“Things Broke — And So Did I (But Then…)”
It wasn’t a dramatic collapse.
No ambulance. No crisis. No shouted “I QUIT” in a fluorescent office.
It was quieter than that—like fog slowly filling a room you forgot to leave.
I woke up one day and realized: I wasn’t tired. I was done.
What followed was a weekend that accidentally became a wilderness breakdown… and the strange beginning of my off-grid journey.
🏙 Before the Burnout
I lived in a city. I worked a job. I did what people do.
My schedule was full, but my life felt empty.
- I drank coffee to speed up
- I drank wine to slow down
- I answered emails at dinner
- I never said no, even when I meant it
There was no crisis. There was just chronic everything—and I didn’t realize how far I’d drifted from myself.
🌲 The Break (and the Breakthrough)
A friend suggested a weekend hike.
Just a forest trail, nothing wild. But something in me cracked when we stepped off pavement.
- I couldn’t stop crying for the first mile
- I couldn’t explain it
- My chest hurt when I smelled pine
- I didn’t want to go back
I ended up camping alone that night, even though I hadn’t planned to. Just a tarp, a fire, and a notebook I hadn’t touched in a year.
That’s when I wrote:
“I don’t want to return. But I don’t know where to go instead.”
💡 What I Learned (The Hard and Beautiful Way)
| What Broke | What Grew |
|---|---|
| My ambition | My awareness |
| My schedule | My rhythm |
| My certainty | My curiosity |
| My productivity | My personhood |
🧭 My Actual Exit Strategy (That Came After the Breakdown)
- Step 1: Took a month off (had to fight for it)
- Step 2: Moved to a smaller place, closer to trailheads
- Step 3: Started cooking all meals with a butane stove
- Step 4: Cut spending by 60% (canceled most tech, subscriptions, social pressures)
- Step 5: Built a 6-month side hustle buffer
- Step 6: Left the city. Not forever—but long enough to become real again
🚫 What I Stopped Needing
- Likes
- Fast internet
- Uber anything
- White noise
- “Plans”
- Other people’s expectations
🧠 What I Still Carry
- A $35 backpack that still smells like smoke
- A scar on my shin from tripping on a root while crying
- A commitment to never abandon myself for money again
- A belief: the woods don’t fix you—they just show you who needs fixing
🧪 Try This: Your Own Exit Prompt
Tonight, grab a pen and write these 3 things:
- What have I tolerated for too long?
- What part of me wants to leave, but hasn’t?
- If I disappeared into the woods tomorrow… what would I pack, and what would I leave behind?
Let the answers scare you a little. That’s good. That’s real.
📥 Subscribe to download: “Exit Strategy Starter Pack”
Includes:
- Reflection journal template
- Decision-making map
- Urban exit plan (3, 6, 12 months)
- Mini gear checklist for spontaneous overnights
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