I hate this. I just want to quit, fly to Bali, become a surf instructor, and island hop while living in hostels.

Know a guy who is declined his ft offer teached in Vietnam and also runs a consulting business for college admissions and makes 200k a year. Trust me if you quit you will have enough money just need to become smart and outside of the box thinker 

I've digital nomaded/travelled for about a year across SE, South, East Asia, Europe, and a bit of Latin America, during a gap year I took in between my Junior and Senior yrs of college.  I normally take a contrarian POV and don't recommend nomading for those who aren't as open to new experiences, or don't have a strong ability to understand new cultures.  It's not what its cracked up to be for most, especially those who have no real skillsets/education (which is a large number of US/UK/CAN/AUS nomads).

You are not that guy.  Hardworking, 3 years in IB, associate promo.  I can't give you career advice as I'm only 2-3 years older, but the thrill of travelling is something else.  New food, new people, better people by in large (at least when you're talking about short periods of time).  You've already done it before, it's the right call here. 

Enjoy your life.  Especially since you seem intelligent enough to be able to find something else if/when you want to get back in the grind, but.....

You really need to know in your heart that what you have isn't worth it anymore.  You're mind will play sick jokes on you otherwise. 

PM if actually interested in doing this. good to have team along the way.

This Sounds like anxiety

I can completely relate to the issue, but quitting straight up (unless you have material savings to fall back on) will likely damage your career long-term. I'd try to go for a period of garden leave or similar, which will likely do you wonders. Also, have you been to South East Asia for extended periods of time before? Bali is not what it used to be - you'll get bored with that crowd rather quickly and it will be very tough for you to create meaningful and lasting relationships with anyone there. 

Life becomes a lot better in banking when you meet a great gf or wife too.

90% of people hate their jobs. If you’re not an actor or an athlete or a successful business owner, your job probably sucks.

At least we get paid well.

All work has its pros and cons. Do you have enough time to balance any hobbies you have a passion for?

I think one of the biggest questions one can ask is, do I want to have kids someday? If the answer is no, you can really do any job you want, support yourself modestly, and enjoy all life has to offer. If you like water and the beach, go work on a charter boat in the Caribbean or Greece. Maybe work your way up to becoming a captain someday. But you have to really be honest with yourself, are you okay with missing out on having a traditional family. If you want kids and want to provide (a lot), career paths become pretty narrow.   

The first week back after a vacation is the worst feeling ever. You have the recent memory of what really living is like planted in your head, while slowly slipping back into the lull of grinding your life away…so yeah, definitely have that feeling

kooks riding a wavestorm for the first time be like…

So go do those things?

Your complaint seems to be that IB eats your life, but... that's why you get paid a ton of money?  I understand the frustration of the Faustian bargain, where you sold your soul to make enough money to do all the things you describe, but simply don't have the time, whereas if you had the time you wouldn't have the money... but that's life.

You say "other people are living life in color" but... why do you think that?  What gives you that impression?  What makes you think the people you're envious of, aren't on some other internet forum talking about the guy they envy who tried the street food, travelled with the hot French girl, etc?  I don't want to sound like an octogenarian, screaming at the sky, but it sounds like you get your impressions of other people's lives from social media.  Which is about the worst possible place to be.  We've all seen someone spend 10 minutes on the sidewalk in Soho, posing for a picture in front of a cast iron building, and it doesn't take much imagination to envision that on their feed or whatever along with a dozen other pictures that make it seem like that person lives a dream life.  I guarantee they're not live-streaming the part where they were seated next to a 300 lbs person who took the entire armrest and then had their bag misplaced when they got home.

I'll sound like an asshole for saying it, but... you aren't owed the fulfilling life of your dreams!  You have the income and the horizons to understand what's out there and be able to take advantage of it, but that isn't true for basically everyone else in the world.  Traveling the world, even if on a relatively tight budget, for weeks at a time is.... not normal.  

If you are unhappy, quit.  No one is making you stay at a soulless corporate job.  I just think you set yourself up for failure if you think of vacation as "what I could be doing" instead of what it actually is, which is a break from the drudgery of your day to day life.

Instagram is not real life. That life "lived in color" is as fake now as it's ever been and getting faker by the day. 

I've been a surf instructor before, it is a great life but not one I'd want full time. maybe do it during high tourist season but then be free otherwise

I don't want to write another novel (done that plenty of times here), so just let me know if any of the below needs explaining

begin with the end in mind

have financial flexibility (live FAR below your means)

think in eulogy virtues not resume virtues

set goals and translate those goals into repeatable daily actions that get you closer

via negativa

be willing to turn against the crowd and be different

focus on your values not what society tells you they should be

You can only buy 25 - 30 year leaseholds in Bali, but a couple associate bonuses in IB and you could probably buy a pretty solid pad to last you a few decades and at least take that stress off. Even cheaper in other parts of SEA like Thailand where you can buy 1-BR condos still for under $100k and they're real ownership (not leaseholds) and these countries have minimal property taxes so once you own them, your out of pocket every year is basically just maintenance. I'd consider that and how exponentially better you can make the rest of your life if you go this route by simply sticking out IB for a few more years (especially if you could clip a VP bonus or two). 

The life of a surfer in cali or bali would be nice for a month to relax 

i travelled through south east asia recently and met soooo many tech guys who had spent 6+ months at a stretch travelling through asia and had at least 6 more months planned out. they work remote so they can travel during the day and work at night and they're all supposedly based in cali so they get paid at least 200k and honestly i reconsidered my whole life

https://www.surfer.com/culture/bali-local-advice-first-surf-trip-island…

Lmao that "what vaccines?" guy is cracking me up.

I'm struggling with very similar feelings to this. I think mid-20s are really hard because you feel your youth slipping away, look at some of your peers in a foreign country having fun, while you look at your colleagues who are probably miserable/stressed/divorced etc who you absolutely don't want to turn into. Meanwhile our jobs lack a real purpose so it feels like a mistake to be 'wasting our youth' on them.

But ultimately, you need to choose your damn sacrifice. Aging is inevitable my bro, so sacrifice is inevitable. Life is not all surfing in Bali - and if it was, it probably wouldn't be fun.

PSA - Your 20s is all about yourself. You don't have any major responsibilities. So work in IB or PE or surf in Bali, whatever your decision is, it is about your 20s, which you can enjoy however you want. 

Felt inclined to respond because this was me to a T. Thought I just wanted to make a bunch of money, so I took an IB job out of college at an ultimately toxic bank and was worked to the bone. Hated first year. Burnt out during 2nd year. Quit 1.5 years in and took some time off. Traveled and spent time with family. Then took a private credit job in another city. Ended up quitting 1.5 years in there as well. It was essentially IB with slightly better hours and people that faked their happiness (whereas IB it was sort of known you’d be overworked for good pay and there was some comradery).

Quitting both jobs was the best decision(s) of my life. I knew where that path was taking me: always feeling like I was underpaid, overly stressed, working weekends, turning into a busy and grumpy old man eventually just like all my bosses. My favorite memories have been those I made whilst unemployed. Surfing in Hawaii, hiking in Portugal, camping in Canada, etc. To the guys on here saying it’s just a part of becoming an adult and that everyone works and is miserable - that’s a lie. It’s true however that the average human works a desk job their entire life, and retires at 65 with a little bit of savings. It doesn’t have to be this way. In fact, anyone on this app in finance, business, or otherwise already has an advantage in that you are a smart person and were driven enough to get this far. Nothing is stopping you from doing what you love, are good at, enjoy, are passionate about, or even remotely think you might want to try or experience. Only you are in your own way. You choose the life you want to have going forward. Forget the past as it can’t be changed. Look past what your friends/family think (maybe that you are making good money and have a good job) and forget about what your bosses or coworkers might think of you. They’ll probably respect you more for doing your own thing and going your own way! Now, I’m not saying quit your job tomorrow and surf in Bali forever. Get financially right: pay off your debts, have some savings, cut expenses, and budget. Then decide what is best for you. Maybe it is traveling and surfing! Start a blog, teach classes, live cheaply, you name it. Whatever that may be, it might just lead you into your next idea, job, business, investment, home, partner, etc. Or maybe it inspires that fire back inside of you - to work hard, love more, explore often, try new things, build something.

In my own experience, despite dwindling some savings on travel and living expenses while jobless, I bought a small landscaping business. It’s still hard work, but it’s on my own terms, it’s cash flowing, it’s something I care about and can build with high upside (or kept as a lifestyle family business).

All in all, you’re not alone. I would even argue that the vast majority of guys / girls out there in this field especially struggle with this, including me. Your 20s are hard, you’re navigating life post-childhood, potentially the healthiest and most fit you’ll ever be, often worked the hardest, seemingly everyone else out there is doing more fun stuff, you’re just trying to make sense of it all. But that’s the beauty of it, it doesn’t have to make sense right away. Maybe it’s the fact that you don’t know what to do that’s a blessing because you can go anywhere, try and do and be anything. What you think is tying you down to where you are, probably doesn’t have that tight of a knot. And worst that could happen? You’re right back in a similar job to your current one making good money. Don’t wait 45 years, or any other day spent unhappy. Nothing, not even life, is guaranteed. IB was some of the darkest days of my life, but if nothing else, it taught me one thing that I’ll cherish forever: you’ve only got one life, don’t waste it, go and live it.

Bali surfing would be pretty cool