Reader Stories
📝 Welcome to Reader Stories
This is a space for the dreamers. The wanderers. The rebels who said no thanks to the 9–5 and decided to build a life that actually feels like theirs.
Here, we share our stories.
The raw beginnings. The brave leaps. The small steps that changed everything. Whether you're just starting out or already deep in your journey—your voice matters.
✨ Have you left a job that drained you?
✨ Downsized your life to gain freedom?
✨ Taken a risk to follow a creative dream?
Tell us about it. These stories light the way for others—and your words might be exactly what someone needs to hear right now.
This space is also here for your questions and struggles.
If you’re facing something hard or unsure what comes next, feel free to share that too. You can ask me (Scott) directly—I may not have all the answers, but I’ll meet your question with honesty, care, and whatever insight I can offer.
And you’re not alone here. There are a lot of people on Substack already living the kind of lifestyle you are chasing. Who knows—one of my readers might have the exact perspective or encouragement you need, waiting in the comment section.
📬 Want to share your story? Use the link below. Minimum 600 words. You’re welcome to remain anonymous if you like.
Thanks for being part of this community. We’re building something real.
—Scott
Scroll through the featured stories below to explore others’ journeys—and if something resonates, leave a comment. A little encouragement can mean a lot.
Into the Wild at 47
In this raw and beautiful reflection, we follow one woman’s journey from burnout to bliss, as she leaves her job, rents out her home, and sets off solo in a rusty old van to explore the wilds of New Zealand. At 47, surrounded by backpackers half her age and retirees on whistle-stop tours, she doesn’t quite fit in—and that’s exactly the point.
The Quiet Ache for Less
Some stories come to us polished—after the leap has already been made, the job quit, the road taken. But others arrive mid-threshold, in the aching, uncertain place between the life that is and the life that could be.
Burned Out Before 30, Reborn in the Wild
One of my favorite things about sharing my work is hearing from others who’ve made similar leaps—people who’ve walked away from the known to follow something deeper, more honest, and more aligned with who they really are. That’s what Reader Stories is all about.
She Let It All Go. And Found Everything.
Welcome to the next edition of Reader Stories, where we highlight voices from this wild, soul-seeking community. These are people who’ve chosen the untamed path—not because it was easy, but because it felt right.
I Sold My Life for $1 and Moved to an Island
This is the first post in a new series I’m calling Reader Stories—a space to share real-life accounts of what it means to break away from convention and create a life on your own terms.