This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Kang “Kay” Soo-il, a 39-year-old South Korean national who quit his job and traveled, before returning home to run a farm. It has been edited for length and clarity.
Eight years ago, at 31, I was living in a Korean city south of Seoul, and working as a software developer and designer for Samsung Electronics. Burned out, I texted my friends, “I’m quitting my job to travel the world!”
Lily, then my childhood friend, who’s now my wife, replied: “I’m also quitting my job.” At the time, she was working as a flight attendant. The timing was a complete coincidence. We’d known each other since…
