Unemployed, Living with Mum… and I Just Bought Another Boat

On paper, it looks like a disaster.

Two years ago, I quit my job in the middle of burnout. I walked away from the “good” salary, the senior title, the respectable LinkedIn profile. We took the kids out of school, untied the lines, and went sailing for a year. Not the kind of decision that makes corporate recruiters swoon.

When we came back, I spent a year as a stay-at-home dad while my wife retrained as a teacher. It was the kind of year that strips away all illusions of what matters — and builds a bond with your kids that no weekend or holiday can ever match.

I dabbled in looking for a new job. Sent a few applications. Talked to a few people. But the truth was obvious: my heart wasn’t in it. The corporate life wasn’t calling me back.

So here we are. Renting out our family house, moving back in with my mum — part prudence, part strategy as we move back to the UK for the life we want to build. It makes financial sense. It also makes for some raised eyebrows.

And this last weekend, I took part of our hard-earned savings and made an offer on another boat. Not exactly the “sensible” thing to do. Boats are famous for sinking money.

I can already hear the chorus of judgment — society’s favourite pastime:

What are you doing?

Why walk away from success?

But here’s the thing. That wasn’t real success.

Real success is waking up with energy. Sleeping well at night because your day was full of purpose, not just meetings. Real success is knowing exactly what you want to do, why you want to do it, and believing you can make it happen — even if the path isn’t certain. Especially if it isn’t certain.

That’s why I’m doing this. That second boat isn’t a reckless splurge. It’s an investment in my new business, in the life I want to lead, not the one society expects me to follow.

Is it scary? Yes.

Is it difficult? Absolutely.

But I wouldn’t trade this feeling for anything.

It took a huge journey to get here — physically, mentally, emotionally. And I want to share what I’ve learned. How to take that first step. How to look inside. How to move towards the life you actually want, even if it doesn’t look like “success” to the outside world.

It doesn’t have to mean selling everything or buying a boat. It might be a small change. It might be a conversation.

If you’re ready to explore it — let’s talk.