Saying Goodbye to the Grind – Quitting Your Job to Follow Your Dreams

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After spending the last two years of my life in auto-drive (wake-up, brush teeth, drive 45 minutes to work, bust out spreadsheets, drive home, eat dinner, earn decent pay-check twice a month, squeeze in some outdoor time, rinse & repeat) I finally woke up and noticed I was seriously on the wrong path. With much debate about how I want to continue the remaining x number of years I have on this planet, plus a minor bout of existential crisis, I decided the only solution was to screw the salary, quit my job, and take hold of my future before it’s completely out of my grasp.

So that’s exactly what I did. A few weeks ago, I told my company that I’m done with the 9 to 5 grind and that I’m spending the next 6 months chasing low pressure storm systems across the country, skiing with my friends and family, and spreading as much stoke as I humanly can. As soon as the words “I’m taking a 6 month sabbatical” ever so slowly stumbled outta my mouth, I was overwhelmed with a complete sense of fear that I was making a huge mistake. But at the same moment, an unfamiliar feeling of freedom and possibility smiled down at me, saying “OH HELL YEAH!”

There are few things scarier than quitting a good paying job with a solid career path and endless opportunity to move up the ladder. It’s really hard to let it all go just because you have this gut feeling that something, undefinable and unknown, just doesn’t feel right. It’s like when you decide to break up with someone. You don’t know why you fell out of love, you don’t even know if/why you want to end things, but what you do know is that the magic is gone, it ain’t ever comin’ back and if you don’t do something right away, you’ll never find who you were meant to be with.

And that’s what leaving my job is all about. I don’t think of it as “quitting”, but rather forcing myself to expand my life, my mind, and collect as many experiences as I can, while I can. It’s proactively taking control of a situation. I’ve always felt that life is about who you spend your time with, what you do with your days, and how those experiences define you. You are the sum of your stories, your fears, your dreams, your beliefs, your enthusiasm, and those who you surround yourself with.

Now that I’ve justified my hedonistic plunge, ‘tis time to get some personal shit done that I’ve been putting off for far too long…

Stuff I plan to do in the next 6 months:

  1. To ski no less than 100 days this winter season. I’m hoping that Mother Nature just nukes her brains out from Dec. 1st through end of May, but regardless, I’ll be out on the mountain, getting after it.
  2. To start writing again, as much as I can.
  3. To open my mind. I want to meet as many awesome people as I can while on the mountain, during après ski, and through online trip reports.
  4. To travel. A lot. I plan on exploring and getting to Jackson, Big Sky, BC, a variety of places in Colorado, Tahoe, and anywhere else that has a couch to sleep on and snow to ski on.
  5. To get in better shape from 2 years of being lazy, eating like crap, and sitting at a desk all day.
  6. To get back into a creative mindset, work on some photography, edit all the go-pro footage collected over the years, and spread some damn stoke!
  7. To learn how to paraglide with my husband. It’s been on his to-do list for a while and those who play together, stay together. Plus, I totally need another excuse to continue gear whoring!
  8. To be a better person, in general. Simple enough, right?

So that’s it. I’m just another person on the road to discovery now. I hope to meet many more wandering souls out there, who are looking for unique ways to fulfill their dreams and find their purpose. Cheers to an awesome season!

7 thoughts on “Saying Goodbye to the Grind – Quitting Your Job to Follow Your Dreams

  1. Tori Sowul says:

    Totally inspiring and sincere! It is amazing the people you meet and places you discover once you ‘let go’ and approach the world with a big heart! Way to go Case, so proud of ya!!

  2. Alex Quitiquit says:

    SPREADD STOKKKEEE!!!

    How far and how clear this path is going to be, will only be determined by the light that we shine on it!

    Psyched! Love this!

  3. Heleena Sideris says:

    Hells yeah, this is so kickass. I feel like if more people stopped to reassess their life like this (especially in their prime) the world we be a much better place. Yay dream following!

  4. Tess Wyatt says:

    sounds like your doing what most people don’t have the cajones to. Go get it girl and best wishes!

  5. Tess Wyatt says:

    the site looks great btw! super proud of you Tori!

  6. Annie Agle says:

    Well-said girl! Can’t wait to shred with you! xo

  7. jj says:

    Looking forward to #2 on the list! Have fun this season!

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