I went from $300K in savings to $0 in just under 3 years, and I couldn't be more excited. Here is why.

Hello everyone. This is my first post on this sub, though I've been a lurker for a while. I feel this is a story in the right place, since I was inspired by a lot of people here who share their success stories about achieving the same goal I did. Even if this post is more related to r/offmychest than to this sub, I think it would be a good idea to share this story, so that people get inspired, just like I did. I am 26 years old, from the UK. I graduated college in 2013, and got a job as a mechanical engineer with a reasonable salary for a graduate. I did the usual stuff, spending money on going out, traveling, buying expensive stuff, and so on. About 2 years after I got my job, I was in a very good situation financially, but I was very miserable. I didn't really enjoy my work, but the main reason was the fact that I had gotten involved with corporate life at a young age. Those long hours of overtime work, with no additional pay, a life spent in traffic, being stuck in a cubicle all day, having basically no time to do the things that I really wanted to do, having a lifestyle that put my physical and mental health at risk and so on. So, in 2015, I decided to radically change my life. I had only one goal : to do everything I possibly could to be able to pursue a career that I would truly enjoy, where I would be happy, have time for myself and the people I care about, time for personal projects, time to travel. I decided to buy my freedom, and for that, I needed money. With that in mind, I made the decision to save as much money as possible in the next 3-4 years, so that I could take a break from my 9 to 5 job, do some traveling, pursue other activities, focus on my mental and physical health, spend more time with my family and friends, learn new things, and choose the right career for me. So I started saving as much money as possible, by living frugally, cutting down on the expenses, making more money from side projects, cooking at home, canceling any subscriptions that I didn't need, and so on. After 3 years of hard work, immense sacrifice and discipline, I was finally ready to make my move. My lease was up, I gave my resignation letter and finally, in June of 2017, I bought a one-way ticket to Bangkok, Thailand. Now, I am on a completely different path in life. I decided to pursue a career in medicine. I'm doing everything I possibly can with the resources that I have to make this happen. I have been doing volunteering, shadowing in clinics, speaking to professionals in the field, learning as much as I can in order to be ready for the journey that lies ahead. I have never been happier in my life, I could say that I have never been truly happy in my life until I decided to make this change. For the first time in my life, I have time to think about the things that I really want, and to pursue them, to think about my own happiness, and not just care about my career. I feel as if I have been born again. <br><br>My point is that, even if money can't buy you happiness, money can buy you freedom. And if you feel miserable, you should make radical changes in your life, even if it means immense sacrifice, because you have a one way ticket in this life. Don't settle for anything less than what you deserve, because you only live once. <br><br>Thanks a lot for reading.