Buy The ticket!

Why "Never Come Back" Is the Best Life Advice You'll Ever Get

You've seen it everywhere! plastered across Instagram stories, pinned to Pinterest boards, printed on inspirational posters in coffee shops. That quote: "Buy a ticket, quit your job, take the flight, fall in love, never come back."

For years, seeing it on peoples walls in beautiful cursive on a plank of wood…had me rolling my eyes… Another shallow travel mantra for wanderlust dreamers, right? Another "trip of a lifetime" fantasy that people post while secretly planning their Monday morning return to the same old routine.

But here's the thing that always nagged at me: ‘How is it really the trip of a lifetime if you end up coming back to the same thing?’ But more importantly, isn’t the 'trip' actually your entire lifetime?

The Deeper Truth Behind The Quote

As someone who feels like I genuinely "bought the ticket," I want to share what this quote really means to me, and why it isn’t (in my opinion) actually about travel at all. Or at least it doesn’t have to be.

Sure, many of us have traveled a bit. We've enjoyed meeting new people, seeing cool sights, having those random magical experiences with complete strangers. (Let's face it, our parents' generation mostly never got these opportunities before they had us kids to worry about.) Those of us privileged enough to live in countries where life isn't particularly hard should absolutely take advantage of these opportunities.

But here's where I used to get stuck: Why does the 'ticket' have to be a flight ticket? Why does 'fall in love' have to mean with a person?

That's how I always interpreted it, until recently. Now I realise this quote is so much bigger than wanderlust.

What If It's All a Metaphor?

Here's my own revelation (which I’m sure isn’t new information to most!): The 'ticket' is to your new life…

Not everyone wants to travel to far-flung places, but EVERYONE wants a good life! or at least a better life than the one they currently have. Everyone wants the best life they can possibly create for themselves.

So, what if the ticket is simply a metaphor for making a change in your life? Any change that moves you toward something better?

And what if "falling in love" means falling in love with yourself? With the idea of having something you never dreamed was possible? With the world and its amazing diversity of people and experiences? (Or yes, it could still be with a person!)

Breaking Down the Real Message

Let me reframe this quote in a way that applies to everyone:

Buy the ticket: THINK about what it is you actually want. Get clear on your vision.

Quit your job: Sometimes this is literal! But often it means quitting the habits, mindsets, or situations that keep you stuck.

Take the flight: Take some action. Any action that moves you toward your vision.

Fall in love: With whatever it is you manage to achieve. With the process. With yourself for having the courage to try.

Never come back: To your old reality and the limitations you once accepted as permanent.

This Isn't Just for the "Hippie/traveller type" Friends

So if you're someone who doesn't want to travel, and you see one of your "hippie" friends post this quote on social media, don’t just think "oh shut up and go then."

Give it some thought. Maybe there's a 'flight' you want to take too.

Maybe your ticket isn't to Bali or Barcelona. Maybe it's to:

- A career that actually excites you

- A relationship that feels like home

- A creative project you've been putting off

- A healthier lifestyle that makes you feel alive

- Simply the confidence to be authentically yourself

The Bottom Line

Life should be abundant in experiences and full of love and happiness. Let's not get so bogged down in the day-to-day stuff that we forget we're the ones writing our own story.

But hey, if you already love your life exactly as it is, then I guess you're already winning! You've already taken the flight and fallen in love. You never need to come back because you're exactly where you belong.

The rest of us? We've got some tickets to buy.

What's your ticket? What flight are you ready to take? I'd love to hear about it.

Thanks for reading!

J x