This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Julia Masselos, a 26-year-old from London. Insider verified her income with documentation. The following has been edited for length and clarity.
I knew what I wanted to do was quit, even though it was against conventional wisdom. Years ago, when I was 16, I'd come across a Facebook page for digital nomads. I saw people living a totally alternate life and traveling the world. I knew I had to try it out.I quit my job in July 2019 with nothing lined up. I decided to live in the moment and not worry about the future. I worked for a few weeks at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
We operated asynchronously, with a policy to allow 24 hours for a colleague to reply to a Slack message. That freedom took a whole year to get used to. I could be offline from 5 p.m., sunbathing, for example, and start work again at 8 p.m. There was no one watching my hours. It alleviated a lot of stress.I was put in contact with a friend of a friend who was looking for a roommate. I ended up living with him in a village for six months, where I saved more than half my income.
There was also a midterm rental accommodation space and a free coworking space. Everyone there was in the mindset of wanting autonomy. It was inspiring.I started freelancing using Upwork
The coddled and affluent love to show off their privileged lives and then pretend they can connect to everyday people.