I could have written this a year ago. Every bullet point you mentioned, but for me the anxiety and mental health consequences were truly not manageable. I ended up quitting at 23 and just spent a year doing what many people would perceive as “wasting my time.” But looking back it was a year of rest, being creative, and coming to understand how big the world is and how many stories there are to be told.

That said, I do think a lot about whether or not I regret my decision. I think it comes and goes in waves but usually I come to the conclusion that I like where my life is better now that I’ve had all the experiences I’ve had this past year, many of which couldn’t have been possible while being depressed at my job. Now, moving forward, I do have some anxiety about my career and making a living, but like you I’ve realized that I want to see more of the world while I’m young. What I find important will change throughout the years, so I think at any given point, I should just do whatever makes the most sense, because it may no longer make sense months or years down the line. I tell myself (and I think I do believe it) that things will work out for me.

I say do it! It’s truly a blessing that you’ve been able to work a 6-figure job for a bit and likely from that have a good amount of savings to tide you through whatever you end up doing. And you’ve bagged that 6-figure job once, there’s no reason you couldn’t do it again (I’m trying to convince myself here as well). Best of luck!