I ‘had it all’ but quit my job & sold everything I owned to live in my car – a popular movie forced me to make a change
A woman who lives in her car has revealed how a popular film inspired her to sell everything and live a life on the road.
Christine Meachum was a successful businesswoman with a loving husband of almost 20 years, two children, a comfortable salary, a rental property, a sports car and a beautiful home.
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However, Meachum (@ChristineMeachum) found it difficult to handle the pressures of a corporate job and struggled with the burnout that comes with working in an office five days a week.
After watching the popular film “Into the Wild,” a film about a man who gave up a promising career, donated his fortune, and got rid of everything he owned to live in the Alaskan wilderness, Meachum received an important message.
“Ever since I saw the movie ‘Into the Wild’ in 2009, I felt the urge for minimalism but suppressed it to pursue material success because I thought it was the only way to be safe and happy,” she said in a YouTube video on her channel.
By the time she turned 30, the temptation to adopt a minimalist lifestyle was too irresistible.
“I felt a strong desire to create a life that had peace and felt right to me,” Meachum said.
“I felt the urge to downsize and get rid of the things that no longer appealed to me.”
It took some time, but Meachum eventually sold her red convertible, quit her job and filed for divorce.
She began living in a van in her parents’ backyard to get used to living outside of a vehicle.
After about a year and a half of working to rid herself of all her possessions, she felt like a big weight had been lifted from her shoulders, she said.
The feeling of freedom was overwhelming for her as it eased her financial burden.
She could travel wherever she wanted, whenever she wanted, and she could work on what inspired her at the pace she wanted.
However, she acknowledges her past life and says that it was important for her to feel the pressure to change, otherwise she would never have made the change.
Meachum hopes to inspire those who feel trapped in the corporate rat race to find what truly makes them happy and pursue that.
“If it took the hard times to get to where I am now, I wouldn’t give up on them,” she said.
“I learned that if something consistently doesn’t feel right and you’ve tried your best to make it feel better, to no avail, it’s probably time to change your situation.
“Even if it means going against the norm of what most people do.”
Her video about why she decided to go from “having everything” to living in a car has been viewed more than 289,000 times.
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