I Took A Leap to Learn Who I Am

Sometimes a trip abroad is just a vacation. But sometimes, it opens a door you didn’t know you were looking for.

10 years ago, I took a huge leap by selling everything and leaving a comfortable career and life in Atlanta to live in Costa Rica. 

This one decision set off a big wave of growth and transformation in me, and I want to share more about how it all came to be.  

Before my big move, I was fully immersed in the Atlanta startup scene, with intense days at the office and nights at tech events. I loved it, and I was good at it. 

I took a trip with Under30Experiences to visit Costa Rica for the first time in November 2014, and that trip changed everything. 

I wasn’t exactly looking to change my life, but I felt something in Costa Rica, at Rancho Margot, that I had never felt. I knew there was more to explore. Before heading home that November, I decided I had to come back. 

So, in early 2015, I convinced my company to introduce an experimental perk that allowed our team members to work from anywhere in the world for a month. Meaning that I could return to Rancho Margot and truly experience living off the grid on the permaculture farm. 

In May 2015, I left the USA for my month in Costa Rica. My plan was to split my time working remotely and volunteering at Rancho Margot. In exchange for room and board, I worked in the chemical-free garden and taught photography and English to local students. 

With none of the noise I’d grown used to, I was forced to slow down…way down. 

At first, it was disorienting. I missed hot showers and good WiFi.

But gradually, I adjusted to this slower pace and started to notice how satisfying it was to work with my hands. How nourishing it felt to eat food we grew ourselves. How deeply I slept at night, free from screens and stress. 

I started caring less about what was happening on social media and more about watching the birds and finding red-eyed tree frogs. I was experiencing a different kind of happiness and joy found in the small things in life. 

I didn’t anticipate how radically the environment would shift my perspective.

I began to think about what my ideal life might look like and wondered what else I might be doing if I knew I didn’t have much time left on Earth.   

I was no longer just thinking, “What do I want to do next in my career?” but rather, “What kind of life do I want to live?”

I realized that I had spent a decade building a career without ever stepping back to consider whether it aligned with who I wanted to become. 

As my time at Rancho Margot was coming to an end, I was questioning everything. I knew it was time to return to the USA.  

When I returned to the States, it didn’t take me long to get back into the swing of startup life, but mentally and emotionally, I was somewhere else. 

After a month or so, I realized there was no going back to how things were before. 

I made the decision to move to Costa Rica, leaving the startup world behind and letting go of an identity I had worked hard to build. 

It was terrifying, yet it was the most liberating thing I’ve done in my life. 

I didn’t have a five-year plan or a huge savings account. I just had a sense of direction and trust that simplifying my life would create space for something new to grow.

Saying goodbye isn’t always about loss. Sometimes, it’s about making room and letting go of what no longer fits to create a life that feels more intentional, more grounded, and real. 

My time at Rancho Margot gave me perspective and the courage to start anew, this time aligned with how I want my life to feel.

If you’re feeling stuck or questioning what comes next, I hope my story reminds you that clarity doesn’t always come from thinking. It can also come from doing, stepping outside your comfort zone, and listening to the quiet parts of yourself that rarely get airtime in a busy world.

While taking a leap can seem frightening, you don’t have to do it alone. The Quantum Leap Experience offers three levels of support to help you make meaningful and lasting change in your life.