From corporate burnout to world explorer: “This isn’t just travel — it’s living fully, every single day”

It’s easy to get stuck in the mindset, “better the devil you know than the one you don’t,” which holds us back from taking a chance on something new. This “risk avoidance” is one of the biggest obstacles that we must overcome in order for us to take a leap of faith in ourselves.

According to experts, following the “safe path,” despite being miserable, can prevent us from achieving happiness in our lives and harm our mental health, as well as leading to regrets in the future. But sometimes we need something to give us a push, to take that first big step.

That shove came for Nicholas Sklavos when he saw people around him getting sick and in some cases passing away, making him realize that “we’re all dying,” he told People magazine in an exclusive interview. He knew that he needed to act now on his dreams of traveling the world or he would be too old to take part in some of the adventures he had in mind if he waited.

The now intrepid world explorer has spent the past four months backpacking on his own around Asia after quitting his “really good” job.

Life is more than just making money

Sklavos, a native of Long Island, New York, managed to land a good-paying job in finance and sales after graduating from Syracuse University. But he shared with People, “the environment just didn’t align with who I am.” He felt that he was just making money but “wasn’t adding much value to the world.”

Furthermore, he hated the job. So, after saving up as much as he could, selling his car and getting rid of any obligations that could hold him back, in a “kind of bittersweet” moment Sklavos explained in a video he posted on TikTok he recorded for the beginning of his adventure, he quite his job of over three years and set off for Asia.

He shared with People that he has no regrets about quitting his job and despite having had some “rough nights and rough moments,” has found “the good far outweighs the bad.” He has been posting his adventures on TikTok under the handle ‘@nicksontour’ where he has garnered a large following that gives him encouragement and some of whom have struck out on their own world adventures thanks to him.

“I want to keep inspiring people to see the world and take action on their dreams. For me, this isn’t just travel — it’s living fully, every single day,” Sklavos explained.

He told People that he doesn’t have any plans to go back to a corporate job but wants to make a sustainable career out of his nomadic life. “Traveling isn’t tourism; it’s living in unfamiliar spaces,” he said. “I knew this was what I wanted, and I’ve been able to share it with the world.”

“If there’s something you’re really passionate about, you don’t need everyone’s opinions or criticism,” he adds. “When is there ever going to be a better time than now?”

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