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. [Video]

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 …