Quarter Life Epiphany: Roxanne

Roxanne’s Quarter Life Epiphany

Who are you?

My name is Roxanne and I’m from Montréal, Canada. I’m 25 (quarter life!) and right now, I’m working as a waitress in between two trips! Can’t wait to leave!

What advice would you give yourself at 20? And at 25?

I would tell the 20 years-old Roxanne to try to remember who she was before the world told her who she should be.

To really find deep inside her what SHE wants to do, and not what others wants her to do, or what she thinks others wants her to do.

To trust life.

That she is still young and has the world in front of her.

I’m now 25, but I would tell the actual Roxanne to dream big and believe she can do anything.

What does a quarter life epiphany mean to you?

To me, a quarter life epiphany means a realization of what you should do with your life. It’s realizing that what you have been doing before was not quite right and that from now on, you have to go in another direction to pursue happiness.

What was your quarter life epiphany?

I was 24, starting the second year of my master’s degree in industrial relations. I hadn’t even attended a few classes when I completely had the quarter life crisis.

It wasn’t right.

I couldn’t do that with my life.

After a lot of tears, I quit and decided to book a ticket to India, for a 3 months solo trip. From the very first day of my trip, I knew that I needed to travel more. It was very clear to me; it felt so right.

Where were you when you had your quarter life epiphany?

In India.

What do you think inspired your quarter life epiphany?

It was just a feeling. You just know when somethings feels right or wrong. But one sentence stayed with me and helped me take a decision: “People wait all week for Friday, all year for summer, and all life for happiness.” I didn’t want to be one of these people.

How are you different now than before your quarter life epiphany? / Have you taken any drastic measures or made any big changes in your life after your quarter life epiphany?

I’m different in so many ways! I trust myself more, I trust life, in thinking that everything will be okay in the end, even if I don’t have a big career. Mainly, I put less pressure on myself and I’m just happier!

What advice would you give to others who want to make a major change in their life?

I would advise to trust your gut feeling. You know deep down what you should do.

I would also say that if you never try, you never know. If you don’t make any changes, you may never know if you could be happier.

What challenges have you faced, and how have you overcome them?

I faced many challenges, let me tell you! The biggest challenge was myself! I felt like I wasted my time before, that I was going nowhere and I was ashamed of giving up and not finding my place. Even if it felt so good to be traveling, I somehow felt like I failed at “real life”. I just gave myself some time and that feeling faded. Now I feel very proud that I was able to make a big change like that.

What do you wish more people realized?

That success is not money or a big career. Success is happiness, and happiness is a concept that is different for everyone!

Some are indeed happy when they have money and a nice car and that’s perfectly fine. Some are happy with a family. Some are happy with a few wrinkled clothes in a bag and by making beautiful encounters all over the world, and that’s fine too! Just define what makes YOU happy!

What advice would you give to someone having a quarter life crisis?

I would say that life is a series of trials and errors, and it is fine to make mistakes. I would say to give yourself some time, and don’t think too much. With time, you will know what is best for you. By thinking too much about: “Who am I? What am I doing with my life?”, you are just putting more pressure on yourself and it’s not going to help! I say just book a flight to somewhere or engage in new activities and experiences to try to find yourself in this weird period that is a quarter life crisis!

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A bit more about Roxanne

 

I occasionally travel solo, because I think it is…

Liberating.

It’s sometimes hard and lonely, but always thrilling. I love having the freedom of doing what I want when I want. I also think it’s easier to get in touch with locals or to meet people from everywhere around the globe. I want to travel solo a lot more, but so far I just did one solo trip!

I get through long flights by…

Daydreaming about my destination! Or sleeping!

The cause that really gets me riled up is…

It is a little bit cliché, but it’s animal abuse. I also include animal testing and the treatment of farm livestock in this. With small changes we can make a difference!

When traveling, I always miss…

Picnics with my friends, joking with my family and white wine!

I REALLY want to visit…

Israel and Lebanon. Like, REALLY. Like, I’m annoying my friends with this.

Best travel tip?

To be patient. Things don’t always (rarely) go as you planned. Sometimes you have no control, so just relax, change your plans and see this new turn as a new adventure!

Best packing tip?

Bring less! I just hate having a big heavy bag! And compartmentalize your stuff so it’s easy to find what you need when you are on the road.

Worst travel experience? What did you learn?

I never had really really bad experiences! Few! Even if it’s not pleasant I try to see the positive side!

Where are you?

I’m in my home city now.

Favorite place to live?

Good question, I’m trying to figure it out myself! I do like Montréal, as it is a very young city with an incredible culture and nightlife. Plus, my wonderful friends and family are there! But I really doubt I could live in Montréal for a long time anymore.

Favorite place to visit?

So far, I loved Amritsar, India.

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To learn more about Roxanne and keep up on her travels

I’m Roxanne, author of the blog La Vie en Rox. This is my little oasis where I can talk about all things travel and dream of going even further! Come dream with me!

Check out her blog by clicking here

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