I Quit My Glamorous Corporate Job to Travel the World

From Oprah Magazine

For six years, Jakiya Brown worked in marketing for beauty powerhouses like L'Oreal and COTY Inc. To her, corporate America was everything: financially rewarding, glamorous, energetic, fast-paced-until it wasn't. Eventually, the lifestyle caught up with her and at just 27, she already felt burnt out and unmotivated. So in 2016, she quit her stable, nearly six-figure gig to give into her wanderlust and explore the world.

Two years later, the Charlotte, North Carolina native has rebranded herself as a travelpreneur. Her IG handle, @travelingfro, has more than 15 thousand followers and a feed that screams #goals. Here, Brown tells us how she learned to live her best life on her own terms-no 9-to-5 needed.

I could not get out of bed.

I needed to be at work by 9 a.m. at the latest, yet I ended up rolling in around 10:30. In a meeting with some of the bigger bosses about a major campaign, as my co-workers chatted all around me, I was instead scrolling on Instagram. Finally, someone asked, "Jakiya, why aren't you paying attention? Is this not important to you?" In that moment, I realized the answer was: No. It wasn't. Not only was I not there mentally-I physically did not want to be there. Instead, I was using my energy to fantasize about my next trip, even though I had just used up all of my 10 vacation days for the year.

This was in September 2016. A month later, I quit. I'd been thinking about doing it for a year by then-originally planning to stick it out until December-but that meeting pushed me over the edge. I asked myself, 'Why do I have to wait?' I was looking for clarity in my life, needing to find the most extreme solution that would get me out of the corporate world and make me happy. The simple answer, for me, was traveling. In a way, I felt new to the world, and this was how I could see as much of it as I could. I had never gotten on a plane until I was 20, and I was 23 the first time I ever went out of the country.

For months, I'd been saving up my money, intentionally confronting the reality of leaving everything behind. I put reminders of future adventures on my apartment walls, mirror, and my phone; pinned up a world map with the words "Be Brave" printed above it, and motivational quotes from Steve Jobs, Gahndi, and, of course, Oprah: "The biggest adventure you can ever take is to live the life of your dreams." It was all about creating a life that I wanted to live, and in that moment, I wasn't. I was going through the motions, getting sucked into the corporate ladder and what I thought was the route I was supposed to take.

I was brought up by a single mother who worked hard as a teacher, taking care of my younger sister and me as she taught us that if you push yourself, you can be successful. So I went to college at UNC Greensboro, got straight A's, and graduated top of my class magna cum laude. I took the straight and narrow path, thinking that was what you had to do. Get the degree, get the grades, get a good job, right?

I started out as an intern at L'Oréal the summer before my senior year at university. Three months before I graduated, they hired me full time as an assistant marketing manager. Working in the corporate beauty industry on New York City's 5th Avenue as a 21-year-old was the dream job. My life was nonstop, but I was ready for it. I had to put my feet to the floor and grind, and there was no room to sink. Honestly, I don't remember thinking for the first two years at that job.

But after six years, it got taxing. And as a woman of color, I felt like the odds were stacked against me. The chances that I'd be CEO-or whatever I desired-started to feel far-fetched. I dissected my life: 'Is this really what I want to do? Am I really passionate about this?' Is it something that I could see myself doing for the rest of my life?' I realized I needed to be having these introspective talks with myself, looking up from my day-to-day-the exhaustion and the 10 hour days-and being honest. I think that's where it all started.

When I told my boss, "You know, it's been great..." he knew where I was headed. "I just don't think that this is a path that I want to take in my life right now, and I'm resigning." That was it; I'd said the words. I couldn't wipe the smile off my face.

I knew that people would try to talk me out of it. I didn't tell anyone I'd quit until I booked my one way ticket to Europe-only a couple friends at the time knew. I was the most nervous to tell my mom. I was worried that from the outside looking in, what I was doing seemed nonsensical. But once I told her, she was so supportive. She'd witnessed the burnout happening and knew I wasn't happy. With a shaky "If that's what you want to do," she approved.

During the first three months as the @travelingfro, I toured Europe. From England to Germany, to Spain and Greece, and then the Netherlands. They were all beautiful, but my favorite country was Portugal-relaxing, and situated on the water. And despite the low cost of living, the quality of everything is amazing. (I'm talking about the food and the wine, because is there anything more to life than that?) From there, I went to Israel, putting off a visit to Africa because deep down, I knew that once I got there, I'd stay. But soon I was in Morocco, and from there I went to Senegal, and I fell in love. I'm still here.

As an African-American that doesn't know her ancestral lineage, there's a connection I feel to this region because there's a pretty high chance that my descendents are from here. Living in a Black country around all Black people for the first time in my life, to me, has been transformative. Back home, I was always reminded everyday that I was "the Black girl." I grew up going to predominantly white schools, going to a predominantly white institution for college, and then working in corporate America. But living in a country where it's normal to be me-and no one is looking at you twice for that-is definitely a feeling that I think everyone should experience.

As I navigate this new life, however, I've had to make some adjustments. When you leave something that's so stable-like a well paying corporate job-you take a risk. It's scary, but my motto is faith over fear. I've had to find ways to make new relationships while maintaining the ones back in the states; I've had to redefine my definition of home, noticing it's more of a feeling rather than four walls; I've had to learn patience as I've realized that creating a brand, while trying to live off my passions of traveling and marketing, takes hard work.

But in the end, I've learned that I don't have to be featured on something like Forbes 30 under 30 in order to know that I'm living my life the right way. I'm OK with my story. It is enough.