I’ve had a very humbling few days. The stress of traveling back to my home country with my wife and two kids (both under four), putting our 30-foot caravan and car into storage in Australia, and watching the kids go through sleepless nights and big emotions as they process the change I chose for all of us, it’s been a lot. And through it all, I slipped a little. A few things pushed me and tested my commitment to becoming more selfless. Now that you have the picture, here’s the past 24 hours. We’d just landed after the flight home. We were up until midnight the night before and out the door by 5:20 a.m. for the airport. After landing, we hired a car and drove three hours completely packed. I’d brought the kids’ car seats with me because they need them as soon as we arrive. This morning is where it all became a humbling lesson. I had to drive the hire car back three hours to return it, and yes, I left the kids’ seats in the car, meaning they were now with me for the entire day. That alone was a test… and I passed it. After dropping the car, I hopped on a bus and started talking with the driver. He was a semi-retired theatre singer who’d walked away from the stage because of burnout. He told me he spent years dealing with sleepless nights after late shows, adrenaline and endorphins keeping him wide awake long after the curtain fell. I understood him instantly. He told me he’s been driving buses for 12 years now, and he’s the happiest he’s ever been. I sat right beside him. We spoke about life, burnout, lessons learned. We met as strangers but understood each other fully. When I stepped off the bus, he said, “I hope you find your happiness and peace within before you look to go back to what you’ve chosen to take a break from.” We shook hands, and I left. Now I’m sitting on a train for an hour before another four-hour bus ride. This is all new to me, taking public transport because it’s cheap, because I have time, because I’m intentionally slowing down. In the past, I would’ve just rented a car for 3k to cover the whole two months. But that’s not why I’m here. I’m here to step out of the fast-paced rhythm, calm the endless flickers of creation in my mind, and search for peace. Just as Buddha left the comfort of his world to understand suffering firsthand, I’m doing my own version of that by choice. If I can’t find happiness this way, sure I can always go back to the grind. But I’d see that as a failure, because what I want is to find peace with nothing. No luxury. No income. No expectations. Just my true purpose: my wife and kids. ...