After receiving the final decree of his divorce and preparing to leave his family home for the last time, Matt reflects on the bittersweet emotions of letting go of a century-old family legacy while embracing newfound freedom. He embarks on a month-long journey visiting seven new cities along the East Coast, marking the end of one chapter and the beginning of another in his life story.
As I do my final packing in preparation for a long journey and leaving my homeland, I am overwhelmed by a wealth of feelings. It’s a very strange and emotional time.
Hello, everyone. This is Matt from Work Anywhere. If you’ve been following my story, you know that several significant events have happened over the past six months that have profoundly changed my life.
Today, I received in the mail the final decree for my divorce, which made it official. Although the divorce was legally finalized a month ago, it took a long time for the paperwork to arrive — a common experience with government processes.
Today is also the day I am packing and preparing to leave tomorrow morning for a month-long journey down the East Coast. I will be visiting seven different cities that I have never been to before, and I look forward to seeing some friends and relatives along the way.
Leaving my family home is a deeply emotional experience. I have traveled many times for work, living the "work anywhere" lifestyle, working all over the world. But this time is different. I am packing up everything that belongs to me and leaving for the last time.
The feelings I have are difficult to describe. It’s a mix of sadness and freedom. I hate to use the word "depressing" because it sounds clinical, but it is undeniably sad.
Selling this house means letting go of the last piece of my family legacy — a legacy that spans 100 years. There is a heavy sadness attached to releasing that history. At the same time, there is a great weight lifted off my shoulders. I no longer have to bear the yoke of maintaining the family name, the family business, and the family home, along with all the expectations that come with them.
I find myself treading the border between sadness and freedom, moving back and forth between these emotions as I pack.
As I pack, I realize I can only take so much with me — limited space in the car and on the airplane means I am leaving behind 99% of what I have had in my life. This is both freeing and sad.
Everywhere I look in the house, there are things I have made over the years. For example:
These creations represent 23 years of living here as a family, continuing the legacy of my parents before me. Leaving all these behind is a heavy feeling, yet there is also a sense of lightness.
I don’t have many more words to describe this moment. It is both heavy and light, sad and freeing.
This marks the end of season one of my story. Tomorrow, I hit the road down the East Coast, beginning season two. I will be visiting seven new cities, all of which are new to me, and I am excited to share this journey with you.
I hope you continue to follow along. Please like this video, share it with someone, and subscribe to the channel. You won’t want to miss what’s coming next.
Season three will be the final leg of this journey when I move to the Dominican Republic.
Stay tuned for more updates as this new chapter unfolds.
