7-YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF LEAVING ACADEMIA 🎉🥳🎉
May 29, 2026
It's about this time, 7 years ago, that I decided to leave my tenured university professor job. Celebrating 🎉🎉🎉
Of course, it wasn't an overnight decision. I wanted to leave for several years.
A colleague of mine said to me, "Prove to yourself that you can do it (aka, get tenure), and then do whatever you want".
🎉🎉🎉
What happened in the last 7 years?
- I met and married my life partner - very shortly after I left.
- I stopped living multiple lives (spiritual and mainstream) & started bringing myself back together into one whole person.
- I wrote two books. The first is a healing memoir. The second is a channeled conversation about work and money. It was motivated by the major question I was asking: "How can I make a living off doing what I love?"
- I had two kids. And have the flexibility to structure our lives so that everyone's needs are met (most of the time). And to parent them based on the lessons I've learned: with respect, autonomy, emotional intelligence, honest conversations, play, intuition, and more.
- I started my business. Which has been a steep learning curve: shifting from a hobby to an actual business.
- We traveled as a family to many wonderful places, and I can share my passion for travel and culture with my partner and kids. We even world-school part of the time.
This transition from my old job hasn't been easy
I've spent many years, hours, and resources building something that wasn't fully aligned. I've built an identity based on the social status of being a university professor and researcher.
The hardest thing was WORKING WITH MY EGO, which felt safe in a mainstream job (albeit miserable).
I had to face many fears.
But this was a process of growing up in a major way! And learning how to not abandon myself in favor of comfort and seeming security.
One thing to report is that I AM HAPPY. A feeling I didn't know before. And that is inner alignment.
Onwards ...
Xx,
Mariya