About Me — Maria K
At 29, I Had Everything I Was Told to Want. At 30, I’m Starting From Scratch — and Still Haven’t Succeeded.
Hey, I’m Maria, and this is my life path.
Spoiler: this is not a success story. At least not yet.
Age 29: Successful on the Outside, Empty on the Inside
At 29, it seemed like I had achieved everything the world told me to aim for:
✓ a high-paid job in a prestigious organisation
✓ a long-term relationship
✓ a beautiful — if rented — home.
But something felt off.
I felt off.
So, I decided to start over just before my 30th birthday. The goal?
To figure everything out by the time I reached that societal milestone — the age we’re told should represent success, adulthood, and family.
Guess what?
My 30th birthday is three months away and I haven’t figured it out.
In fact, I’ve fallen headfirst into a rabbit hole and I’m still searching for the way out.
We keep hearing success stories about people who started over and made it — launched successful businesses, became thought leaders, found their purpose. But that’s not the whole truth, is it?
Let’s take it from the beginning.
Where I Come From
I’m from the coastal countryside of a small Mediterranean country. Does it play a role in the story? Of course.
The world was a big place and my worldview limited. Despite this, I had a number of influences — my family, friends, professors, books, music, movies — and I kind of knew early on what I loved: writing, thinking, analysing.
But it wasn’t that simple.
You see, coming from a Mediterranean culture where family ties remain strong means that often, decisions are not all yours to make.
Even when we’re talking about your own life.
So, I didn’t study what I loved. I loved writing and international politics. Instead, I ended up in Business.
Why? Well, my mum has a business and she hopes the family will keep her legacy strong.
Eventually, I found ways to explore my passions anyway. Alongside my Business degree, I studied International Relations. Then Conflict Studies.
But my path was anything but linear.
Business. International Relations. Then, Conflict.
What do you do with that? Or rather — what do I want to do with that?
I’m sure there’s a strategic way to view it, but I personally deep-dived into confusion.
Running From Confusion
My instinct?
Run.
Maybe if I left home, the outside noise would quiet down. So I moved abroad, with little money and big questions.
Tried and failed.
Tried again.
Failed again.
Eventually, I landed my first internship in… communications.
Meh.
Then a second internship in… audit? Kind of. It’s complicated.
The only thing I cared about was that these were big-name organisations. But in those big organisations, I did jobs I struggle to describe to other people. Jobs I didn’t enjoy.
And the confusion remained.
Who am I? What am I doing?
COVID certainly made those questions louder.
WHO AM I? WHAT AM I DOING?
Yes, I had “made it”. I could use flashy names to trick people into believing I was important — join bubbles of people who think job titles equal worth. But I was far from the work — and the values — I cared about.
I love writing. I love the big picture. I love trying to understand the world. And yet, I was supporting systems I didn’t believe in.
I stopped telling people where I worked — partly out of discomfort, partly out of shame.
I was deep in an identity crisis.
Quitting Success, Learning to Fail
As my 29th birthday approached, I decided it was time to do something bold. Brave, even.
I quit my job — without having found another one.
I wish I could say I was fearless.
But the truth is, my Mediterranean upbringing handed me only fear of the unknown and panic started taking over.
Still, I jumped — not entirely sure why.
I wanted to follow a path rooted in my values: equality, respect, solidarity, care.
Some people called me brave for that. Others thought I was reckless for leaving a stable, high-paid job with no backup plan.
Honestly? I don’t feel like a hero.
So maybe the second group is right. Some days, it really feels like they are.
Pursuing your values in a world that only values money is tough. Really tough.
Since last summer, I’ve been volunteering.
I went back to my home country. Then returned to the country where I now live as a migrant.
And all I do is volunteer.
Is it fulfilling? Yes.
Does it pay my bills? Absolutely not.
So maybe the lesson so far is this: values don’t pay your bills.
Sigh.
Eight Months Later, Still Lost
April 2025. Eight months after quitting.
For the last four months, I’ve been actively job hunting. It’s… not going well.
NGOs in Europe seem under siege — populism is rising.
And the few interviews I’ve had? Let’s just say I failed them… impressively.
Which brings us to today.
So, Here I Am
Three months from turning 30.
Struggling with the idea that my presence in the career world seems to be irrelevant.
They say every story should end on a hopeful note.
But right now, it doesn’t feel good.
I’m here on Medium to stay connected to what I love most: writing and trying to make sense of a world that doesn’t.
This isn’t a success story — at least not yet.
It’s just me, still trying to find my place in the world.
