You only have one.
From school to university to working in a global corporation, my life path had been conventional. What society has primed us to strive for. I was peaking in my career, based in Hong Kong. I was flying around Asia Pacific inside the world of high finance. However, I knew I had to search for a more authentic happiness.
It's my only life.
The COVID craziness helped crystallise an array of deep philosophical thoughts gleaned from the wealth of wisdom now so easily accessible. Thoughts and impulses that I could no longer ignore.
The decision was made: a world detour! One that would see our family travel the diameter of the world during a time of huge disruptions
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This is a story of that journey. That search.
Physically, from Hong Kong through Europe to the Sunshine Coast. Career-wise, from banker to chancer. Philosophically, from conventional to counter-narrative.
I decided to write my own life script. I hope you enjoy it.
Gareth has spent 27 years in international finance working in countries as geographically distant as Australia from Finland and Brazil from Japan; as culturally diverse as Armenia to Qatar, Norway to Indonesia; and as politically polarised as the USA and China.After a conventional career path clicking through the achievement turnstiles of an economics degree, an accounting qualification with one of the big four and 22 years in a global bank, the persistent insistence on conformity of thought was finally too much to bear. Defiance overcame compliance.Gareth realised he had to be true to his belief in human action. He ditched his career as a managing director at a bank in Hong Kong, moved with his family to Australia and is now seeking to follow his passions through his actions of teaching and writing - ideally, teaching through writing.