Planning my Escape
Ditching my old life for the new
Have you ever told yourself you were going to make a major life change—then never followed through?
I was determined this wasn’t going to be one of those times.
I had to set this in stone.
I had to tell people.
I had to be held accountable.
I couldn’t change my mind or put it off until next year.
I had to do some Main Character Shit.
After all, we’re all the main characters in our own stories.
This was mid-December 2023.
I started telling a few close people about my complete life trajectory shift.
I took the summer holiday period to figure out exactly what I wanted to achieve with this new life.
What would make this the most fulfilling, exciting, and unforgettable change possible?
I already knew the activities that would fill my cup:
✅ Diving
✅ Hunting
✅ Fishing
✅ Exploring
But then came the big questions.
How was I actually going to pull this off?
Do I rent or sell my house?
How will I fund this lifestyle?
Do I ask my job to hold my position for a year?
Do I pick up work on the road or go all in on freedom?
Can I turn this into a digital nomad lifestyle—documenting the journey for others?
These weren’t small decisions.
I planned to hit the road by March (or so I naively thought). The idea was to start in the North Island, making the most of the last of the warm weather and focusing on diving.
Which meant... I needed a boat.
I already had one. But my Stabicraft was too big to tow around and use solo.
So the first thing to go was my beloved Stabicraft—sold for $45,000.
Now, I had the perfect setup in mind:
✅ A Mercedes Sprinter camper—6 or 7 years old, under 200,000kms. Much like this 👇
✅ A small boat—light enough to tow solo, ideal for diving. Much like this 👇
I spent months searching for the right Sprinter—completely unaware that I was wasting my time.
Plans were about to change.
And my "perfect setup"?
It would look nothing like this.
Making It Official: Quitting My Job
By early January, I told my boss I’d be leaving in the coming months.
I didn’t hand in my resignation yet. I couldn’t even confirm a date.
But I needed to take a major step forward.
I needed to commit.
I needed to make it real.
At the time, I was a Control Room Operator for New Zealand’s main gas pipelines and an Underground Gas Storage Facility.
I worked 12-hour shifts on a brutal 7-week rotation of days and nights. The pay was good, and I actually liked shift work mostly.
But it was starting to take a toll.
Selling My House: No Turning Back Now
Now the pressure was ON.
At this point, my plan was to rent my house out—seemed logical, right? But the more I thought about it, the more I realized selling was the better move.
Here’s why:
✅ Less stress – No dealing with tenants or maintenance while I’m on the road.
✅ Uncertain return – I wasn’t even sure I’d come back to Taranaki.
✅ Not rental-friendly – A lifestyle block is a lot of work for a tenant.
✅ Financial freedom – Selling would give me a big financial cushion (even though spending house money isn’t exactly “wise”).
So, I needed to find a buyer.
I’d already told work I was leaving—things were getting real fast.
After mentioning my plans at work, a workmate showed interest in buying my place. No contract, just a handshake agreement.
For months, I was relying on trust alone.
No guarantees. No paperwork. Just a verbal agreement that could fall through at any moment.
And in the back of my mind, the doubts crept in...
What If I’m Making a Huge Mistake?
Were the people telling me not to sell actually right?
Can I survive without an income after I quit my job?
Will I need to buy again quickly to avoid losing out to inflation?
How will I ever get back into the market if I choose to?
How much is this life on the road actually going to cost?
What if I don’t even enjoy it?
The more I thought about it, the more my brain tried to sabotage me.
But deep down, I knew...
I had to take the leap.
There was no turning back now….
I get messages all the time from people saying they’d love to do the same—quit the grind, hit the road, and chase freedom. But something always seems to hold them back.
What’s stopping you? Drop a comment—I’d love to hear your thoughts.
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