After 17 years at Walmart, I wanted an adventure – so I quit and sold my condo to go live in an RV

Lee Jeyes decided to quit after almost 17 years at Walmart.

Lee Jeyes

• Lee Jeyes left his job as Walmart's head of innovation after almost 17 years.
• He said he was scared of getting older and looking back on his life with regrets.
• Jeyes sold his condo and most of his belongings to start a new life traveling and working in an RV.

This is an as-told-to essay based on an interview with Lee Jeyes, a 32-year-old from Toronto who left his job at Walmart after almost 17 years to live and work in an RV. The following has been edited for length and clarity.

In February, I left my job at Walmart as its head of corporate innovation after almost 17 years at the company.

I sold or donated most of my possessions — everything from my car to my condo — and bought an RV for $40,000 in May.

I made the decision after doing an activity called "freedom from fear" in January. It involved asking myself "what is one of my biggest dreams in life?" and "what are all the things that I really want to achieve?"

I wrote them all down and questioned what was holding me back from pursuing them.

One of the biggest fears I had was getting older and looking back on my life with regret. So I chose to step away from my career and go traveling.

It's not a decision I took lightly. I'd been with Walmart and been focused on my career since the age of 16. I was promoted 15 times in my time there.

I had a nice car, an apartment, and a good salary. I was comfortable, but I was still looking for more.

After leaving Walmart in February, I spent time with family and friends in the UK and I started building a few exciting new ventures.

I set up a men's mental-wellness community called "Mind over Masculinity" and a grassroots development program for entry and mid-level management called "Learn from Leadership." I also signed with the agency Spoken Artists as a keynote speaker on innovation culture.

I then sold my condo for $925,000 in April and freed myself from a mortgage for the first time in a decade.

I also liquidated 95% of my assets to unlock capital to invest in other opportunities. I also had savings to fund my adventure.

Lee brought his dog Wally along for the adventure.

Lee Jeyes

I've been living in the RV with my dog Wally for just over two months now in a campsite in Ontario. I plan to visit all of western Canada over the next few months.

The RV is a home on wheels — it has a shower, kitchen, and air conditioning. I also have Starlink for internet access.

I'm spending between $800 to $1,000 a month on food, which is comparable to what I spent when I was living in a condo in Toronto.

Fuel costs me around the same amount as I converted the engine to run on propane, which lowers the cost and is better for the environment. RV insurance is cheap at $700 a year. 

The idea of being able to do anything was exciting, but scary.

Sometimes too much choice can be overwhelming. It was not just a matter of what I want to do for work. It was about where I want to live and what I want to spend my time on. For me it was just jumping into the unknown.

I'm hoping that the community love that I can build on the way will help me on the journey.

I don't know where I'm going to end up or what I'm in search of, but I do know that this is where growth will come from.

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