"But by 31, she realized that despite the long hours and above-average paychecks, she was still broke at the end of the month-and had almost no work-life balance to show for it. Now, just a year later, she lives rent-free and can travel the world while working remotely. Despite ditching the rat race for good and halving her working hours, Welsh says she's surprised her disposable income is roughly the same as it was in corporate London."
"But after taking a career break and a backpacking trip through Southeast Asia, she decided she never wanted to return to full-time office life. "I wanted to maintain my flexible lifestyle," she tells Fortune. "It's ingrained in us that the only career options are kind of to keep going up the ladder, but you might be on the wrong path, or your interests might just evolve beyond the path that you're on.""
""I felt relief," Welsh recalls of that fateful moment she quit her 9-to-5 for good last summer. While others may perceive living out of a suitcase and not having a permanent job or place to call home as anxiety-inducing, she feels the opposite. After years of following a corporate route mapped out for her, she's no longer in the backseat-she's the one driving. "I feel happier. I actually feel in control of my life now.""
Georgina Welsh spent eight years in PR and reached account director, yet by 31 she found herself broke each month with little work-life balance. She began pet sitting casually in 2024 to travel cheaply and, after a career break and backpacking through Southeast Asia, chose not to return to full-time office life. Pet sitting eliminated rent, generated income, and enabled intermittent stays in London without re-entering the housing market. She now works remotely, halves her hours, maintains similar disposable income, and feels happier and more in control of her life. Welsh charges £50 a day for dogs and £40 for cats (minimum five days).
Read at Fortune
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