How to Quit Your Job and Laugh About it

I quit my last job to start this job, then got fed up with this job and I quit it! Ok, I’m not as proud about quitting this last job as it sounds (I do still have some tentacles attached to it). One thing I know is that I need to find a new job, and no, I’m not doing any coding…

A little about me, my name is Marius though I’ve had the nickname Maruf since the good ole days living in Michigan and attending Lithuanian camp every summer. Since then I have habituated a few places. My more recent chapter involved working stupidly long hours at a job I loved for Thrillist as a coder. I quit that job to embark on a 17 month long journey called Chatterplot (a non-pronfit though we didn’t know it at the time).

Since quitting my real job at Thrillist, I can only imagine my friends thinking I’m some jet-setting bum, living off of ramen, potatoes and whatever the hell it is they eat in Sri Lanka. And for the most part they were right (except for ramen part, I can’t find that anywhere). I spent most of that time with my head glued to the computer writing code for some feature that 5 people might use and not much more.

I can’t say I regret any of it. Sure I burned around $25,000 over a period of 18 months, but it made me realize there really wasn’t much reason for me to stay at my last paying job as long as I did. I gotta see places I’ve only seen previously as screensavers and posters.

Climbings to the peak of Sri Pada in Sri Lanka

Quitting your job to make the jump to be a nomad is a lot like jumping into a ice cold lake for the first time. Until you make the jump, you have no way of knowing how cold the water is. You can measure the temperature, but just because you know the degrees, do you really know how it’s going to feel on your skin? But once you’re in the water, you’re kicking and peddling so hard to stay afloat and stay warm that you get used to it. And by that I mean you are planning to sustain your nomad lifestyle: looking for freelance work, eating affordably, counting your pennies.

Eventually one thing clicks, then leads to another and you realize…

It’s funny how some people think you need to have loads of $$$ in the bank to leave your job. The truth of the matter is, you could comfortably survive off less than $10,000/year living here in South America and even less in Sri Lanka (or India I’m sure). It helps to have an income but if you’re smart, you’ll find something (or it’ll find you). There’s some tips and tricks to skimp on spending money like cooking for yourself, or better yet living in Sri Lanka. Plus, if you get the opportunity, learn the cooking tips of everywhere you go!

Typical Sri Lankan lunch setting consisting of rice & curries

Now I’m living in the beautiful Medellín. My goal is to learn me some business and find a new direction. If you’re in Medellín and looking to learn Spanish in person via excursions and practical activities then check out my latest endeavor Living Lession. This may be my next direction, it may completely fall through, but bring on the journey!