In 2015, I left the British School in the Netherlands with a suitcase full of dreams and a one-way ticket to New York City. I was determined to become an actor, and I’d been accepted into two top schools. I thought I had it all figured out.
But life didn’t go exactly as planned.
While training as an actor, I got a job in hospitality, like many actors do. Three months in, I realised the late-night shifts clashed with who I actually was: someone who liked early mornings, sports, and freedom. So I pivoted. That summer, I studied every day and became a certified personal trainer. By the time I was 19, I was self-employed in New York, training professionals twice my age.
After graduating, I worked as an actor and continued running my fitness business. And yet, even after achieving my so-called dreams, something shifted. I didn’t want it anymore. That was a hard truth to face… I’d spent years telling everyone I’d be an actor. Letting go felt like failure, until I realised it was just growth.
Since then, I’ve changed direction many times. I taught myself videography and video editing through YouTube and became the global content creator for INTERSPORT, working with brands like NIKE and Adidas. I worked at a mental health startup as a project manager. In 2023 I finally became a digital nomad and began traveling the world full-time. I even began studying psychology again, the very subject I once walked away from. I just finished my degree, at 28 – not because I needed it, but because I wanted it.
There’s a common pressure to choose one path early and stick with it. But in reality, most people don’t end up working in the field they studied! The first decade of adulthood is less about having answers and more about gathering data: trying things, making pivots, learning who you are through action.
Changing your mind doesn’t mean you’re lost. It means you’re learning. You can’t expect to fully know what you want at 18. You haven’t had enough life experience, and experience is what changes us and allows us to learn more about ourselves.
There’s more than one way to build a life that makes you happy, and it doesn’t have to look like anyone else’s.
Listen to an interview with Gabie on the alumni podcast and learn more about her experiences and philosophy:
Gabie is a BSN alumna from the class of 2015. She returned to The British School after 10 years to deliver the keynote speech at the Year 13 students’ leaving ceremony at Senior School Leidschenveen. Gabie is a speaker, teacher, writer, and creator and digital nomad. She is the founder of Inner Researcher, an educational platform dedicated to psychology, self-awareness, and spirituality. Passionate about growth and transformation, Gabie has taught over 2,000 students through her classes and workshops and has built a community of more than 11,000 individuals.
Now, as she continues to grow her business, Gabie also works part-time as a Growth & Analytics Manager for a well-known YouTube creator. Beyond that, she is currently writing a book on self-awareness, traveling the world full-time and improving her surfing skills.
