The Great Escape of Millennials
Let’s face it, millennials have been through a lot of global transformation, and most are only just now figuring out how to be adults, or as we millennials like to call it, “adulting.” If you are 25-35 years old, you have experienced the technology boom, a global terrorism and refugee crisis, the 2008 recession, climate change, a global pandemic, and a worsening universal mental health problem.
That last one is partially due to magnified societal pressures, thanks to social media influencers and marketing campaigns telling us that our life isn’t nearly good enough without this product or that service.
Break the Peer Pressure Spell
The stress is real. The constant stream of peer pressure through our devices to live up to someone else’s standards can be debilitating. No other generation in the world’s history has had so much adapting to do in such a short amount of time. What if I told you there is a way to escape that heightening sense of stress?
The Expat Cure
By becoming an expat, I feel completely free of judgment and comparison.
I’ve learned that people lead all different lives, and you have to choose the path that brings you happiness. I don’t feel the need to keep up with my peers, because my lifestyle is incomparable.
I live for less, have more free time, and my work is more fun than it is stress. Basically, my quality of life has risen exponentially as an expat.
Of course, I am human. I understand that feeling of opening Instagram only to sense the pressure from others suggesting I need this product or that vacation to make my existence “like-worthy.”
However, I’m so captivated by my current community and lifestyle that my social media use is on a healthy decline. I’m too busy enjoying my life.
It’s All About Your Priorities
Remember, we are a very resilient generation, so let’s use that resilience to try new things and find our own way. We need not adhere to a universal definition of success.
We can define our own. I don’t live in an enormous home or wear brand-name clothes, but I do have gorgeous beaches, islands, and mountain trails at my fingertips, waiting to be explored. I live in a community full of interesting people from all over the world, and they are constantly teaching me new things.
My job is helping others decide if Panama is their dream home and then making that transition as smooth as possible for them. My coworkers are like my family. This is my definition of success.
We millennials face a lot of societal pressure, but travel can help us break free from that incessant need to keep up with our peers. I’m not saying you have to leave your country of origin forever to shake the burdens of the status quo.
However, some time abroad has the potential to free you from those social chains. Spending time immersed in a new country and culture can be a mind-opening experience, because people around the world live in all different ways. There is no one correct model for how to live your life, even though it may feel like that sometimes.
So turn off the news, stop checking your Instagram, and take a step back from that fast-paced life. I promise, it will be worth it.
by: Megan Thompson
