Escaping the 9-to-5: Quitting an 18-Year Corporate Career to Travel the World | Jessica Roman

What happens when you do everything right for 18 years, buy the house, raise the kids, and realize the "American Dream" is just a blueprint for burnout?In this episode of Whereabouts Tales,I'm sitting down with Jessica Roman, a former corporate IT manager who decided she was done waiting for retirement. At 47, Jessica quit her nearly two-decade career, sold her house in six days, gave away her possessions, and bought a one-way ticket to India. This conversation deconstructs the reality of solo female travel in your 40s, the mental shift required to stop "keeping up with the Joneses," and why slow travel is the ultimate antidote to the corporate grind.If you are feeling stuck in your corporate career or wondering if it is too late to completely rewrite your life's trajectory, this is your blueprint.Connect with Jessica:Website: https://beacons.ai/jessicarotravelsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessicarotravels/Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@jessicarotravelsTimestamps00:00 - The Reality of Corporate Burnout After 18 Years08:04 - The First Solo Trip to Italy That Changed Everything12:48 - The Courage to Quit a Secure 9-to-5 Job16:55 - Rejecting the Counter-Offer & Selling the House24:39 - Overcoming the Pressure to "Keep Up With The Joneses"33:12 - Tourist Mode vs. The Reality of Slow Travel48:16 - The Challenges of Solo Female Travel After 401:09:39 - Redefining the Meaning of "Home"If this episode challenged your perspective on how you spend your time, share it with someone who needs to hear it.Subscribe to Whereabouts Tales for weekly conversations exploring the philosophical and biographical journeys of the world's most interesting travelers.