I’m Free—And Society’s On My Side.

Unfulfilled and underutilized, I promised myself I would honor the unwavering Greek pride my father instilled in me and leave before I lost me. After months—I realize now, years—of personal battles in my head, wanting to grow so badly but feeling forever stuck, I gave my three weeks and kept moving forward, riding this refreshing surge of shock and self-empowerment to get me to where I deserve to be.

I tried hard to build a career for myself in New York City, starting somewhat from the bottom after having lived in Europe for five years post-college, pursuing my studies only in the form of freelance writing, never yet full-time. Teaching English was my everyday profession abroad, and a lifelong goal of mine, and moving back to the States would be a risk that would not only affect my path, but my husband’s future as well.

In retrospect, I can truly say I have no regrets. We as individuals and as partners have grown both personally and professionally these past four years, due to our undying dedication and commitment. My husband was able to continue and advance his career as an aircraft engineer, and I was able to realize my dream of one day working at a magazine.

It’s been almost a month now since I resigned from my position, freeing myself from corporate America—and I remain proud for having stayed true to myself, recognizing that it was my time to move on. My friends, my family and my former colleagues are proud; I know my father would be most proud. And above all, I have society on my side.

There’s this exhilarating, ever-present support that I’m fortunate enough to be receiving: I’ve become part of the respected quit-your-job movement (credit to Thrive Global’s anti-burnout revolution, in my opinion). It’s 2018, and people, especially women, are finally less fearful, more outspoken, and willing to fight for their happiness, even if it means taking a few steps back in order to leap forward.

I’ve decided that I’m not going to rush my next move. Instead, I’m going to use what I’ve learned, throughout my life, and invest my energy and skills in discovering what’s most important to me. I’ll be enjoying my resignation vacation while it lasts, traveling without the stress of work pressures in the back of my mind, taking care of myself physically and mentally, volunteering more, spending mornings with my husband (and Live with Kelly and Ryan), and being able to do things I never would have been able to do before, like flying last-minute to see my sister for her birthday or visiting the American Museum of Natural History with my all-star mom and her fifth grade class.

This blog post was meant for my benefit only, to digest my decisions and to reflect on and analyze my nearly 32 years in this world. But I hope it will also serve as inspiration and encouragement, as words for thought—or maybe even action.

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