It’s been over a year since I quit my job. I remember weighing my choices: spend another year becoming fully qualified in a job I didn’t enjoy, or book a one way ticket to the other side of the world. I chose the latter, and I found a completely new way of seeing the world.
Before Travel: A Life That Looked Good on Paper
My life before travel might sound familiar. I was working as a carpenter, an apprentice for a small company. The work was fine—stable, predictable, with good hours. I’d start at 7:30, finish by late afternoon, and squeeze in my hobbies at the weekend. I had no real complaints, but there was one thing missing: passion. I didn’t have any!
I had fallen into carpentry the way many people do—because I was told it was a solid career. “With a trade, you’ll never be out of work.” And that was true. But was it what I wanted? Not really. Before that, I worked in sales, and again, I had the skills but not the drive. I never stuck to a job for longer than two years, and it felt like I was always searching for something with no direction.
Then came the conversation with Sammy, my girlfriend. She was in a corporate job with a clear path to success—bonuses, company shares, long-term security. But she wasn’t passionate. The job wasn’t what she thought it would be, and it wasn’t fulfilling her. We both always wanted to travel. After weeks of debating, I really think it was a piece of advice from her grandmother that tipped her over the edge: “Do it while you can, before you are tied down. Go out there into the world and get it, I wish I had”
That was it. We both handed in our resignations.
From Traveling to Truly Seeing
From here I really didn’t know what to expect. I thought I’d have a real sense of freedom and I did for a while. Travel and the freedom to do what you want when you want is only exciting for so long. Passion for something is what makes it sustainable. This is what photography has done for me. I practice everyday not because I have to but because I want to.
I didn’t leave the UK as a photographer but at some point I picked up a camera and started documenting my journey. Before, I would visit cities as a spectator, ticking off landmarks and moving on. But photography forced me to slow down. I started noticing details around the landmarks that really make a place special; young monks playing by a Buddha Statue, withered hands of a tea picker or simply a splash of colour on a gloomy day.
It also changed how I connected with people. I was never shy, but I wouldn’t really know how to start conversations. My socials skills have gone through the roof. I wasn’t just hiding behind my camera anymore snapping from a distance, I’ve developed a more open approach slowly getting closer and more confident. A quick photo would turn into a conversation. A conversation would turn into a lesson about the area and beliefs. I found myself walking up the steps of temples, talking to devotees, or walking through hidden markets with locals eager to share their stories.
And then there were the places photography took me. Not just to different countries, but deeper into them. Before, I would have admired the tea fields of Sri Lanka from a distance. Now, I found myself walking through them, camera in hand, meeting the workers, learning about their craft, culture and families. Before, I would have walked past an empty alleyway. Now, I’m drawn in, just the other day I was ushered out of the back alley of a restaurant. There was so much going on, 5-6 workers preparing food, washing plates and chicken… I didn’t have chance to document it as I was told no photos, but it was so interesting and I’d of never taken the turn. Still a great personal experience.
So, Was Quitting My Job the Best Thing I Ever Did?
Maybe. But not for the reasons I expected. You know that super cringy quote everyone jokes about when you’re feeling lost “go travelling and you’ll find yourself “ I’m a backpacking street photographer who’s found a passion telling you that if you go, enjoy the freedom, the places and the people all the while keeping an eye out for that one thing you are really passionate about then you too will realise that it is just a silly quote but there’s a lot of truth in it also.
So I’m starting this blog. Not to show off pretty pictures, but to document what I’ve learned along the way. To show the people I’ve met, the places I’ve wandered into, and the stories that have made me stop, look, and listen. (I thought of this at a crossing).
Next time I’ll be sharing some of my Sri Lankan stories and the places I wouldn’t have ended up without a camera. I’m going to be doing one blog a week.
Thanks if you’ve made it this far, writing isn’t something I believe to be particularly good at but you can count on the fact that my girlfriend Sammy will be rigorously checking it for spelling, punctuation and other grammatical errors. I don’t find it easy sharing my story’s, it feels like I’m opening up which doesn’t come natural to me. But I hope you enjoy them and someone can draw abit of inspiration from them.
Checkout my instagram for all my photography @sams_gone_wilddd
