Do you want to change your career?

But every time you stuck with your inner question 'But'.  So stop thinking about 'But' instead take action. Instead of following your passion and money, think what  you should do to enjoy every moment of your life.

Here is a real life story on how we changed our career after a short trip in Nairobi.

Aditya and Alta in Nairobi National Park

Quit Our Jobs, Moved To Nairobi, Stopped Existing, and Started Living

“Giraffes!” The excited shout from my son, Aditya, jolted me awake. I opened my eyes and saw three giraffes standing very near the Mombasa highway as if welcoming us to Nairobi.

Our driver pointed towards Nairobi National Park along the Mombasa highway. We were thrilled to be so near to streams, woodlands and ravines where lions hunt, black rhinos browse and white rhinos graze.

It was a long journey from our home in Mumbai to Nairobi, and we were very tired, but the cool breeze and the bright, green surroundings had a wonderful effect on me. I looked at my husband who, eyes glued to the screen of his iPhone and rubbing back of his neck as usual, was busy responding to emails on his smartphone.

I couldn’t stop wondering how I could bring about a career change for my husband, Babi. Of late, he had become a cubicle-dweller. Long, stressful hours at the office were affecting his mind and body. He was suffering from severe obesity in his mid-forties.

He needed a change, and it was proving to be a difficult decision for him. It was not easy to sit down and plan a career while being in a senior position with a busy schedule.

Even though I spent 25 years helping others with their careers, I hadn't thought a holiday would be a good option to plan a midlife career change. But, they say travel is the midwife of thought, and my husband clearly needed some contemplative time to completely unplug himself.

I proposed a three-day trip to Nairobi, Since I knew Babi had a childhood dream to see the big five African forest animals, I proposed a three-day trip to Nairobi.

We booked an open-roof SUV and a Massai guide. While my son and I were working on the safari plan, Babi was still busy with his iPhone, attending to client calls, instructing his team on how to manage escalations, and getting updates. It was sad to see how his work kept him from relaxing.

The Nairobi National Park features a glorious stretch of savanna set against the Nairobi skyline. The park includes a wide variety of habitats, from open grass plain with scattered acacia bushes to rocky river gorges and dry forests.

There was no mobile coverage within the forest so finally Babi couldn’t get busy with his office work.

Our guide spotted a leopard in a bush. We were in total silence. The leopard passed by the car with silent footfalls, so near that I was able to see the dense whiskers framing his mouth.

Forest rangers broadcast the movement of a lion family. When we found them, their ears pricked up at our approach, and they casually glanced towards us. A big male rested beneath a bush, enjoying the morning winter sun. The lioness, three adolescent males and the cubs were still busy eating the remaining portion of an impala.

Finally, dream met reality . The wild animals and the smell and silence of the forest completely refreshed our minds. Over dinner Babi said, “Thanks! It’s been an excellent day. I’m glad I wasn’t involved in office work.”

We returned to our busy life in Mumbai, and chaos took over once more. In addition, we realized the impact of pollution and smog on our health.

We started talking about relocating to Kenya so we could really feel and enjoy the ultimate wildlife experience.

We selected Kenya because it’s easy to get a work permit for Kenya, and it has many people of Indian origin. Irrespective of some crime and security issues, Nairobi is booming financially and economically as well as being a popular tourist destination. Another added advantage for us was that English is the primary language of communication.

We began taking some small steps to choose a new career for my husband based on who he wanted to be. After some deliberation, Babi decided to start working as an independent consultant in IT. We worked on his LinkedIn profile and started building a network with people located in eastern Africa and who knew various aspects of working and staying there.

Babi signed a two-year contract as an information security and process consultant. We relocated to Nairobi and took a luxury serviced apartment.

Now Babi has plenty of time for his hobbies like gardening and reading. We often go to the Nairobi Arboretum for mediation and yoga in the early morning, something we could never do in Mumbai.

The three-day trip, in the end, helped us to find a new career for my husband. We used to just exist, but now we are fully living our lives in Nairobi. I didn't expect our holiday to Kenya to change our life, but now I have tucked “Take a Holiday” into my toolbox of things to share with my own clients.

Alta has a background as a hiring manager in a fast-growing startups. Today, she works as a career coach. She is the founder of CareerChoicesHelp.com  where she helps people find and build meaningful careers. She lives in Nairobi with her husband.