From Burnout to Breakthrough: How a Solo Journey Across Asia and Europe Sparked a Thriving Aromatherapy Startup

Cassi Zheng felt completely drained in her late 20s. As a brand director at a sports-drink startup in Shanghai, she was speaking to over 30 people daily, dealing with chronic pain, constant fatigue, and even panic attacks. In February 2023, at age 29, she made a bold decision: she quit her job without telling her parents, aiming to enter her 30s with a clearer sense of purpose.

Cassi Zheng felt burned out in her 20s, prompting her to quit her job and travel across Asia and Europe.

Initially, the sudden freedom felt panic-inducing. "I was so used to running around, talking to people, and being needed," she recalls. But she quickly turned to physical activities—biking across Shanghai and kayaking—which left her exhausted yet energized.

Embracing Friendships and Solo Exploration

Zheng spent her first year traveling across Asia with friends. Japan, where she had been practicing Reiki, felt like a natural first stop. Temples and traditional inns in Tokyo and Kyoto sparked something within her, making her want to return alone.

She kept moving: Bangkok's flea markets reminded her of her childhood in Guangzhou, and she rang in the New Year on Jeju Island with old friends. But it was her solo trips that truly transformed her.

Zheng went on several solo trips to Japan during her break.

On New Year's Day, she flew to Kyoto for her first true solo trip. Spending her 30th birthday alone in Tokyo, sick with the flu, she wandered the Nezu Museum's gardens. "The quiet design reminded me to notice what's present, instead of what's missing," she says. She returned to Japan twice more that year, meditating alone in the mountains.

A year and a half after quitting, she spent three weeks in Europe. In Sicily, she met a local man during a hike; despite language barriers, they connected, and she later visited his café. "Sicily felt open and passionate—a contrast to Shanghai's intensity," she notes.

A year and a half after quitting, she spent three weeks in Europe.

Finding Emotional Freedom

By late last year, Zheng had started work on a new project but joined a five-day water-immersion course in Bali. The experience was intense—somatic dance in the ocean, learning to let the body speak. She began crying without knowing why and felt ashamed, but the teacher encouraged her not to hide. "With an East Asian upbringing, that was incredibly freeing," she shares. "I cried for two days, overwhelmed by release."

This gap year helped her loosen her reliance on external validation from bosses, parents, and goal-driven metrics. "I could count the trips or the solo days, but none of that defines me," she reflects.

Zheng driving a boat in Lake Como, Italy.

Launching a New Venture

On her 30th birthday, Zheng finally told her parents about her gap year and the aromatherapy brand she was starting with a friend. They were shocked but came around after seeing her business plan and prototypes. "Even now, when I visit them a few hours outside Shanghai, they enjoy talking about metrics and the future of my company," she says.

She and her friend launched Aurawell in May 2024, just over a year after she left her job. They first got the word out by leading a public meditation in an underground performance space.

"Taking a gap year was one of the wisest decisions I've made," Zheng concludes. "It gave me time to slow down, reflect on my choices, and discover what I actually enjoy, without pressure from the outside world."