She Became A Dentist, Got Married, And Bought A Home, But She Realized The American Dream Wasn’t For Her, So She Got Divorced And Hopped On A Plane
Many people set out to achieve the “American dream” by aiming to own a home, succeed in their careers, and start a family.
Yet, younger generations have begun rejecting this traditional idea and the societal expectations that come along with it in favor of more unconventional lifestyles.
One 29-year-old from Illinois named Gabriella Bastin has done just that. On her TikTok account @gabbiebastin, which has nearly 50,000 followers, she shared how she’d achieved what most would call the American dream before embarking on a completely different life path.
Back in November, she posted a video that chronicled her captivating story. It all began when Gabriella launched a flourishing career in dentistry and started earning a high income from a young age.
Then, she tied the knot at 24-years-old, bought a beautiful home, and spent one year remodeling it with her then-partner.
Gabriella realizes that, for countless people, her former life might’ve seemed picture-perfect.
“It was a dream, but not mine,” she wrote in her video.
She felt empty and trapped, and once she got divorced, she decided to make a change. Gabriella sold her house, car, and most of her belongings in order to reinvent herself.
All she held onto was a couple of backpacks. Then, she booked a flight to South Africa and learned to surf while participating in a volunteer program.
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“The life I was living there felt so right. So I took that as my sign to keep traveling,” she recalled.
Gabriella traveled from South Africa to Europe and Indonesia. Afterward, she hit Australia and South America, remarkably visiting six out of the seven world continents in just one year.
“I slowly realized that this was my rich,” she admitted.
Gabriella wound up booking another flight to Indonesia and secured a job in Thailand. In the end, she’s since settled in Far North Queensland, Australia, where she works on the Great Barrier Reef. She is now 29 years old and believes “this is what life is all about.”
Her TikTok resonated with countless millennials who feel unfulfilled as they chase after conventional ideas of success. It has received over 363,000 views and garnered nearly 49,000 likes.
In Gabriella’s comment section, users applauded her for taking the leap and switching things up. Some even shared their own goals of following in her footsteps.
“Congrats on finding yourself so young. I know the future you is already grateful,” wrote one user.
“I love this. I hope that one day I can do something just like this. So inspiring,” said another.
“This is quite literally the definition of rich,” added a third.
After receiving so much positive feedback, Gabriella made two follow-up videos and shared her top tips for creating your dream life.
First, she advised her viewers to stop sharing their goals with close-minded people who aren’t supportive since they’ll plant seeds of doubt and kill any inspiration.
“It makes you have a mental internal battle with yourself about if it’s really the right decision. But at the end of the day, if you know this is something you want to do, and you can feel it in your bones, that’s your dream life, and it feels right in your gut, go for it,” Gabriella explained.
“If you have no one around you that supports you, surround yourself with creators and podcasts that support this type of lifestyle [and] encourage you.”
Secondly, she urged her viewers not to take advice from people whose shoes they wouldn’t want to be in or who have never achieved their dream lifestyle.
“Don’t take advice from them. Period. You obviously are on two different paths in life,” Gabriella noted.
More About:Human Interest