'Living death' was my dad's nickname for office work. Now I'm in my 40s — and I can see why.

Ariel Sophia Bardi

• Ariel Sophia Bardi was dealing with grief and was unhappy with her desk job.
• When the opportunity to travel to Algeria for her 40th birthday came up, she jumped at the chance.
• Her first solo reporting trip in four years convinced her to go back to freelance.

I was chest-deep in bathwater, listening to the sound of soapy foam popping. I'd timed the moment so that when the clock struck midnight ...