Testimonials

Quality of Life Priority Number One
Friday, June 7th, 2013

After his five month career break with his now wife, Matt Goudreau sees how that time helped them set both their life and work priorities.

Matt Goudreau

It all started on New Years Day 2009. After two months of dating, my ladyfriend Shara and I made an impromptu decision to celebrate our upcoming birthdays in London and Paris, which would be my first big international trip.

So, one month later, we went. We ate, drank, saw the sights – loving every second of it. You could say we caught the “travel bug.” At that point we had a similar revelation: we were merely content with our jobs; the word “happy” was never used. She being 29, me 31, and both kid-free, we thought it was the ideal time to take a leap. Like many other dreamers, we wanted to leave our jobs and travel the world. Easy decision, tougher reality.

We spent March and April figuring out how we could actually do this (i.e. budget), where we would potentially go, length of trip, and what would we do when we returned. After much research, we decided with great excitement to make the leap; however, we figured we’d need the next 8 months to work the details out.

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Travel: Finding a New Future
Thursday, April 25th, 2013

As former workaholics it had taken decades for us to find ourselves in a fairly unique position. We were financially quite well-off, we both enjoyed successful and rewarding careers with the free added bonus of exhaustion and stress. We weren’t millionaires, but as quite a frugal couple, we’d never squandered our hard earned cash on opulent apparel, but we did splash out on vacations and new cars now and again.

 

We’d paid off the mortgage on our main home, purchased a vacation property overseas, we dined out most evenings of the week, and had all the latest gadgets and gizmos.  We had everything that the world associates with a happy, successful couple. There was one big problem; it really didn’t satisfy us.

We wanted to travel the world, and we were in our late 30s and early 40s, so the clock was ticking.  We were far too young to afford to retire for life, but could we turn our back on everything we’d worked so hard to accumulate and give it a go for a while?

Planning to take a Career Break Took Too Long

We spent over three years researching and looking into the possibility of how to make this a reality. Logically (that’s the logic of our past consumer world) said it just didn’t make sense for us to walk away from our high income jobs. The economy was in freefall, and getting back into the market after the trip would be near impossible. Then a whole series of further doubts and reasons not to make the jump came.

What about family and friends? Could we leave them for so long would we miss them too much?

What if we couldn’t live out of a backpack for months on end?

Would we miss our home comforts?

What if we get ill?

What if we get robbed?

These are just a small sample of the endless questions and doubts we wrestled with while holding firmly on to our dream of traveling long term.  In the end we found answers to all of these questions on sites like this and from other travel bloggers who had already made the leap and were sharing their experiences.

Travel Risks Vs Rewards

So we took the risk, quit our jobs in 2011, and started de-cluttering of our lives.

Clearing the house and our lives of possessions was liberating and at times a little sad. After 20 years together, some of the things we had to say farewell triggered fond memories. But in a way we now know we were just making lots of room for the countless new memories that would replace them on our trip.

We sold the cars and other things that we no longer needed, sorted all our files and paperwork, and made them available on-line so that we could access everything on the road.  We rented our home out and finally wrote a will (just in case).  We then said an emotional goodbye to family, friends, and work colleagues.  There was no turning back now, and we were excited (and also a little apprehensive) as we departed, in December 2011, to catch a flight to Australia.

We’ve been traveling ever since, and the trip has been the most amazing and fulfilling experience we have had together.  Experiencing so much each week, it’s difficult to express everything we’ve learned about us as a couple and individually, as we are still learning and changing.

Freedom to Travel Long-Term

Currently we’re living off our savings and rental income from our home, and plan to do so for a good while yet as we travel on a low-cost ‘flashpacking’ budget.  We will begin to think about working to fund our travels in the future, though not just yet.

We no longer measure success in terms of monetary wealth. We appreciate that there are few certainties in life (other than birth and death), so we are doing the best we can to fill the space between these with new experiences.  We have no regrets about what we have done. There are things and comforts from home we miss occasionally, but those emotions are fleeting as another experience smacks us in the face and reminds us how truly lucky we are.

Regrets About Leaving Our Home Behind?

We wish we’d started this journey sooner and not spent so many years trying to analyze the consequences. We initially intended to spend just a couple of years traveling around the world; however, our long-term plan is now to live a location independent life, picking up work when and where we can find it. Do we know how we are going to do that?  Not yet, but we have plenty of ideas, and we will look at them in more detail soon.

There is so much more we want to explore that we no longer want to return to the lives we once had, and also realize that you don’t need to win the lottery to do this. We’ve met many people of all ages and backgrounds who have very little in either savings or income, yet they still manage to fulfill their desire to travel by working temporarily in all manner of jobs around the world, and then using this cash to pay for their next adventure.

We have learned as the trip has progressed that things often work out better if you don’t rush them. The future comes every day, so if you miss today’s opportunity, another will be along tomorrow.

To find out more about people who left their jobs to travel, check out the following articles:

In 2011 Craig and John sold off most of their belongings, quit their jobs, and set off around the world.  They bought a one way ticket to Australia and have been heading west across the globe ever since. Their blog features destination travel advice and tips for the older long term traveler.  They travel in what they call the flashpacking style, avoiding shared dorms and bathrooms at all costs.  Their posts are accompanied with some great travel photography featuring the architecture, cultural treats, and people they meet on their travels.  They blog about their journey at flashpackatforty, or you can follow them on Facebook and Twitter

A Life Changing Year Ends Full-Circle
Monday, April 25th, 2011

After losing her job and spiraling into debt, Abby Tegnelia found herself living in a small Costa Rica village for a year. It was the life change she needed to recharge and fall in love with her career all over again.

Tico, Costa Rica

The logistics of how I ended up living in a small pueblo in Costa Rica for a year were a happy accident, one small step that led to another, leading me to the life change that I so desperately needed. I had been a workaholic. But that lifestyle started to wear on me, leaving me impatient and unhappy, confused as to why the magazine career I had always wanted had left me wound so tight, yet empty.

I lost my job in October 2008, and my world seemingly ended. Like so many other career-focused men and women, I had let my identity forge itself to my career. I was my title. And then it was gone.

It was a long time before I could get out of my lease and put a stop to my expensive bills in Los Angeles. I dove into debt, something I’d worked so hard to never do. Still, I did not reach out to every contact I had or pound the pavement looking for a job.

If I had, I would have restarted the same life that I so needed to pull away from. Sure, I freelanced to make money, but I also cried a lot during marathons of CSI. Then my TV broke. No one said change was easy.

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Past Career Breaker Voices
Wednesday, November 10th, 2010

On Monday we shared some inspiring feedback we’ve received from recent career breakers, so we felt like it was a good time to look back and revisit some of our past career breakers. For those new to the site, you may not have heard their inspiring stories yet!

ANGIE KALOUSEK
[singlepic=1409,175,,,right]Angie Kalousek shares with us how choosing to take a “Leap of Faith” and venture off on a two-month career break in Europe affected her life.

Prior to my career break, I had traveled quite a bit, which I suspect is what gave me the bug. I’d spent time in most countries of Europe, Russia, Chile, Thailand, Israel, Australia and Costa Rica…and of course the more proximate Canada and Mexico. I also have visited roughly half of our 50 states…but I don’t really consider that traveling.

I think the past experience traveling was really beneficial in that I knew how to “tone down” my American-ness…which goes a long way with the locals. Always be gracious by learning at least a few phrases in the local language – and smile a lot. I would have to say that as much as my previous travel prepared me for my trip, corporate life did little to prepare me. Maybe that was why I was going – to learn something new.

Angie Kalousek Continued

REBECCA ZANATTA
[singlepic=1454,200,,,right]In 2006 my husband and I sold our house in Chicago; quit our jobs; hung up our tailored suits; and spent eight months on an adventure of a lifetime. We backpacked (only three pairs of shoes) and limited ourselves to one 14kg backpack each. We traversed 25 countries on four continents that included 25 flights, 46 bus rides, 12 boat trips, 11 trains, and multiple other modes of transportation including a pedi-cab my husband peddled himself in India and a donkey in Petra. Our journey allowed us an opportunity to see parts of the world many don’t ever have the opportunity to see. I couldn’t even spell Uzbekistan let alone tell you where it was located before our trip!

Rebecca Zanatta Continued

DOMINIQUE DORON
[singlepic=1476,175,,,right]Dominique Doron took a 2-month career break in the beginning of 2009. She shares with us how she adapted to life in Ghana and how it became a reaffirming experience for her.

ADAPTING TO A NEW CULTURE
I was somewhat prepared for the cultural differences of an undeveloped country, but hadn’t thought about how it would affect the passing of time, being productive, and general organization. Getting places took forever, mail and packages often weren’t received, taking a child to a doctor’s appointment meant waiting in line all day, and various tribal languages made for difficult communication, even in an English-speaking country.

I was also surprised by how oppressively hot it was. I prefer warm, tropical climates, but I wasn’t prepared for the unusually high heat and humidity and how it would affect my energy and mood. The people were very friendly and welcoming, but I was surprised by how resistant they were to progressive or westernized ideas.

I was most surprised by how quickly and easily I adapted to a new culture. I expected the transition to bucket showers, no indoor plumbing, and rice three times a day to be frustrating. However, I quickly learned to embrace the differences, while being creative and resourceful.

Dominique Doron Continued

4SUITCASES
[singlepic=1487,250,,,right]In June of 2009, Marc and Danielle Hoffmeister completed a 9-month trip through the Caribbean, South America, the South Pacific and Asia with their daughters Hannah (11) and Olivia (8) – which they chronicled on their travel blog: 4Suitcases. They took the time from readjusting to life back in Texas to answer some of our questions about their experience.

What made you decide to take a career break and travel with your family?
Danielle: There wasn’t any one thing in particular, it was more of a gradual realization that our secure and stable life wasn’t completely fulfilling.

Marc: Yeah, we were definitely stuck in a rut. I realized I was spending way too much of my time driving in traffic or staring at a computer screen and not enough with my family. The kids were in a rut, too – spending too much time at school doing mindless busy work or preparing for tests and not enough time really learning and growing. I decided something drastic had to be done!

4Suitcases Continued

AMANDA PRESSNER
[singlepic=1587,275,,,right]Amanda Pressner is one of The Lost Girls, three twenty-something New Yorkers who ditched their media jobs in 2006 to embark on a yearlong, round-the-world journey in search of adventure and inspiration. Amanda shares with us how she found self-fulfillment not through a successful career but through travel. You can read about her adventures with Jen and Holly on their blog, The Lost Girls, as well as their book The Lost Girls: Three Friends. Four Continents. One Unconventional Detour Around the World. which was released in May 2010.

I can still remember staring at a bizarre, other-worldly reflection of myself as I zipped up the skirt on a black Ann Taylor sale-rack suit just before heading out the door for my first-ever internship interview. My hair had been yanked into some sort of severe French twist and I was wearing matching black pumps that I probably thought made me look older and more professional. Realistically, I probably looked like I was my way to a funeral.

Perhaps to some degree, I was.

Back then, as my teens were transitioning to my twenties, I simply assumed that becoming an adult meant the death of childhood, a sacrifice which would require me to toss out the flip-flops and frayed jeans I’d worn growing up in Florida and totally abandon my carefree ways of being. No longer would I ditch class to hit the beach with my girlfriends, watch sunsets over the rim of a rum runner and sneak back home just as morning rush hour was starting for somebody else. Now was the time for me to dive into that very rat race, to begin a new the chapter of my life. It was time to get a real job.

Amanda Pressner Continued

DAVID LEE
[singlepic=1654,250,,,right]David Lee’s path to a life of travel started with a job layoff. And after spending 20 months on the road, David is still keeping the travel spirit alive through GoBackpacking, MedellinLiving, and Travel Blog Success. He shares with us his career break experience, including some great preparation advice.

What made you decide to take a career break?
My first unofficial career break occurred after a layoff. I suddenly had the free time to reflect on how I’d lived in my early 20’s, and spent my money. I realized backpacking was not a part of those years, and committed to making my next job a means to travel around the world. Ultimately, I chose to save money to spend on experiences, rather than material wealth or a new home.

What was your travel experience like prior to your break?
Aside from family trips when I was younger, my first backpacking trip abroad was a Summer spent in Europe after college graduation. I started off with a few of my best friends, and when they went home after just a few weeks, I stuck around to explore on my own, developing a newfound sense of independence and self-reliance in the process.

David Lee Continued

Career Breaker Voices
Monday, November 8th, 2010

When we launched Briefcase to Backpack, our content was mainly our own personal career break stories and experiences. A year and a half later, we are proud that much of our content is using other people’s voices. Little did we know that there were so many career breakers on the road and that those numbers continue to grow.

We realize that there are probably many more career breakers out there, yet unless they’ve kept a blog or website on their travels, it’s hard for us to know who they are – and they may not realize that we are out here as well. But the recent article in The New York Times changed that, and we are thankful!

Here are a few comments we received from career breakers past and present:

“Congratulations on the Career Break mention in the NYT. I attended the event recently in Toronto. I just wish I could have harnessed the energy in that room.

My family (amazing wife and 3 great children ages 6, 9, and 11) had just returned from an Around The World 37 country, 41 flight adventure lasting 322 days. It was a career break of immense proportions. After losing my job July 31st, 2009 we departed on September the 3rd with a world map, a lap top and a curiosity to explore the world.  We met people who shared their lives with us.  We experienced places that we’ll never forget.  And we enjoyed things that changed our lives.

Never Stop Exploring (Borrowed from my North Face back pack), whatever the world has to offer you.”

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Notes From a Briefcase
Monday, October 25th, 2010

Steve Bamberger, a proud Briefcase, recognizes the value of unplugging – if even for a week.

When Sherry, my friend of twelve years, launched her company Briefcase to Backpack with Michaela Potter, I immediately latched onto the name. I took the two new-ish business partners up to Sonoma for some wine tasting and declared myself a proud, unrepentant Briefcase. “Me Briefcase, you Backpack” entered the vernacular alongside “Me Tarzan, You Jane.”

[singlepic=1893,300,,,right]You see, I like being a Briefcase. I see my share of places on business, and my travel (often at company expense) has afforded me glimpses of places around our country and around the world. I have accumulated passport stamps from (A)ustralia to New (Z)ealand and Brazil, Canada, China, the Czech Republic, Fiji, France, Greece, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Korea, the Netherlands, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, the UK, and Vanuatu in between. I have climbed the Great Wall, seen the Western Wall, and hit the Wall at pubs in Ireland. I have eaten fried shrimp on the Bayou in Monroe, Louisiana, savored grilled shrimp where Bill Clinton used to eat lunch in Little Rock, Arkansas, and munched shrimp cocktail in a skybox at Yankee Stadium. So while I may spend my Type A life working for the man, I am not by any means a resident of cubeville.

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One Career Break Inspires Another
Monday, June 7th, 2010

[singlepic=1799,250,,,right]Brian Setzer experienced his first career break in 2006, taking a leave of absence from his job to travel for a year. That break inspired him to take yet another one four years later, this time leaving his job. He’s now riding his motorcycle around the US before heading overseas. He is documenting his current travels on Bike and Boots.

What motivated you to go on a career break the first time in 2006?
In 2005 I went a on a Grand Canyon rafting trip with my dad. One of the guides went to New Zealand to travel and work for their summer. It got me to thinking how cool that would be. After returning from the trip the concept kept coming back to me. I found Bootsnall.com a month later and realized that there were other people, including Americans, who took career breaks or even left corporate jobs altogether. Upon realizing that I wasn’t alone, the dream that was forming of taking a break to travel started to become more concrete. I wavered between quitting or asking for a year leave of absence. Ultimately, I realized I liked the company I was with and thought that a year trip would be enough.

How did you approach asking for a leave of absence to travel? What advice would you give to others?
[singlepic=1798,300,,,right]My career break started July 1 and I asked for the leave sometime in March. I had planned to wait a little bit longer, but received a call about a potential promotion (and move) before I asked to take a leave. My boss and I were close so I told him about the offer, which he knew about, and that I had planned to ask for a LOA in a few weeks. After his initial surprise he could see how the leave was for me personally and not about my job. His opinion was that if the offer was there now, it would come around again later, and that I should do what was best for me. I agreed and after declining to be interviewed for the promotion submitted my request for a one-year leave of absence.

As for advice, I think that talking to my boss first helped so that I could explain where I was coming from instead of handing him a letter out of the blue. He wasn’t the one who was going to make the decision regarding if the LOA would be approved, but it was nice to have him on my side early on. I didn’t know about anyone asking for something like this before and didn’t know how it would go over. To my surprise it was very smooth. Within a week our VP of Operations said that he couldn’t say exactly what I would be doing when I came back, but that they would find a job for me. After a few calls and emails from HR it was all setup.

You said in your website that things didn’t go exactly as planned on your first career break. What obstacles did you run into and how did you overcome them?
Yes, I wasn’t referring to the normal itinerary changes that always appear with a big trip, this was health related.

My plan was to spend 3 months traveling in the US driving Oklahoma – Illinois – Oregon – California and then 9 months around the Pacific and SE Asia. Two months into my trip I woke up in the middle of the night and could barely move. I had a severe pain in my back that appeared out of nowhere. After trying to crawl my way around for a couple days I knew I needed help. I drove to my sister’s in Portland and a week later flew to San Diego where my parents lived.

After getting an MRI I was put into the hospital to treat an infection in my spine. At that point I was using a walker to do what little moving I could and was simply relived that they found something they could work on. I was in the hospital for two of the next four weeks and on a six week IV antibiotic treatment after that to get rid of the infection. No one ever figured out what it was or how it got there, but they were able to get rid of it. After that was 6 weeks of physical therapy to return my range of motion.

[singlepic=1801,300,,,right]I was ok in early December and went to Australia with my family for three weeks as a test. (They had already bought tickets to meet me on my trip for two weeks at Christmas.) Once that trip went well I came back and bought a ticket to SE Asia for the remainder of my time off. In all I lost about most of 5 months of my year off.

I’ll also quickly mention that I have Ulcerative Colitis which is similar to Chron’s Disease. I knew that going into my trip and chose to do it anyway. In preparation, I had stockpiled medicine ahead of time as best I could. Mainly though, I have learned to listen to my body and know when to back off. Having chronic (and unplanned) illnesses are something that can be dealt with to travel.

I’ve been involved in the travel community since 2005 and can’t remember anyone coming back saying they regret it. Usually the question is, “when can I do it again?”

Upon returning to the US, what was the most challenging thing about returning to your job?
I ended up coming back to the promotion at a different location. Simply moving up would have been a challenge on it’s own, but this was a job situation that was by far the most difficult I’ve ever been in. I was immediately working long stressful hours just to get by. A far cry from how I’d spent the previous year.

Oddly, one of the hardest parts for me was getting all of the policies and procedures back into my head. After not thinking about them for a year they tend to get a little fuzzy. I’d be in a conversation with my boss and he was taking those things for granted before moving onto other issues. Identifying and troubleshooting problems at the new plant was actually easier to dive into since each of them are looked at uniquely and you aren’t relying on a set of rules on how to proceed.

What things did you learn on the road that you applied to your career?
[singlepic=1797,250,,,right]I learned a lot about how to give orders that could be followed and asking critical questions. When you’re on the road most of the tour guides, hosteliers, etc are dealing with a new group of people everyday and aren’t always concerned about your personal experience. As I picked up on this I became pickier about who I chose to provide my services. I tried to be clear about what I was expecting from a tour or room and find out if what that is what they provided. I’m a very laid back person and I wasn’t doing this as the ugly American. I was mainly trying to find out if what they were going to do anyway is what I was after. There are always going to be changes and the unexpected, that’s part of the joys of seeing the world. Still it developed my abilities to know how to give clear directions and ask questions to find out the information I needed.

Now you’ve decided to take off again, did you prepare differently for this break? What motivated you to do this again, this time cutting ties from your job?

This time was very different. Instead of thinking that a year break would be enough to see what I wanted to, I am accepting that my travel bug is really a flu and trying to incorporate that into my life going forward, whatever that brings. I also own a house this time, which I am still trying to sell – anyone interested?

If I return to a career it will be closer to friends and family where I haven’t lived for a long time. That is a long ways down the road though.

[singlepic=1800,225,,,right]You are actually taking the first part of your break and traveling through the US via motorcycle. What has been the most surprising thing so far on your journey?
This trip is just getting going, but I really enjoyed New Mexico. I love open spaces and natural beauty. Deserts are very subtle – they make you slow down to find pockets of color and hidden wonders. In two weeks I saw so much – Carlsbad Caverns, the International UFO Museum, White Sands NM, Native American Ruins and Rock Art, Santa Fe, Los Alamos, great stuff.

Any advice you can give someone who is considering asking for a leave of absence for a career break?
Put yourself first. Decide what’s important to you and then find a way to make it happen. I find travel rewarding and enriching so that’s the path I chose to follow. I’ve been involved in the travel community since 2005 and can’t remember anyone coming back saying they regret it. Usually the question is, “when can I do it again?” Each situation is going to be different about how much time should you give or how long to go for. Once you’re moving towards an end you desire you’ll find a way to deal with the challenges that appear.

Enjoy your break and I hope to see you out there!

You can find Brian Setzer
on the road at
BikeandBoots | Facebook | Twitter

Barbara & Elizabeth Pagano’s Sailing Sabbatical
Wednesday, March 3rd, 2010

[singlepic=1664,250,,,right]Barbara Pagano & Elizabeth Pagano are the mother-daughter team behind yourSABBATICAL – a firm that partners with businesses to deploy programs that attract, retain and accelerate top talent through the use of highly planned and structured leaves of absences. In 2001, they took their own leave of absence during a 6-month sailing sabbatical that set them on a new course for their lives. “Our sabbatical has had lasting effects. Today, our business partnership thrives, in part, because of our co-captaining experience.” Here they share with us the importance of that sabbatical.

What made you decide to take a sabbatical?
Each of us had different reasons. For me, life was good – but predictable. I had been successful in my career, had a nice home and marriage; yet I wanted to put myself in a challenging situation to “see if I could do it.” My daughter, Elizabeth, was in her mid-30s and had a string of life and career questions stretching in front of her. She hoped that time away might offer clarity… and maybe even answers.

What were you doing beforehand career-wise?
As an executive coach to leaders worldwide, I was busy with corporate client initiatives on leadership and developing a reputation as a facilitator and speaker. Elizabeth was a newspaper reporter before spending a few years working for her father’s manufacturing business.

What was your sailing experience like prior to your break?
This question always makes us laugh! We had sailed for 15+ years as second-mates and galley queens with my husband, Herb. We’d never handled a boat alone and certainly never sailed at night. So, Elizabeth went to a week of sailing school in Key West, and I went to navigation school (and flunked the test).

We practiced docking for a couple of days and watched the mechanic change the engine oil once. Seriously, we weren’t very experienced, and we knew we’d learn a lot along the way. But we had confidence in our ability to learn quickly, and we promised people we’d make good decisions. We put a whole lot of books on “bad weather sailing” and “boat systems” onboard, just in case!

Desire outranks skill and experience. If you really want to do something, you’ll learn what you need to know.

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David Lee – Realizing a Dream
Monday, January 25th, 2010

[singlepic=1654,250,,,right]David Lee’s path to a life of travel started with a job layoff. And after spending 20 months on the road, David is still keeping the travel spirit alive through GoBackpacking, MedellinLiving, and  Travel Blog Success. He shares with us his career break experience, including some great preparation advice.

What made you decide to take a career break?
My first unofficial career break occurred after a layoff. I suddenly had the free time to reflect on how I’d lived in my early 20’s, and spent my money. I realized backpacking was not a part of those years, and committed to making my next job a means to travel around the world. Ultimately, I chose to save money to spend on experiences, rather than material wealth or a new home.

What was your travel experience like prior to your break?
Aside from family trips when I was younger, my first backpacking trip abroad was a Summer spent in Europe after college graduation. I started off with a few of my best friends, and when they went home after just a few weeks, I stuck around to explore on my own, developing a newfound sense of independence and self-reliance in the process.

The knowledge that I was about to do something amazing always trumped my fears.

What were some of the ways you prepared for this new experience? Were there any experiences from your corporate life that helped you in the preparation process?
As I’d been backpacking for a few months before, I knew how it worked to travel by way of hostels and guidebooks, so I didn’t have to prepare too much. In 2005 and 2006 I took short trips to Costa Rica and Belize to stay motivated for the bigger trip around the world which began in late 2007.

I used my experience with Microsoft Excel at work to create a few spreadsheets using Google Docs to track both my pre-trip “to-do” list and budget, along with my actual costs once I hit the road. By posting my plans online, I was able to ask for feedback on my budget and itinerary in the BootsnAll message boards.

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Amanda Pressner – Losing Myself on the Road
Monday, November 30th, 2009

[singlepic=1587,275,,,right]Amanda Pressner is one of The Lost Girls, three twenty-something New Yorkers who ditched their media jobs in 2006 to embark on a yearlong, round-the-world journey in search of adventure and inspiration. Amanda shares with us how she found self-fulfillment not through a successful career but through travel. You can read about her adventures with Jen and Holly on their blog, The Lost Girls, as well as their book The Lost Girls: Three Friends. Four Continents. One Unconventional Detour Around the World. which was released in May 2010.

I can still remember staring at a bizarre, other-worldly reflection of myself as I zipped up the skirt on a black Ann Taylor sale-rack suit just before heading out the door for my first-ever internship interview. My hair had been yanked into some sort of severe French twist and I was wearing matching black pumps that I probably thought made me look older and more professional. Realistically, I probably looked like I was my way to a funeral.

Perhaps to some degree, I was.

Back then, as my teens were transitioning to my twenties, I simply assumed that becoming an adult meant the death of childhood, a sacrifice which would require me to toss out the flip-flops and frayed jeans I’d worn growing up in Florida and totally abandon my carefree ways of being. No longer would I ditch class to hit the beach with my girlfriends, watch sunsets over the rim of a rum runner and sneak back home just as morning rush hour was starting for somebody else. Now was the time for me to dive into that very rat race, to begin a new the chapter of my life. It was time to get a real job.

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Career Break Guide Table of Contents

Meet Plan Go