Escaping Normal

I’m Jake Heath, 26 years old and I was born in Joburg, South Africa as an only child in a middle-class family.

Growing up I lived what you could consider a very “normal” 1st world, middle class lifestyle. Had a small loving family, went to a normal state school, was put through university, had no major family traumas, owned a couple of cats and went on 1 or 2 small holidays a year.

Growing up I was always average at everything I did. I was a sportsman but I wasn’t the best. I didn’t fail but I was no academic. I had friends but wasn’t popular. I was in trouble at school but didn’t get expelled. No matter what I did, I always managed to achieve the highest level of normal possible.

As normal developed into my norm I eventually reached a point where normal didn’t excite me anymore. I didn’t just want to live a normal lifestyle – Wake up, ‘same shit’ different day normal lifestyle.

3 years ago in 2019, I decided to break free of the norm and embark on a solo adventure leaving normal behind – all friends, family and everything I know.

In those 3 years since leaving and taking into account a year-long pandemic I’ve travelled to 10 different countries, had 3 different jobs, lived in 4 different cities, stayed in 7 different homes and met over 100 new friends – very not normal.

It’s 2022 and I’m a top achiever at a large London company, earning a more than normal salary allowing me to experience more than normal things…

Things are starting to feel a little too normal again. I’m surrounded by comfort, safety and bad habits all which drains the mind of creativty and peak performance.

Normality is kicking in – an adventure is on the horizon and I want to take you with me…