After 2 layoffs and a breakup in New York, I booked a one-way flight to Asia. Travel changed how I define success.

"Since I was a kid, I'd treated success like a checklist built from American expectations I absorbed through school, TV, and social media. It seemed simple enough: Stay in line with peers, get married before turning 30, and buy a big house to raise a family in. It was becoming clear that this narrative might not align with the life I wanted for myself."

"Almost every day, I'd retreat to my car at lunchtime and break down in tears, overwhelmed by how unhappy I was. The 'American dream' began to feel like a trap. Walking out of that office for the last time allowed me to stop chasing a version of success I knew would never satisfy me."

"Distance changed the pressure I was living under. As 2024 began, I set a clear goal for myself to sublet my apartment, sell my belongings, and board a one-way flight, redefining success on her own terms without a fixed finish line."

Macie Strum experienced a transformative year in 2023 marked by a breakup, two job layoffs, and multiple personal crises that forced her to reconsider her life trajectory. She had been pursuing a conventional success narrative—marriage, homeownership, career advancement—absorbed from societal expectations. Despite securing new employment, she found herself deeply unhappy, crying daily at work while commuting 90 minutes each way. A second layoff provided unexpected relief, prompting her to abandon this unfulfilling path. In 2024, she subletted her apartment, sold her possessions, and embarked on a two-year international journey across Asia, Australia, and Europe. Now based in Sarajevo, she has redefined success without fixed timelines or predetermined outcomes.

Read at Business Insider