25-Year-Old 'Hated' His Well-Paying Corporate Job, So He Quit to Travel the World (Exclusive)
- - 25-Year-Old 'Hated' His Well-Paying Corporate Job, So He Quit to Travel the World (Exclusive)
Jordan GreeneJanuary 22, 2026 at 4:30 AM
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Courtesy of Nicholas Sklavos
Nicholas Sklavos at his corporate job and traveling -
Nicholas Sklavos had never seen much of the world
A New Jersey native, he spent his entire life in the tri-state area before attending Syracuse University
After graduating, he landed what looked like a solid job in finance and sales. But it didn’t take long for him to realize he wasn't happy
Nicholas Sklavos had never seen much of the world.
A New Jersey native, he spent his entire life in the tri-state area before attending Syracuse University. After graduating in 2022, he landed what looked like a solid job in finance and sales — the kind of position many people would envy. But it didn’t take long for him to realize it wasn’t where he was meant to be.
“It was a really good job, but I hated it,” Sklavos tells PEOPLE exclusively over Zoom. “The environment just didn’t align with who I am. I felt like I wasn’t adding much value to the world — I was just making money... [It] just wasn’t for me.”
Courtesy of Nicholas Sklavos
Nicholas Sklavos at his corporate job
For as long as he could remember, Sklavos had dreamed of traveling the world. That desire became impossible to ignore after seeing people around him fall sick — and, in some cases, pass away.
“I realized we’re all dying,” he says. “And if I didn’t go act on what I wanted to do now, when was I going to do it — when I’m 60 and can’t climb a mountain?”
That realization marked a turning point.
From then on, Sklavos quietly began preparing to leave his job, spending two full years saving aggressively. He sold his car, cut expenses and freed himself from obligations at home to make it possible. Though his parents were initially hesitant, their stance softened once they saw how unhappy he was.
“I came to this belief that if there’s something you’re really passionate about, you don’t need everyone’s opinions or criticism,” he says. “I just wanted to do it. When is there ever going to be a better time than now?”
Finally, on Sept. 5, 2025, Sklavos set off with a one-way ticket and a plan to travel across Asia. The day before he left, he posted about his journey on his TikTok account @nicksontour, explaining why he had quit his job.
The video quickly went viral, amassing more than 7 million views and 28,000 comments.
“Document everything for us,” one user wrote.“Go live your best life!!!! We are all rooting for you!!!” another added.“I’ve never been more excited for a stranger,” commented someone else.
The overwhelming response gave him both validation and motivation. Encouraged by the engagement, Sklavos kept sharing his travels — not just as a personal record, but as a way to inspire others to embrace adventure.
Over the following year, he continued to post on TikTok, where he's created a following of over 185,000 people. He shares candid glimpses of solo adventures, unfamiliar cultures and the challenges of starting over far from home.
“I got messages from people saying they were traveling because of me, following my itinerary and that I inspired them to see the world,” he says.
“One guy told me he had a very bleak view of the world before seeing my videos, and now he’d booked a flight to Thailand. That brought me to tears. And a mom from Texas has been messaging me since the first video, saying I’ve touched the world. It’s unbelievable.”
Courtesy of Nicholas Sklavos
Nicholas Sklavos during his travels
Even with the challenges — sleeping in hostels for a few dollars a night, dealing with bugs, getting food poisoning and even a bout of E. coli that landed him in the hospital — Sklavos says the experience has been worth it.
“The good far outweighs the bad,” he says. “Traveling isn’t tourism; it’s living in unfamiliar spaces. Yes, there are rough nights and rough moments, but I’ve never regretted quitting my job. I knew this was what I wanted, and I’ve been able to share it with the world.”
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Looking ahead, Sklavos plans to continue traveling for at least the next year, possibly two. He hopes to turn his adventures into a sustainable career, hosting group trips, creating travel and food videos and sharing his experiences with an ever-growing audience.
Eventually, he envisions a home base in New York City, where he can continue exploring the city’s renowned food scene while balancing his nomadic lifestyle.
"The goal is never to return to a corporate job," he says.
“I want to keep inspiring people to see the world and take action on their dreams,” he says. “For me, this isn’t just travel — it’s living fully, every single day.”
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
