There’s a moment many of us feel but rarely talk about.
You’re sitting at your desk, answering emails, wearing clothes that don’t feel like yours, and wondering… How did I end up here?
For me, that moment came on a dull weekday afternoon in a glass office building.
Inbox was full, and I was definitely using an avatar that wasn’t me physically or emotionally.
I was solving problems I didn’t care about, chasing goals that weren’t mine.
I was feeling like a fish in a fishbowl with an ocean view.
The path I was on was the one most of us are handed:
Graduate. Get a job. Climb up. Buy stuff. Settle down. Work. Buy more stuff. Retire. Die.
Linear, predictable, “safe”, while at the same time, if you dare to question it, you’re often seen as reckless or ungrateful, but still, it’s the socially acceptable path. For some, maybe fulfilling (and that’s ok).
But for me, it felt hollow, soul-numbing.
Deep down, I felt a quiet discomfort we all know too well — the haunting sense that life was happening to me, not me living life. That I was living someone else’s idea of success, ticking off someone else’s checklist.
And at the end, I didn’t leave everything behind because I had all the answers.
I left because I couldn’t ignore all the questions.
Scenes from “The Truman Show,” directed by Peter Weir, 1998. Screenplay by Andrew Niccol
It felt like in The Truman Show, that final moment when Truman touches the wall of the sky and realizes his world was a set — it hit me.
Truman lived in a world that was comfortable, safe, and predictable, but at the same time fake. Where everything was controlled, and everything was designed to keep him inside.
He’s given a choice:
Stay in comfort… or walk into the unknown.
That scene captures something profound: The courage to step through the unknown, even when it’s terrifying.
Finding your element, a tipping point
Since I was a kid, I dreamed of seeing the world. Chasing adventures, trying new foods, and getting lost in unfamiliar cultures. There was something about the unknown that lit me up. But somewhere along the way — as we grow up — society teaches us to trade those wild dreams for something more “practical.” We stop dreaming out loud. And if we do, especially beyond what’s socially acceptable, those dreams start to feel… utopian. Out of reach.
Then it happened, having those dreams in my mind, after one of the most toxic office environment days ever… It was exactly one of those days when I stumbled upon a TED Talk by Sir Ken Robinson.
It was one of those things that finds you exactly when you need it.
He spoke of finding your element. Not your job, not your label, but your element: the intersection of what you love and what you’re good at.
He described the journey of discovery as a quest, not a path. And I remember thinking — Yes, that’s it, I didn’t want to just pass through life. I wanted to feel life. And I honestly believe either you are looking to unlearn the script, or feeling lost, want to find new questions, want to find your talent, or you really wish to be transformed by the process… Or just craving for something to change.
That talk is just absolutely worth listening to…
So coming back, that moment was a tipping point.
I realized I would rather face the unknown than stay in what I was certain was not for me, that the quest is indeed worth it, even if it’s uncertain, even if it’s messy. “Because to ignore that search is to risk living a life that’s only a fraction of what it could be,” quoting one of the most powerful ideas shared by Sir Ken Robinson in Finding Your Element.
That’s how that idea of a quest became the seed for this philosophy — for this project, this search,
this life I now live…
So Why & What is a Quest?
At its core, a quest is different from a journey:
| Journey | Quest |
|---|---|
| Defined destination | Unknown outcome |
| Predictable path | Full of detours |
| Measured success | Measured growth |
| Comfort zone | Expansion zone |
In a quest, we often start with questions, not answers. We face challenges we didn’t anticipate. We meet people who change us. And most beautifully, we end up becoming someone we never expected.
Parque Nacional Bastimentos, Isla Bastimentos, Bocas del Toro – Panama – by Jesse James Johnson
:) Here, you can see some examples of quests I have think of, wrote in my quest list or enrolled myself in recent years:
– Stay on Island only with the local people.
– Work an Unusual Job in Another Country.
– Learn a New Language by Immersion.
– Take my mom to a country we don’t know anything about.
– Live With a Local Family for a Month.
– Cross to a new continent and flow without a route.
– Walk Pilgrimage Routes.
– Follow the trace of a pirate, explorer, or hero of choice.
– Learn a skill somewhere or through different places.
You will find that you don’t always know what you’re looking for, until it finds you…
Some things, passions, sports, skills, foods, people, places, ideas, can become your favorites,
even when you didn’t know they existed before… I guess, that’s the magic of self discovery.
(I am always around on my own list of quests, how to share it, track it with you in here.)
Top Left, Galapagos Island, Ecuador – Top Right, Inishboffin Island, Ireland – Bottom Left, Musala Hike, Bulgaria – Bottom Right, Picachos de Ola, Panama
by Jesse James Johnson
Before You Leave the 9–5, Know This
Let’s be real, leaving the system isn’t just about quitting your job and buying a one-way ticket. The truth is, it’s harder than it looks. Especially if you’re tied up in banks, credit cards, loans, or a lifestyle you can’t afford to walk away from.
When I made the decision, I wasn’t sitting on savings. I had to hustle for every cent. I walked everywhere to save on transportation, ate most of my meals at the university cafeteria because it was the cheapest option, and started flipping products online just to keep moving.
Most days, I was out for 18 hours — studying, working, planning, dreaming, and doing anything I could to create some space for this quest to begin. It was exhausting. It wasn’t glamorous. But it was worth it.
If you really want this life, you’ve got to build it with intention, and that means planning not just for the journey, but for how you’ll live while you’re on the road.
Everybody’s different, and there’s no one right way. But there are ways —
I go way deeper into the practical side of growing in corporations, saving, and surviving on the road, basically “Taking the Leap” on this post:
“From Saving Pennies to Full-Time Travel: What It Really Takes”.
Or if you feel you are unsure or still at the very beginning of the process, the following might fit you:
“How to Begin Your Own Quest (Even If You’re Still at Your 9–5)”
And here’s where it all connects. Because the journey isn’t just about money or logistics —
It’s about what you discover once you’re finally out there. ♥️✨
Where I Started to Feel Alive Again
I didn’t find my element in a single moment. In fact, I am still open to finding more dreams.
But I am extremely at peace with the experiences and learning I have found along the way.
I found it slowly, in pieces, scattered across countries, conversations, and quiet moments alone.
I started to feel present. Not productive. Not successful. Present.
What I found was that sometimes it’s about creating a life you don’t need to escape from.
This is the beginning. If you crave meaning, connection, experiences, and a little bit of everyday magic…
You’re not alone. You’re already on your quest.
📩 Subscribe for the next chapter
🔗 Discover more stories
🌍 Travel along on Instagram and YouTube🔜
This is A Lifetime Quest — and maybe it’s yours too.
Desierto de Huacachina, Ica, Peru – by Jesse James Johnson
Thanks Sir Ken Robinson (1950-2020)
I would always be grateful for that piece of information, so I want to take a moment to give thanks to someone I never met, but truly helped me set sail on this quest. The late Sir Ken Robinson, through his books and words about finding meaning. Though he’s no longer with us, his message continues to ripple through the lives of people like me — people searching for meaning, creativity, and authenticity. This blog, and the path I now walk, wouldn’t exist without that spark. Thank you, Sir Ken. Your ideas live on.
