Life changing opportunities do not come by every day. But she was fortunate to have one early in her life. She grabbed it and went to France for a cultural exchange programme. Of course, she had been on holidays before but trips with family in XYZ group travels doesn’t even begin to compare with the experience of being all alone in a country where nobody knows you or even speaks your language.
Meet Palak Kapadia. Her first brush with travel happened when she was 19.
“It is a crazy, chaotic beautiful universe and I fell madly in love with it at first sight”, says Palak. Coming back, she found a void within her soul that nothing else seemed to fill. She’d well and truly been bitten by the travel bug.
She finished her graduation and landed a job with Terribly Tiny Tales, the world’s most celebrated micro fiction platform. Career-wise, she was already well off the beaten track, she’s a writer and one of those lucky few who gets paid to pursue a passion. Her job was perfect. She loves the people she worked with and she even got paid well.
Somehow, none of this felt enough. As amazing as it was, it failed to fill the void within.
“I soon realized what the problem was – I was very comfortable. I was craving spontaneity and adventure”. On a whim, she applied to teach English in France and it actually ended up working out.
Last September, she packed her bags and moved back to France to teach English, learn French, eat cheese, drink wine and have beautiful conversations with strangers. Ever since she’s been traveling to the beautiful cities in France, and all over Europe on weekends and holidays. Befriending strangers, learning about cultures – she has truly been exploring the world within and outside of her. Above all, she is finding herself.
“Quitting a job you hate and to follow a crazy new adventure is a very hard decision to arrive at. Quitting the one you love, so much more so”. But the heart wants what it wants.
Palak Kapadia is currently an English Assistant in Nantes, France. See Palak’s travel stories and more here.
It’s easy to complain if you are not happy with whatever you have. But instead, take a step that can give you the wings to explore the things you love to do in life. Yes, nothing is as easy it sounds. But then, in the end, your happiness is the most precious thing you own. Isn’t it?
So, where is your heart telling you to go next?