Bypassing College for Adventures Abroad: A Leap Towards My Ideal Career

In my last year at a renowned preparatory school, while my classmates were busy with college applications, I took a different route, diverging from conventional expectations.

Initially, I intended to take some time off to explore and work, with hopes of eventually attending an affordable Italian university, utilizing my fluency in the language. Yet, my plan hit a snag: I missed the student visa deadline for Italy after my exploratory year, which had included waiting tables, volunteering, and solo backpacking across Europe.

Discovering a New Sanctuary

At 19, feeling aimless without any college applications in progress, I redirected my focus entirely towards my job in the restaurant industry. I mastered bartending while taking on extra shifts to fund another journey, this time aimed at Southeast Asia.

My travels eventually led me to Siem Reap, Cambodia, where a hostel offered me a bartending position in exchange for room and board. The city quickly won my heart with its vibrant red dirt, bustling markets, endearing locals, and the iconic Angkor Wat — it was where I felt more at home than I ever had in America.

Three months later, I returned to the U.S. momentarily to pack up my things, committed to relocating permanently to Cambodia when I was just 20.

Charting a Career Path in Cambodia

While friends and classmates progressed through prominent universities, I embarked on a different journey in Cambodia, juggling two jobs — teaching English and serving in a restaurant — and immersing myself in a culturally rich expat community. My free day involved mingling with locals and fellow expatriates, dining on dirt floors, and excavating jungle temples; it was an unparalleled joy.

Without a clear agenda for my future, my choice to reside in a developing nation instead of attending college unwittingly guided me to my ideal career in travel journalism. I began penning articles about expat life for a magazine and producing content for a local tour company's publicity campaigns, eventually expanding to writing for international travel publications.

After living almost two years in Siem Reap, health challenges forced me back to the U.S. But I persevered as a freelance writer, eventually creating a thriving career in travel journalism and tourism copywriting, collaborating with renowned travel magazines, airlines, and tour operators globally.

Reflecting on a Non-traditional Path

In my career, no client or editor has questioned my educational background. The absence of a degree has occasionally been a barrier, particularly with organizations requiring academic qualifications for editorial roles, where I've yet to secure an interview.

There are moments of self-consciousness, considering my family and numerous friends are alumni of prestigious universities, leading lives distinct from my own. Sometimes, the perception that overlooks those without degrees can be frustrating, especially when it subtly influences expectations and assignments.

Nevertheless, forgoing a college education allowed me invaluable travel experiences, mastery of six languages, and an early onset in my career at just 20. Now at 27, I've reached significant career milestones, whereas some contemporaries are still establishing theirs.

At some point, a yearning for academic enrichment might lead me back to education. Currently, though, I am content, thriving, and appreciative of all the lessons and adventures I've embraced outside conventional classrooms.