Journey from Banker to Biker: Rediscovering Life Beyond the Corner Office

By Devi Chandra Menon

Living the Dream—Or So I Thought

By all accounts, I had made it. A high-profile title at a prestigious foreign bank, a luxurious office with a view, an impressive salary, and a dedicated team that felt like family. My life was a checklist of accomplishments—envied by many, and admired by all. But beneath the polished surface, something was wrong. The success I had worked so hard to achieve had become a gilded cage. Despite the outward trappings of achievement, I felt a growing restlessness, a suffocating discontent that no promotion or paycheck could silence.

So, I did what I knew best—I worked harder. I took on more, and traveled further, trying to drown out the gnawing questions. But no matter how fast I moved, they only grew louder. Until one day, I stopped running. Exhausted and unwilling to ignore the truth any longer, I paused. I took a deep breath, and I asked myself: What do I want?

Stepping Off the Corporate Treadmill

The answer was unexpected. I realized that money, while important, no longer held the same power over me. I had reached a point where my financial security was no longer tethered to a job. But the question that haunted me was this: Could I walk away from the life I had built, from the identity I had cultivated over 23 years? Could I let go of the routine, the status, the certainty?

As my final day at work approached, I was filled with excitement and dread. The farewell parties were bittersweet, but when the moment came, I walked out with tears and a weight lifted from my shoulders. I wasn’t sure what lay ahead, but I knew it was time to find out.

The Road to Rediscovery

I didn’t dive into another job. Instead, I embraced a long-held dream. I bought a vibrant yellow Royal Enfield and hit the open road. I rode to places that stirred my soul, places that made me feel alive in a way the corporate world never had. Getting onto my ‘manjakilli’ was like a dream re-lived. Not feeling upbeat, go for a ride. Feeling upbeat, go for a ride. My maiden solo ride is an unforgettable experience I will hold close to my heart. When the breeze hit my face I felt energized and a feeling of calm set in. Stopping by at ‘tattukadas’ on highways to satiate my food-hungry soul was an experience in itself. As I rode by the coastal line am blessed to have near me, I have time and again witnessed young lovers holding hands and enjoying the sunrises and sunsets, migratory birds on the backwaters, queues in front of the elaneerwala’s undhuwandi, children playing on d beaches, fishermen with their nets and early morning catch and many many more. Most importantly, I saw the daily mundane life through a new pair of lenses that kept reminding me that life indeed is beautiful. I have also spent time tending to my little balcony garden, my little green space nurturing life in a way that nurtured me in return. For the first time in decades, I allowed myself to simply be—without a title, without a schedule, without a plan.

And you know what? The world didn’t end. I didn’t spiral into an identity crisis, as I had feared. Instead, I found clarity. I discovered that the person I was outside the office was someone I actually liked—a person who could find joy in simplicity, peace in stillness, and fulfillment in the pursuit of a life that felt genuinely mine.

Choosing a New Path

Leaving the corporate world wasn’t the end of my story; it was the beginning of a new chapter. I didn’t jump at the next lucrative offer that came my way. Instead, I chose to chart my own course as an entrepreneur. Life still has its challenges, but now they’re challenges I embrace on my own terms.

What made my journey a meaningful one was the support I found in my family and a handful of friends. They were the true wind beneath my wings.

Looking back, taking that leap was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. I’ve traded the comfort of a corner office for the freedom of the open road, and I’ve never felt more alive. For the first time, I’m not just living—I’m truly living my dream.