I quit my job at Meta and traveled to Bali to find myself — but 2 months later, I moved back into my parents' house more confused than ever.

13.08.2024 - 15:06 / insider.com

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Simone Landis, a 29-year-old from San Francisco who quit her job at Meta. It's been edited for length and clarity.

My event planning job at Meta was exciting and kept me on my toes, but when the pandemic shut down all in-person gatherings and my role was diminished to data analytics, I lost passion for the job. My dissatisfaction was tempered by the hefty paycheck and job security, but after two years, I was desperately searching for more out of my career.

In the fall of 2022, I quit my job and booked a flight to Bali in pursuit of my very own Eat, Pray, Love experience. Yet I found myself feeling more lost and confused than ever before, so I returned to the States and had to move back into my childhood home.

I have no regrets about spending $5,000 on a trip to Bali, but I wish I knew I couldn't run away from my inner turmoil no matter how far I went.

I started working at Meta in the fall of 2019 within its global security department. My job was to plan everything from company-wide holiday parties to small shareholder meetings, ensuring the proper executive protection and medical personnel were present.

I had so much fun planning events out of the Bay Area office headquarters and loved how dynamic and busy it kept me.

But when the pandemic hit, my main tasks were pivoted to data analytics. Two years went by without the return of in-person events, and I lost my spark for work.

My job turned into something entirely different than what I signed up for and I wasn't looking forward to my day-to-day tasks. I knew it was time to move on, but I was afraid to let go of a secure paycheck.

I started working a weekend gig at an event planning agency to satisfy my event interest while I held on to my job at Meta. A few months later, my roommate in San Francisco decided to move out and I was faced with a decision to either stay at Meta and find my own apartment or use this as my moment to move on.

I'd spent the last two years saving up money, including $5,000 exclusively for travel, so I knew I could financially sustain a few months away from work. I thought a vacation would clear my head and allow me to figure out what I really wanted to do with my life.

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I quit my job at Meta in the fall of 2022, didn't renew my lease, and booked a two-month trip to Bali. I decided on Bali because of its reputation as a healing, spiritual place with cultural traditions rooted in gratitude. I chose to do a yoga retreat because I'd been practicing for years and wanted to be surrounded by like-minded people.

On the outside, Bali was exactly what I expected. My trip was filled with delicious vegan food, endless yoga classes, and cafés filled with digital nomads.