are endless.
And if you sit down and calculate the true per-hour pay…
You would be shocked.
Factor in the high cost of city living, higher taxes, long commutes, minimal flexibility.
I know why it wasn’t for me.
I didn’t want to sleep under my desk for this.
I didn’t want a life traded for “career opportunities” that came at the expense of living life at all.
OK… but where do I start?
What can I do?
Is it about taking time off, pressing pause, seeking new experiences—or something completely different?
Studies show even small changes in your environment can have a big impact.
Shifting your space, breaking routines, working somewhere new, or simply spending time in a different setting has been linked to clearer thinking, stronger problem-solving skills, and greater creativity.
When was the last time you felt inspired?
What space were you in when ideas came easily?
What surroundings give you energy, not drain it?
Maybe the first step isn’t to completely change everything.
Could you ask for a sabbatical?
Could you explore the possibility of working remotely for a while?
Could you experiment with what it feels like to live and design your life on your own terms—even if just temporarily?
For me, travel has always been the reset.
It challenges my thinking, sparks creativity, and has influenced every business, design, and project I’ve worked on.
So why not step away, just for a little while?
Not to run away.
Not to abandon everything.
But to pause.
To breathe.
To step out of autopilot and finally hear yourself—maybe even for the first time.
Nu:per is a global lifestyle and hospitality platform created for a new generation of remote and location-flexible professionals seeking more than travel—they’re seeking a new way to live, work, & adventure. Born from the desire to blend focused work with intentional living, nu:per curates design-led, work-friendly accommodations in inspiring destinations making you feel at home anywhere in the world. In just one click, you can book your entire itinerary incl. flights, accommodation, and local experiences—whether you’re planning your next workation, a team offsite, or a company retreat. Our members aren’t just “working remotely”—they’re redefining the future of remote work and flexible living. This is nu:per life.
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