I posted something on LinkedIn last week about the worst decisions I ever made.
At 22 I quit a $50,000 engineering job to move across the country for a relationship.
The relationship ended.
Instead of finding another engineering job like I'd planned, I bought a ticket to Southeast Asia.
My parents thought I'd lost it.
Left: the plan. Right: what actually happened.
That's the version I posted. Here's the part I left out.
The leap didn't actually feel risky. The job was already gone. So was the relationship I quit it for. There was nothing left to protect.
What I didn't see at 22, and see clearly now: the conventional path had its own risks.
They just didn't seem like risks at all.
A career I'd have been good at and hated. Decades pointed at a life I'd have wanted only because I didn't know there was a better one.
Nobody puts that on a risk assessment. For me it would have cost more than the leap ever could.
The leap looked reckless from the outside. The safe track was the riskier one.
Twelve years and 130 countries later, I edit for Forbes from wherever I am that month. The decision that looked worst at 22 is the reason.
CLAIM A FREE RESUME REVIEW
I edit for a living. If you're eyeing a pivot, into something less conventional or just away from what you're doing now, I'll put that to work on your resume.
I'll personally review the first 5 resumes that land in my inbox. Free.
How it works:
Reply to this email with your resume attached
Tell me one line about the kind of role you're aiming at
I'll send it back with notes within 3–5 days
First come, first served — once 5 are in, that's it.
—Caroline
P.S. Some news: I've signed on as a co-host for Pangea Trips. The 2027 lineup is still firming up, so I'll share more once the trips are finalized and I know which ones I'm hosting. In the meantime, you can follow @pangea.trips for updates.
Forward this to someone who'd want to read it. Or send them the link to read it online.
ON THE GROUND
📍 41.8344° N, 23.4873° E — I've been thinking about their food since I left last summer.
🛠️ Current Vibe: Building
🌍 Countries Visited: 130/193