We recently had one of our participants in our Career Break Basic Training Community have this reaction to planning a career break:

Please someone tell me I am doing the right thing. I know I am but I am second-guessing everything right now. Why you ask?! I literally just booked my international flights ten minutes ago. Why this is freaking me out has me beside myself. It’s not like this was the first step of my planning process. I have gotten all of my vaccinations, I have bought my rucksack and have started to fill it, I have already put money down on a hotel (oh, a hotel!) to meet friends halfway through my trip and I booked an internal flight within Chile…yet booking my international flight scared the absolute crap out of me!? WHAT? WHY? HELP!

This is pretty typical Career Break terror that many feel when contemplating or planning.

I recently came across this video by one of my favorite actors, Edward Norton, who one would think should be more confident in his ability than ever. But he speaks instead about fear and terror in his profession that never goes away and how to deal with it.

I thought about his interview about fear in acting applies to fear in taking a career break and traveling. I agree with so much of what he says so it’s worth putting it in those career break terms.

It is 100% certain that your decision to take a break to travel will feel completely half-baked and you will think you will fail at it.

Everyone goes through this when contemplating a big change in his or her life; especially when you are taking a road less traveled. The fears might appear in the form of a constant state of irritation, it may be panic attacks (like our training class participant!) , or it may tears. But if you don’t push through those fears of failure, then you’ll never make change in your life. Change means fear. Change means potential failure. But always remember that change is good and necessary to grow.

People will tell you that your plan won’t work.

People will also tell you to work your butt off until you are 65 and then live your life. If you think that’s the answer, then fine, believe the people that tell you it won’t work. But seriously – when did you start listening to what others tell you to do? You are no longer a kid or a young adult. You can make your own decisions, take your own risks, and craft your own life. Make sure that you surround yourself with people who think it will work and thinks it’s a damn good idea!

As Edward Norton points out, “Getting used to that sensation of fear is a good thing. Get to a point where you realize you are in ‘that’ phase where you feel like you are sweating off three t-shirts a day because you are about to go off the side of a cliff. But you realize you can always buy more t-shirts.”

The key is to get used to the sensation of fear. Because this won’t be the first time on this career break journey that you will encounter it. In fact, know that this is only the beginning. There is inherent fear in traveling, fear in being alone, fear that you will get sick, fear that you will be robbed, fear that you are lost, fear that you are running out of money, and in a cruel twist – you will even have fear in returning to your home when the break is finished. Anticipate and embrace the inevitable sensation of fear. It’s not easy, but it must be done to get anywhere. You’ve been doing it your whole life from the first day you went to school, to the first time you dove off of the high dive at the swimming pool, why can’t you do it now? Don’t balk at the sensation of fear – push through it.

The good news is that as I type this – our career break training participant has started her career break! She pushed through and she’s having the time of her life now.

Will you let fear stop you?

Lacey Laken has been “on the road” since September 2011 and so far her career break has taken her to Spain, Morocco, Italy (where she lived with a family for six weeks), Paris, London, Kenya, Tanzania and is now in India. She plans to be traveling through the summer of 2012 and blogs about the food she encounters along the way. She shares with us what led to her decision to take a career break from a law career that she actually enjoyed.

I lived in New York City and worked as a corporate bankruptcy and restructuring lawyer during the four years leading up to my departure. Before that, I spent nearly six years living in Melbourne, Australia where I went to law school (and also received my bachelor of arts degree). Australia is where I first became attuned to the concept of taking a year “off” to travel, because it is such a common practice there. For various reasons I never considered doing it while I was a student, but it was an undertaking that I admired.

Lacey Laken in Italy

When I got a job as a lawyer in New York, I finished my studies early by taking summer classes and handing in assignments before the end of the semester to get to the U.S. in time to study for the bar exam. I suppose since then – June 2007 – I never paused; it was go, go, go for the next four years. During the financial crisis, I was fortunate to be employed in an area of law that was made very busy by the downfall of the economy.

One thing I always managed to do, despite how busy work could be, was to take my vacation time, which I mainly spent overseas. In those four years, I visited Belize, Peru, Israel, England, the Czech Republic, Austria, Turkey, Egypt, and also went back to Australia four times.

It was after I returned from Turkey and Egypt in July 2010 that I decided to take a career break. I suddenly became so aware that there was a whole world to see, and I would never be able to do it in four weeks per year maximum (a year is not long enough either, but at least it is a good start!). I also realized that it was important for me to pause to think about my future and make a conscious decision that I was doing what I wanted to do and living where I wanted to live, rather than continuing both out of habit. I know that many people do not have the opportunity to take a break to reflect, and because I did, I think it would have been a mistake if I had not taken advantage of it.

Leaving my job ended up being one of the hardest things I have ever done. It became clear to me how much I respect my colleagues, who are also my friends and mentors. Since I have been traveling, one of the biggest realizations I have had is that I do really like my job and where I worked. I am proud of the projects I worked on and hope I have the opportunity to do so again. It is also now very clear to me how much I love New York, which I was glad to confirm. Like I said, because I worked in a sometimes all consuming field, it was so easy to slip into a routine, without taking the time to step back and think about what I was doing; for that reason alone this trip has been worthwhile.

Over the course of a year, my itinerary slowly evolved. I started off by choosing the places I most wanted to visit in the near term that I had not been before (in particular, Spain, East Africa, Japan, and Russia) and structured the rest of the trip around those destinations. I have left some flexibility, but do have a skeletal international flight structure booked. This way, I keep moving but am also able to make new plans as I go if I have a new idea or am invited to go somewhere.

Anchovies in San Sebastian

One of my favorite things about travel (and living in New York) is finding and experiencing good food. I have been documenting my culinary experiences on my travel and food blog – 365bitesaroundtheworld. Before I left, I had actually decided I was not going to write a blog because I thought it would be a burden. Eventually, after many suggestions from friends, I changed my mind. I find there to be two challenges to keeping a blog – staying disciplined and keeping readers interested.

I chose to focus on food because it is something I already devote far too much attention to and a topic many people are curious about. In the end, 365bitesaroundtheworld has been a great project for me. It keeps me on my toes while traveling and it has been a great way to keep in contact with people. It will also provide a great record, beyond the scope of photographs, of my trip, which is something I probably would not have had the discipline to do otherwise.

Food is an obsession many travelers share. What has been your favorite meal on the road?

And here is some feedback from those who recently attended our events around North America.

Shaun Henderson
As a typical adolescent, Shaun’s imagination was boundless. As a teenager in 1980s era New Jersey, somehow the ocean inspired him. Searching for waves along the Jersey Shore and eastern United States is what first introduced Shaun to exploration. The roots of his passion for travel are part adventurous and part philosophical. Adventurous in the sense of exploring mountains, rivers, oceans and trails through various sports. Philosophical due to a growing interest in trying to understand how people develop their cultural identity. The rest of the story is a mixture of adventure travel, soul searching, and a long list of ridiculous jobs in faraway places.

The word ‘career’ was not part of Shaun’s vernacular until much later in life. Nor was the word ‘vacation’ for that matter. Instead, a book titled “Work Your Way Around The World”, by Susan Griffith served as his trail map. Consequently, Shaun has traveled extensively and worked a variety of jobs including guiding multi-day mountain bike tours, freelance illustrator, and hot air balloon chase crew. Unburdened by any singular mission in life, he was able to spend most of his second decade on planet earth seeking adventures, learning about new cultures, falling in and out of love, and living life to the fullest as any selfish, idealistic, privileged middle class citizen of a developed country should.

Nowadays, Shaun takes vacations. And he is no longer afraid of the word ‘career’. He still travels more often than most, and still has his life lists and wild dreams. Most of his journeys are still centered around some adventure or another. His knees hurt a bit more than they used to, but they still work. Currently, Shaun lives in Hawaii with his beautiful lilikoi vine and two loving fish.

Want to attend the Honolulu event?

Julie DuRose
When Julie quit her teaching gig at The Ohio State University to travel the world for a year, she let her appetite guide her. She shucked oysters at the Russian River; picked cranberries in the Arctic; tried stingray in Malaysia; ate jellyfish in Singapore (that was revenge); popped oven-roasted tarantulas in Cambodia, and ate fruit she’d never heard of – jackfruit, salak, rambutan, and the sexiest of all, the delicate mangosteen. All of it surprised her, as did the hospitality of her fellow humans. From Carmel to Anchorage to Kona, HI, throughout New Zealand, India, and S.E. Asia, she never imagined how many folks would be part of her extended travels – not to mention her life thereafter.

Julie DuRose is former chef and current M.F.A. candidate in nonfiction, currently writing a memoir entitled Wake Me For Meal Service. She lives in St. Paul, though she dreams of Myanmar.

Want to attend the Minneapolis event?

Charlotte Piper
Charlotte grew up in Canada, the United States and the UK. She believes international travel is an important educational experience and has prioritized it in her life. In May 2010, she left her corporate job in NYC to begin an open-ended, solo backpacking adventure. In 7 months, she made her way through 10 countries, mainly in South East Asia. Upon her return, Charlotte worked as business development manager at Wanderfly, a travel start-up based in NYC. She is currently developing a personal website of travel photos and journal entries.

Want to attend the New Orleans event?

Rita Foley
Rita is a co-author of the recently published book Reboot Your Life. Energize Your Life by Taking a Break. After her first sabbatical, in 1982, Rita changed careers and entered the burgeoning computer industry with Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC), where she held increasingly responsible positions over 17 years. Her sabbatical nine years ago, ended in another career change when she became President of MeadWestvaco’s $1B+ global consumer packaging business. Her most recent sabbatical led her into a portfolio career.

Today, Rita spends one third of her time serving on corporate boards, PetSmart and Dresser-Rand and leading Crenshaw Associates Board Director’s practice, one third on her passion — the nonprofit field where she has been chair of a microfinance organization, Pro Mujer, and serves as a trustee of Healthcare Chaplaincy and the final third on having fun which consists of lots of travel and delivering workshops and consulting on the topic of Rebooting.

Website: Reboot Break | Twitter: @RebootBreak

Want to attend the NYC event?

Ben Reed
Ben is an Orlando-based Travel Blogger that will try (almost) anything once. His travel blog, Adventures with Ben, encourages readers to do the same as they learn how to plan, explore and enjoy some of the world’s top destinations. Ben also hosts a weekly podcast about Florida Travel & Tourism called Florida Travel Cocktail – available for download on iTunes.

Ben’s travel expertise has been highlighted in FoxNews.com, FareCompare.com, and VISIT Florida – Florida’s official tourism portal. He also writes a monthly travel column for an Orlando-area newspaper and in 2009, was selected as one of five winners in a social media travel competition sponsored by the Tourism Authority of Thailand.

In addition to his writing, Ben launched the Central Florida Chapter of Travel Blog Exchange (TBEX) and operates an online travel store. Ben will never eat Jellyfish again and counts bungee jumping in front of Victoria Falls one adventure everyone should try… but he won’t do it again. And for the record, he planned his “Epic Trip to Australia” way before Oprah did.

Website: Adventures with Ben | Twitter: @adventureswben

Want to attend the Orlando event?

Kim Dinan
Kim & Brian moved to Oregon in their early twenties with $700 in their pockets, two dogs, a car, two spoons, two forks, two plates, a mini television, a bag each of clothing, and a few boxes of mementos. Five years later they’d built an entire life: married, bought a house, and filled the house with stuff. They’d climbed our way up our respective ladders and were earning good salaries.

Knowing that the 9-to-5-in-a-cubicle kind of life is not what their lives are for, they decided to “give it all up” to travel the world. Kim & Brian are in the middle of planning for their big trip departing in the next year.

Website: So Many Places | Twitter: @RTWsomanyplaces

Want to attend the Portland event?

Spencer Spellman
Spencer is a traveling writer and blogger, originally from North Carolina and outfitted with a fierce Southern drawl, who currently calls San Francisco home. While he has traveled around the world, Europe is his first love, a love that is sustained back home by micro brews, fish and chips, soccer and golf.

Spencer took a more non-traditional approach to his career break, choosing to use writing to support himself while traveling, instead of saving money to travel. This allowed him to travel indefinitely, spending most of his time road-tripping across the U.S. and living and traveling in Central America. When he arrived somewhere he didn’t want to leave, San Francisco, he decided to settle down until the road calls again.

Website: The Traveling Philosopher | Twitter: @spencerspellman

Want to attend the San Francisco event?

Ryan and Jen Fuller
Ryan and Jen are recovering management consultants who recently returned to the US after quitting their jobs, getting married and taking a six month career break in Argentina and Chile. Prior to hearing the term ‘career break’ they just called what they were doing ‘rehab.’ Since returning in Sept. of 2010, They have been getting reacquainted with real life in Seattle.

Website: Consulting Rehab

Want to attend the Seattle event?

Stephanie Sappington
In October 2006, Stephanie left with her family to go on a round-the-world backpacking trip. They traveled to 15 countries in 11 months and camped for a good part of the way. They took their 2 daughters, aged 12 and 14, whom they had been homeschooling. In fact, the main reason that they homeschooled was so they could travel more during the school year.

They called it The Ultimate Field Trip and got to view platypuses, koalas and kangaroos in the wilds of Australia, and hiked miles to see seals on the beaches of New Zealand. They learned a lot of history in the temples of SE Asia, where they got to pet wild tigers, and the cathedrals and castles of Europe. They read The Odyssey while cruising on Greek ferry boats, and worked on the Pythagorean Theorem while cruising from the Isle of Samos – which was the home of Pythagoras. If they had a chance to go again, they certainly would!

Want to attend the St. Louis event?

Rick Storey
The # 1 goal on Rick’s Bucket List was to travel the world for a year with his wife and three young children. They traveled to 36 countries in 11 months and returned a happier and closer family. Rick was between careers and his wife took a career break. They even coordinated schooling in two languages for their children.

Rick will share some of his adventures and experience, and answer your questions. He says: “the great news, it’s a lot easier than you may think!

Want to attend the Toronto event?

Kinnari Patel
Kinnari graduated from the University of Maryland in Physiology/Neurobiology. Before beginning med school, she took a year off to visit India, her homeland. This led to a decision not to pursue medicine and instead she went on to work in Internet technology for almost 10 years, for companies such as Marriott and Conde Nast Publications.

After surviving the rat race in NYC and the economic downturn in 2008 she left to travel the world. On her journey she explored Australia, New Zealand, France, Italy, Greece, Spain, Portugal, Ireland, Peru, Brazil, Argentina, Boliva, Chile. She also spent a month in Nepal volunteering at an orphanage and traveling through Tibet. She lives a spiritual life, practicing meditation and yoga, and believes in self realization and making life choices that fulfill your own personal truth.

Currently, Kinnari is the owner of Be Healthy Vending, a company that provides natural, healthy food options to schools and gyms in the DC metro area, a cause she is very proud of. And, as always, she continues to realize her bliss.

Want to attend the Washington DC event?

Check out all of our 17 event locations on October 18th!

Angela Petitt

“If not now, when?” Unable to shake the nagging desire to travel and live life to the fullest, Angela took a step of faith and quit her corporate IT job in August 2009 to go on sabbatical. In spite of being in the throes of the recession, she decided that she would rather take a chance on her dreams to see the world instead of continuing on in the ordinary daily grind. When she made the decision, Angela really had no clue what was next. But, a few days after her last day at work, she was on a plane to Italy! From that point on, she found herself on a different adventure every month!

Angela’s sabbatical has enabled her to enjoy new experiences such as playing golf, horseback riding, flying a small airplane, climbing the Great Wall in China, narrowly escaping the earthquake in Japan, zip lining in Cabo, cave diving in Punta Cana, and freezing with bone-chilling temperatures in Siberia. She has also traveled to Egypt, Israel, Greece, Colombia, Nicaragua, Germany, Turkey, Panama, and many other amazing destinations.

The adventure continues as she is currently pursuing her Doctor of Education in Organizational Leadership…but the travel definitely continues. When not traveling, Angela makes her home in Houston, Texas.

Website: Sabbatical Scapes | Twitter: @angelwings1723

Want to attend the Austin event?

Janet Riley

Janet is just returning from a career break year. Following a layoff from her programming job, Janet accepted a volunteer position at a children’s hospital in Siem Reap, Cambodia. Janet spent eight months working on a software project, and missed one of the snowiest Boston winters in memory. When not working, she visited Phnom Pehn, got her scuba certification in Sihanoukville, and visited Bangkok with other expats.

Shortly before leaving for Cambodia in September, Janet attended the first Meet, Plan, Go! in Boston. She entered the MPG raffle, and won the Conversation Corps prize donated by 2010 sponsor GeoVisions. The Conversation Corps program focuses on cultural exchange through English conversation practice with a host family. On the way home from Cambodia in June, Janet stayed with a family in Lyon, France. In addition to conversation practice, Janet got to attend a wedding, visit a first grade class, meet the family’s friends and relatives, and watch and discuss the fine points of the Simpsons, It was an invaluable chance to learn French and experience everyday life in another culture.

Website: Janet Riley

Want to attend the Boston event?

Keith Savage

Keith spent nearly eight years as a writer at a high-tech electronic medical health software company before trading it in for a shot at his passions: travel and writing. Though married and saddled with a mortgage, Keith and his wife Sarah refused to give up his professional happiness and plotted a course to make a new lifestyle work. After more than a year of strict budgets and hardcore saving, Keith was ready to take the plunge.

Since November 2010, Keith has spent one month in Argentina and two months in Scotland under the moniker Traveling Savage, where he blogs. Currently, Keith spends 3-4 months each year traveling around Scotland searching for the perfect dram of whisky and those unexpected liminal moments of transcendence. Otherwise, you can usually find him in Madison, Wisconsin catching up on his writing and enjoying a green smoothie.

Website: Traveling Savage | Twitter: @TravelingSavage

Want to attend the Chicago event?

Jim and Wendy Pearson

Jim and Wendy have been intrepid travelers since they married in 1997. A motorcycle adventurer at heart, Jim’s dual-sport escapades have taken him across Alaska, Central America and even the Australian outback. Wendy’s less dusty travels have landed her in place as diverse as Russia and Manila, Brazil and Singapore. Together and apart they’ve traveled the Americas and beyond, but each time with one pesky restriction: two week trip maximums.

After many years of feeling of being held hostage by their lifestyle of “live to work, work to live,” they decided to make a change. In November 2011, Jim and Wendy are leaving corporate America and embarking on a three-year around the world trip by road. They are packing up their 2006 Ford F550 camper, giving away all their belongings, renting out their house and taking their marketable skills on the road with their dog Neva. Not sure what they will find, they are taking stock in the fact that whatever it is will bring them happiness and growth.

Website: Global Road Trekker | Twitter: RoadTrekker

Want to attend the Denver event?

Diana Edelman

In 2010, Diana decided she needed a change. She was no longer satisfied with her career in public relations, she had always dreamed of traveling the world so, on March 7, 2010, that is exactly what she did. Diana put her belongings in storage, drove her car back to Maryland and parked it in her parent’s drive, strapped her backpack on, and headed over to Europe and Africa. For seven months, she backpacked solo, writing about her adventures on her blog, D Travels Round.

When she returned, she relocated to her former home, Las Vegas, and accepted a position with MCC Hospitality Group as the Director of Communications for the company’s many restaurants in Las Vegas and LA. She still writes for her blog and is also a contributing travel writer for OneTravel.com.

Website: D Travels Round | Twitter: @dtravelsround

Want to attend the Las Vegas event?

Doris Gallan and Jacob Frank

Doris and Jacob quit the rat race in 2006 to pursue their life-long passion of traveling. The two left their corporate jobs, sold their Los Angeles-area home and everything they owned to travel the world for five continuous years. The couple went around the world twice, visiting all seven continents and 50+ countries.

The first ’round-the-world trip lasted 26 months, spread through 42 countries on six continents (including Antarctica), and used up three backpacks. The second RTW voyage was less ambitious: a dozen countries on three continents over two and a half years. The much slower pace was due to the decision to live nine months in Mexico, six in Costa Rica, and a year in China where Doris wrote books while Jacob taught English as a foreign language.

Website: Baby Boomers Traveling | Twitter: @boomertraveling

Want to attend the Los Angeles event?

Check out all of our 17 event locations on October 18th!

I came on the topic of volunteer travel from an article entitled VIRTUOUS VACATIONS. As an avid volunteer and international traveler, it sounded like a perfect fit for me. The dilemma was I had no idea how to do it. As I focused on the trip, a little voice in my head kept chanting “if not now, when?”

When taking a class – Volunteer Vacations – Traveling on Purpose at Colorado Free University, I MET someone who had some of the answers. Next I began reading Transitions Abroad, a magazine about living, teaching, and volunteering abroad. Then I attended a local Earthwatch event about international volunteering. Now it was time to narrow down my options and figure out how to pay for it.

By the end of the year, I received a legacy of money that would allow me to make my volunteer trip a reality. I selected three “must-do” projects, but ended up adding nine more for an even dozen for my yearlong trip around the world. As a single woman in my mid-40’s, I had some trepidations, but I kept hearing, “if not now, when?”

During my PLANning year of 2005, I went from exhilaration to sweat-inducing fear. I wisely enlisted four people who kept me grounded and on task. When I spiraled into panic, they simply said, “Oh no! I see you out there. Will you just leave already so you can come back and tell us what it was like?” I was nervous but committed, and it benefited me to be organized. A planner at heart, I would just tick things off my to do list as I moved closer to departure.

What was it like to GO round the world for one year as a volunteer? Absolutely fantastic! The main reason my 2006-year abroad was such a success is I picked countries, locations and projects that I could not wait to experience. I chose seven species of wildlife that I had seen and I learned a lot about them and myself. A wombat named Wiggles taught me to appreciate the unexpected. From a baboon named Nigel, I was reminded to be myself always. Purdy, a timid yet lovely giraffe, showed me the benefits of patience and quietness.

In addition to animals, I did things I never dreamed I could do including archaeology and working with the Red Cross. Lastly, I was privileged to experience the joy and wonder of meeting and working with orphans, school children, and over 100 volunteers from other nations.

Your goal may not be to volunteer around the world. But for your sabbatical, these three questions still apply:

WHAT DO I WANT TO DO ON MY SABBATICAL?
WHERE CAN I DO IT?
IF NOT NOW, WHEN?

After her volunteer sabbatical, Jane Stanfield was inspired to help others plan their own. She wrote the workbook “Mapping Your Volunteer Vacation” and offers consulting services. She is also the host of Meet, Plan, Go! Denver.

Join Jane on September 20 for a local meetup with a special presentation on traveling with pets.  And get your ticket to the October 18 event now!

My career break to travel wasn’t planned, but once started, it lasted two years and took me to 16 countries across four continents. I’m not independently wealthy, nor have some secret to blogging success that others haven’t figured out. Instead, I used 10 years of professional experience to sell myself into short-term consulting gigs during an economic downturn and pay for long-term trips to India, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and Europe.

My first big trip developed because I needed a life break as the result of a divorce. I decided to leave, among other things, my excellent post-MBA job and take some time off to travel to India. When I returned a few months later to a very cold Midwest winter, the only answer I had to the endless “what now?” questions was “All I want to do is travel again.” Where? Egypt. How long? As long as I can.

Initially, the hardest question for this security-minded Midwesterner was, “how do I pay for it?” Consulting proved to be the answer. This article contains a few tips I learned along the way to help those considering a career break to travel understand how to use consulting as a way to pay for it.

By reading this article and reviewing this web site, you’re already on the path to long-term travel. Realizing that you can use the professional skills you’ve spent your career developing to pay for your travel dreams is the next step. Good luck!

Additional Resources:
Create Your Travel Vision
Free Agent Nation: The Future of Working for Yourself

Two Weeks to Go

People keep telling me that Berlin has good currywurst. A fact that would appeal to me if only I enjoyed eating sausage. Besides that, I don’t know anything to do or see or eat in Berlin.

When, in February, I booked a plane ticket there I figured that I had plenty of time to sort such things out. But now it’s June and I’m leaving in two weeks and have hardly picked up a guidebook. Life happened, work happened, extreme procrastination that haunted me throughout 20 years of school happened.

And I now have two more weeks to figure out everything I’m going to be doing for the next year. Berlin is just the first stop of many, each I’m less prepared for than the last.

The idea of taking a round the world trip had been buzzing in my head for years. I’m not sure how, exactly, it got there. In grad school I took a travel writing class and while everyone else was talking about backpacking Europe or living in Mongolia, I wrote about taking a Greyhound from Chicago to Milwaukee. A few years back while on a three-week European vacation a friend mentioned how he’d heard of people traveling for a year on a round the world ticket and was contemplating doing it some day. In both of those instances I thought to myself “I could never do that.” I don’t know what happened that changed my mind, although I’m still not sure anything actually did. I’m still not convinced that indefinite travel is something I am capable of doing. But I suppose I’m going to find out.

Over a year ago I decided that in July of this summer I would leave my job to backpack through Europe. I would see the world and go to all the places I never thought I’d go. I ended up choosing Berlin as my first stop simply because it was the cheapest one-way ticket I could find.

It still doesn’t feel like I’m the one taking this trip. Like I quit my job and in a weeks time will never have to go back to the opera house where I worked for the last four and a half years. Like I booked a one-way ticket to Europe with no itinerary, no exact timeframe, no end date. It doesn’t feel like in two weeks time my whole life will be turned upside down and I’ll be living nomadically with only the things that can fit in my backpack.

Someone with a whole lot more courage than I have is taking this trip. Someone who isn’t shy and socially awkward is taking this trip. Someone who can read a map is taking this trip. I’m just watching it unfold.

I still haven’t gotten to the point I normally do before a vacation where I’m crying and cursing for forcing myself to leave the comforts of my home. I’m not shaking and suffering insomnia and rationalizing reasons for me to cancel.

I suspect that will come in about a week and a half.

I’m still reminding myself that I’ve made no commitment other than to go to Berlin. I can come back home after a week and buy a condo and never leave it. I’m still reminding myself that since I’ve made no plans I don’t have to go to Asia. I don’t have to go to Poland. I can make my way from Berlin to London if I want and spend my days in a place where I can at least mostly understand what people are saying. Though, I do have a fear that I’m going to get to Berlin and never leave. Not because I’ll fall in love with the city but because I’ll never figure out how to buy a train ticket out of there.

I see a few all-nighters in the coming weeks as I desperately try to cram for what to do in Europe. I see many tears and some absolute refusal. I see feigning illness. I see calling my old roommate and telling her “never mind I’m staying.” I see telling my boss “oh you thought I was serious about quitting?”

Every time I prepare to travel I panic and cry and decide that I no longer want to go. But every time I return from travel I feel calm and rejuvenated and just plain happy.

So I’ll have to push back all those tears and all those excuses and force myself on that plane to Germany. Because I also see, in my next year of travel, adventure, art museums, cafes, monuments, new friends, wine, and maybe even some currywurst.

Val is a member of our Basic Training community, an efficient and supportive way to plan your extended travel. Need support to help turn your career break dreams into reality? Check out Career Break Basic Training.

I’ve followed a very traditional career path. I graduated college and spent a year as an AmeriCorps volunteer before landing my first job in 2004. I moved across the country and settled in Portland, Oregon where I began climbing the ladder in my field. In 2006 I changed employers. In 2008 I changed again. With each new job I acquired a larger salary and more impressive title.

In March of 2008 my husband Brian and I were hiking in the Oregon backcountry. It had been a long, gray, Pacific Northwest winter and we were feeling disillusioned and unsatisfied. As we hiked we discussed a big, looming life question “Isn’t there more to life than this?”

I had become increasingly disillusioned with my job. I longed for freedom and creativity and adventure. I was making more money than I ever had before but I had no control over my own time.

I had always dreamed of traveling the world but never had the means to do it. As we hiked I slowly realized that if Brian and I were diligent about saving money we could use that money to travel long-term. In the middle of the Oregon forest I posed two questions to Brian:

“Why are we working like this if we aren’t happy? What if we quit our jobs and traveled the world?”

It took two years for that initial conversation to turn into a real plan. During those two years I realized that fulfilling my desire to travel was more than just a crazy idea, it was a critical part of who I longed to become.

I had to approach the topic with Brian again and this time it wasn’t just a philosophical “what if?” I wondered, what will Brian think? And I also wondered, what will I do if Brian says no?

It took some time but in the end Brian was supportive of my dream. He wrote a post about his experience called Coming to Terms with Life Change. We are now planning and saving towards long-term travel and we hope to leave on our adventure sometime in early 2012.

When Brian and I were married we vowed that we would support each other’s dreams. We had no idea that my dream would lead our lives in this direction. I’m grateful that Brian chose to support my dream and I hope that someday I can support his dream too.

Above all else, I hope that the experience of traveling the world will open new doors for us and introduce us to opportunities we would not have otherwise. I hope that traveling the world will allow us to build new dreams together.

Katie recently “came out” to her family and friends and shares with us their reactions and how she has dealt with it. (Katie’s last name is being withheld because she has yet to give notice to her employer).

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.

The two things I’ll give myself the most credit for: even if I was too upset to articulate it, I know deep down that I did not want to go back to where I’d been. When I landed a similar job, I walked out after a month, even though I was absolutely broke. The job was simply not for me. That experience left me even emptier and more scared than before. But it was comforting, too, knowing that even if I didn’t know what I wanted, I knew what I didn’t.

The second thing is that there was no way I was going to waste a good recession. The cheapest way possible, I went whale watching in Mexico, visited a friend in Borneo for a month, and visited Italy, France and Germany with a friend. Little did I know that these travels eventually led me to a life- changing year, one that led me full-circle in a way I never expected.

My fourth post-lay-off trip was planned for Costa Rica. It was to be my last trip, my airline miles dried up. I was leaving after my lease was finally over, so I could throw everything into storage and not have an expensive rent hanging over my head. I was to stay with friends for a month and then figure out what to do next.

Those friends ended up lasting about two months in Costa Rica; by the time they left town, I had moved into a tiny one-room house in a modest Tico neighborhood on a dirt road. It was to be the happiest year of my life.

In 12 months, I learned to get good, sound sleep for the first time I could remember. I lived so frugally (my rent was $150 a month) that I was able to start my own company, using borrowed wireless from across the “street,” to pay off all of my debt and actually start to save money again. My stress melted away, after many, many nights of girl talk with my new neighbors, having no TV or even a phone for a long time, mornings waking up to howling monkeys… I etched out a fantastic life for myself, and I no longer cared about that silly career as a magazine editor that I’d always held onto so tightly.

I’d enjoyed my years in the high-paced world of publishing and then mourned when it was over. And then I’d started my next chapter, as a travel junkie/small business owner, an expat who finally slept well and had all the time in the world to study (Spanish) and hang out with her friends.

And then, just like that, that world ended, too. I was on a dream vacation in Nicaragua when I got a fateful email, with a job offer I couldn’t refuse. Within weeks, I was living in Las Vegas, my year as an expat but a happy memory.

It turns out that I needed a complete life restart, and my career break gave that to me. I needed to know that I am not my job, that life goes on even when you’re not working, that I can separate my career self from every other part of me. I date nicer guys now, and I know that my inner peace and happiness are noticeable.

My career is again the love of my life, but I no longer hold onto it so desperately. I am happy, and in awe over the fact that stripping down to the simplest lifestyle led me straight to my dream job in a very cutthroat business. I don’t understand how or why it all worked out that way.

But it did.

Abby Tegneglia chronicled her year in Costa Rica on her website, The Jungle Princess, and now updates it from life in the “Neon Jungle” of Las Vegas. You can also follow her on Twitter at @AbbyTegnelia

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, 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.

First up, we worked somewhat backwards. We determined we’d resign from our jobs at the end of 2009, and travel in early 2010. After 8 successful years of working in sales in NYC, Shara wanted to give it all up to pursue her passion, and return for her masters in Psychology. Using that as a guide, we figured 5 months of travel would be ideal. We could return by June, then settle into a location for next Fall. For me, I was thrilled to go along for the ride not knowing where we would wind up. I wanted to use my 10 years of marketing experience and turn it into freelance work wherever we landed. Time would eventually tell if that would pan out.

After riding the high of determining our timeline, the real fun began. Next, we spent the summer mapping out our route. Australia, Vietnam and Portugal topped my list, while China, Cambodia and Spain led the way for Shara. So we plotted along our route – starting in Fiji, Australia and New Zealand, moving our way across China and Southeast Asia, then onto Egypt and Israel, eventually closing the world tour in Europe.

We then started to get other details in order – such as insurance, storage, hotels, visas and travel medications. Taking care of as much as we could prior to our departure allowed us to freely immerse ourselves into every aspect of the trip.

We continued to crank out our to-do list, eventually getting to our departure date. On January 19th, after 17 hours of flying, we took off and landed in Fiji! The feeling was unlike any other. It was a bit unsettling to think we just left our jobs, our apartment, our family, friends, and country, and wouldn’t see it again for five months, but we felt like it was going to be worth every second of it.

It took a few weeks to get use to the lifestyle, but we eventually settled in and experienced a five-month, 17 country stretch that changed our lives. We drove the coast in Australia, hiked the Great Wall in China, went skydiving in New Zealand, biked back roads in Cambodia, prayed in Israel, witnessed protests in Bangkok, and tasted the fine green wine in Portugal. We met a lot of great people along the way, and learned a lot on different perspectives that other cultures have on every day life.

While the actual trip was a bit surreal, the best part to us was that we were able to take this time to evaluate our life and see what we really wanted going forward. Quality of life was priority number one, and enjoying our work was priority number two.

This led to our decision that when we returned, we’d re-locate to South Florida, where Shara would embark on her masters program. We love the sun, and for me, the thought of freelancing from home with the windows open and sun shining couldn’t have been more appealing. Plus, we were still on the same coast as our family and friends, which was the most important factor in our decision.

Since we’ve returned, we’ve settled in smoothly. Shara is rocking and rolling at the University, and after a few months of determination & persistence, I found steady freelance work and have enjoyed it.

Our career break not only provided us with the direction we wanted for our next steps in the working world, but also led us to our next steps in life. There’s no set way to do it, there’s a million ways to make the break. But for anyone who can take that step and make the leap, it may be the best decision you’ll ever make.

Oh, and one more thing for any couples out there, many wondering how spending 5 months together for 24/7 works out. Well, for us, it did, and soon after we returned, we got engaged. Five months and counting until the big day!

Wise words from our MPG Boston Host Lillie Marshall, who followed her dream and took a year-long Leave of Absence to travel around the world after 6 years of teaching in Boston Public Schools. But that dream almost didn’t see the light of day.

“Part of what nearly stopped me from taking a Travel Leave of Absence from my job as a public school teacher was guilt. ‘What will my students do without me?’ I wondered, worry gnawing at my stomach. ‘How can you do this to us?!’ wailed my coworkers when they found out about my impending Leave of Absence. ‘Do you realize how much you leaving will screw everything up?’

Thank heaven I didn’t cave into this guilt, because the reality is: after I left, the world as we knew it at my job did NOT end. In fact, I would assert that the state of Boston Public Schools is now BETTER since my Travel Leave.”

Lillie chronicled her adventures on AroundTheWorldL and is now inspiring and assisting more teachers to travel through her new site, Teaching Traveling. Why?

1. Happiness leads to effectiveness. First and foremost, a fulfilled, happy staff is the key to an energetic, powerfully effective organization. Going into my sixth year of teaching, I was getting tired, falling into a rut, and lacking sparkle. But now, after a year away, I return to Boston Public Schools with such renewed passion for teaching! And the students and my coworkers now appreciate that.

2. Have faith in humans!The students who I left on my year-long Leave of Absence didn’t have me as an English teacher, but they ended up having a lot of other great teachers that year. If you are being pressured not to leave because of the threat that ‘everything will fall apart,’ remind folks of the reality: humans have the ability to rise to a challenge. Your workplace WILL go on, and in fact, the new configuration might even cause a positive breakthrough for the whole organization!

3. If you decide to return to your workplace after a Travel Leave, what an asset you will be! Now that I’m back in BPS, I have a wealth of new curriculum from working with students in West Africa and beyond, I have a ton of contacts for teachers wanting guest contributors to their lessons and projects, and I have a veritable trove of resources for educators wishing to follow their own travel dreams. What would BPS rather have: 7 years of a tired, un-inspired teacher who never once took time to fulfill her own life goals by taking the risk of a Leave, or a zest-filled, world-traveling dynamo, freshly back from Around the World?

Teaching Traveling profiles teachers who have traveled, shows how they have done it, and shares how the experience has benefited them. You also meet travelers who have decided to teach – many of whom are teaching English overseas.

Lillie will also be hosting a night of travel inspiration for teachers and those who have dreams of teaching abroad.

During this event, you can connect with aspiring and expert Teacher-Travelers as well as representatives from related organizations. All types of Teacher-Travel will be discussed – from short-term to long term and educational to “non-educational.” You can also learn secrets of cheap travel from a diverse, interactive panel and speakers will discuss balancing travel with raising kids, dealing with a small bank account, and having no time.

EVENT DETAILS
Teaching Traveling Inspiration Night in Boston
Thursday, March 31 – 6:30-8:30pm
Elephant and Castle Restaurant, Lower Level
161 Devonshire Street - Boston, MA 02110
For more information and to RSVP

“I thought you were crazy when you said you were going on this trip; now [6 months later], I think you’re crazy for coming back”

- A friend talking about our career break

Because the concept of a career break is still quite novel (at least in the US), most of us don’t have very many people in our social groups that have ever taken one. Unfortunately, this often means that all of your excitement over the idea of leaving your job in favor of long-term travel may not engender the kind of enthusiasm you are hoping for amongst your friends/co-workers/family. Even if you are just looking for support rather than advice, you should expect to be assaulted with many, many reasons why it is a bad idea and you are crazy for even contemplating it.

Here are some of our favorites:

1. You’re crazy
2. Are you kidding, leave your job in this economy?
3. You’ll never be able to explain this on your resume or in future job interviews – your career will be ruined forever
4. It’s too expensive
5. You’re crazy
6. I once knew someone that went on a trip like this… they died
7. What if you get kidnapped by drug runners?
8. I always wished I could do something like that, but then I realized how irresponsible it would be to throw away everything I’d been working toward for so long
9. You should wait until you get that next promotion; then you’ll have a much better safety net
10. You’re crazy

So what do you do if you aren’t getting the kind of support that you’d like to actually take the leap?

Option 1) Go fast

Do what we did… make the decision to leave and then go before anyone really has the chance to convince you it’s a bad idea. We were in Argentina 3 weeks after we made the decision to go. Clearly this won’t work for everyone. Option 2 is probably a better route…

Option 2) Get to know other career breakers

It’s so much easier to take a leap like this when you have examples of other people from similar situations that have done it and lived to tell the tale. The challenge is that most people in our normal social groups haven’t done a career break, and this can lead one to draw the conclusion that very few people do it. The truth, we’ve found, is that LOTS of people take career breaks and have been doing so for a long time; it’s just that those people aren’t typically hanging out in your office, because they are in fact out there doing something crazy.

We didn’t know about these people until well after we had left – in fact, we had never even heard the term ‘career break’ until we happened upon Briefcase to Backpack a few months into our adventure. Now we are thrilled to be part of the growing career break community and continue to enjoy getting to know so many amazing people doing interesting and ‘crazy’ things all over the world. The great thing about these people is that they can help to remind you of all the reasons why a career break is a good idea.

If you’re in the contemplation stage and you’re reading this, you’re already headed down the right track. There are all kinds of different people from different lifestyles, ages, careers, circumstances, etc… that have done this before, and most of them are thrilled to connect with anyone who wants to learn more about how they did it. So, find some blogs of career breakers that are similar to you and email them! Briefcase to Backpack and Meet, Plan, Go! are awesome resources for finding and connecting with people; and you might be surprised by how incredibly welcoming the community is.

We happen to be MBAs and management consultants from intense careers in which taking breaks is often considered unthinkable; we LOVE it when we get emails from other people in similar careers that tell us how reading about our adventure helped them feel more comfortable with the idea of going on their own. We’ve even been told by some that sending around links to our blog helped them convince their families/friends/etc… that taking a career break wasn’t quite as crazy as they thought.

In summary

If you’re thinking about doing something crazy like take a career break, a good first step is to make friends with as many other crazy people as possible. After you’ve been on the road for a few months you may think back to your co-workers who are still doing the same thing day after day and wonder which of you is actually crazier – they might do the same.

You can read about Ryan & Jen’s career break on their website Consulting Rehab. You can also follow them on Twitter at @ConsultingRehab and find them on Facebook.

What is the American Dream? The first person that comes to mind in pursuit of my answer is my father.

My father immigrated to the United States in 1965 at age of 21 from Tehran, Iran with only two hundred dollars to his name. To my own surprise I only recently asked him this question, “Dad why did you take such a leap of faith with hardly any money in your bank account?” Before he could answer the question, my father had to put everything in context for me. In doing so, he had to begin by explaining the environment that he lived in at the time in Iran.

He began by saying, “Iran was a very different place than it is now. “ The government of Iran in the 1960’s was a constitutional monarchy and it had strong relationships with the western world. Iran was even seen as a top travel destination spot for many Europeans and Americans, because of its rich Persian history and for the skiing! Yes, Iran has pretty darn good skiing. However the education system was quite different than it was in the western world, more specifically different than in the United States (US).

Iran, much like the US has a college entrance exam, which helps determine which schools you can be accepted to. However, in Iran depending on what you scored, also determines what you could study. In addition to this, only 10% of applicants were admitted to Universities. This was a result of the lack of higher education offered after high school. For example, let’s say that you did score high marks on your exam; chances are that your career path will now be set for you. You were going to medical school to become a doctor IF space was available.

My father then got back to the answer of my original question. He said, “Son, the main reason I took that leap of faith, and came to America, was so I could figure out what I wanted to do and most importantly what I wanted to be”.

Since my father hailed from the busy capital of Tehran, you think we would end up in New York City or some other faster paced city in the United States equivalent to what he was use to. However, out of all the prospects the United States had to offer he ended up in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. My father complete with his two hundred dollars, broken English, and dream; convinced the University of Wisconsin to accept him. With 2 weeks of school already underway they accepted him and 5 years later, he left the United States for Iran with a bachelor’s degree in mathematics.

During the next several years in Iran he still was unsure of what he wanted to do. My father served his required 2 years of military service in the air force, fell in love and married my mother, and gave birth to my older sister, Mary. To my father’s dismay, he still did not see Iran as a place of opportunity for himself and his new family. My Mother may have occupied his heart, but his passion for providing more opportunities for himself and a better life for his new family, could only happen in the United States. Still without any money to his name and against his family’s wishes, he took his wife and infant daughter to pursue this better life in the United States.

My mother gave birth to me a few years later, but I still vividly remember the struggles growing up in the US. My dad was now in graduate school and had limited possessions to offer a family. He realized in order to better his situation and more importantly his family’s’ situation he had to go after what he really wanted. So he enrolled in a full course schedule of computer science classes and worked three jobs in order to live his American dream. Over the course of next 25 years of his career, we lived all over the United States and even spent a few years in Europe. My dad quickly climbed the ladder of well-known companies such as BF Goodrich, IBM, and Cisco Systems.

When you think about it, my dad did the opposite of what is considered the norm. Usually you go to school, get a job, get a house, and then get married. That is what a man traditionally has to achieve in order to attract a potential spouse, right? This is the mentality that has been ingrained in our society to this day, is it not?

Now I ask myself this question: Is America the same place and does it still have the attraction of the “American dream” to foreigners or even to first generation Americans, as I currently fall into this category?

America right now on the surface may not appear to be as attractive as it once was. So can the “American dream” still be achieved? I answer, “Yes”, but there has been a slight shift from the traditional American dream.

I re-evaluated my own life a few years back as it was right on course with the aforementioned, traditional American dream. It is very much possible that I am very much like my father in the fact that I see there are many ways to achieve the same life goals. Why do what’s traditional? At the time of my life re-evaluation, I had a steady great paying job, the relationship I had was on the path for marriage, and I owned my own home. But I wasn’t happy! Shouldn’t I have been? I realized this unhappiness came to the surface and actually affected all aspects of my life. I do eventually want to get married and I do want to have children. However you can’t plan life, it just happens.

I was emotionally and physically drained of performing a job that I wasn’t passionate about. I think we all have a time in our life where we re-evaluate our purpose on this earth. I was pretty damn good at my last job, but I just wasn’t passionate about it! I did not wake up and say, “man I can’t wait to get to work”. I am not naive either; very few people have this feeling of waking up excited to go to work and I do realize when other things come in to your life your personal responsibilities may outweigh your professional goals. I am sure even with my father at some point there was a shift from “I” to “We:, as he had a family to look out for.

At this point, I realized I had some unfinished business and wanted to pursue what I wanted. But there was a problem! I got so caught up in living the traditional American dream, that I completely forgot what I wanted.

So, I decided that I needed a change and a drastic one! I left the job, became single, sold everything I owned, and took a break. I like to call this period in my life, “a self-reflection period”. Others may call it losing your mind!

I reflected on my past fortunes having lived, traveled, worked, and studied in many countries all of the world. This thirst for travel never was quenched with those 3-week corporate vacation packages offered by employers quite the same way of those several month long escapades that I took in early 20’s.

I also then began to reflect on my youth. Growing up as an Iranian-American was not an easy task as a kid in the 80’s and 90’s. I constantly reminded of how different I was, the funny thing internally I really did not feel different. I dressed the same as everyone and spoke with no accent, but still was seen as different.

Yes the regime change in Iran had a monstrous effect on the perception of the Iranian people all over the world. Movies such as Not Without My Daughter, did not help either with the perception of the Iranian male. Trust me, many of the girls I dated, their parents always used this movie to show their concern when they found out their daughter was dating an Iranian.

During this self-reflection time that took about a year and half, I came in tuned with my passion.

My life experiences, growing up the way I did, and my adventures across the world have led me to purse this concept that I am currently working on today.

When I travel, the accommodation of choice for me is hostels. In hostels, everyone is foreign to that country, city, or town. The common bond is that we are all outsiders! That’s really the attraction for me. I have actually shared a beer at one of these hostels with a Palestinian, an Israeli, and an Iraqi- American. How cool is that?

I have been so fortunate enough to meet so many wonderful people from all over the world throughout my travels adventures. Sometimes these same people I have met, help dictate where I travel to next. Why not go see my new friend Giulia in Italy that I met backpacking through Colombia??

The only way I can think of that will help illustrate this feeling or experience is to create a travel adventure that shows people what this hostel life experience truly is.

So with the support of these same parents who came to the United States to seek their American dream, my American dream has become to show people that we all are more alike than we are different; through a travel experience I like to call The Hostel Life.

“Employers watch out: Your workers can’t wait to quit.

According to a recent survey by job-placement firm Manpower, 84% of employees plan to look for a new position in 2011. That’s up from just 60% last year.

Most employees have sat tight through the recession, not even considering other jobs because so few firms were hiring.

But after years of increased work and frozen compensation, ‘a lot of people will be looking because they’re disappointed with their current jobs,’ said Paul Bernard, a veteran executive coach and career management advisor who runs his own firm.”

Our advice? Take a break before jumping into a new job. After years of burnout and frustration, it will help to get rejuvenated and relax your mind for a bit. And you’ll be a much happier new employee.

In Notes from a Briefcase, Steve Bamberger, a self-described ‘Briefcase’ and workaholic, shared some insight on the power of taking a break – even if it’s for a week.

“It’s ok to unplug. No one knows better than I do how easy it is to skip vacations. But the office will function without you. I may be a business junkie and mild workaholic, but I still spent a week in a cave house on Santorini last year and a week traveling national parks last month.”

But you should also be careful that your burnout doesn’t cause you to make a bad career decision just because you are unhappy in your current position. The last thing you want to do is end up in a similar predicament.

Another recent article, this one in the Wall Street Journal, addresses the growth of gap years in the US. More students are delaying college to take gap years to travel, study and volunteer. The top reason cited? Burnout.

“Burnout from the competitive pressure of high school and a desire ‘to find out more about themselves,’ are the top two reasons students take gap years, according to a survey of 280 people who did so by Karl Haigler and Rae Nelson of Advance, N.C., co-authors of a forthcoming guidebook on the topic.

Taking a gap year is also linked to higher motivation in college, according to an Australian study of 2,502 students published in August in the Journal of Educational Psychology”.

And although the focus of the article is on young adults, these same key messages can certainly apply to you.

This certainly applied to Briefcase to Backpack co-founder Michael Bontempi, who left his 14-year career in 2007 without securing a new job. He found that a break actually helped his career.

“My career break gave me the opportunity to reflect on my previous 14 years of experience and helped me to reevaluate my career path and evaluate if I was on the right track.

I would never say that taking a chance like this wouldn’t hurt your career. But conversely, one could argue that staying in an unfulfilling position in your career or life is hurting you as an individual. To me, that is what this career break was about. Life can be full of regrets for those who focus on the potential consequences of taking a risk as opposed to the new opportunities a change can enable.”

So go ahead – resolve to take a break this year. It’s the one time where “break” and “resolution” should appear in a sentence together.

After my mother and I returned from our sailing sabbatical and we realized the impact that time away from work had on our business partnership and our individual careers, we wondered: Are companies recognizing the power of time off?

Indeed, some are – and the trend is growing. The company-sponsored sabbatical began in the 1960s with the likes of McDonald’s and Intel. Work for one of these companies, and you’ll get a sizable chunk of time away from the job (often fully paid) every so many years (the average is five) to fulfill a lifelong dream, travel, or do something you’ve been longing to do but couldn’t in a week’s vacation.

Even in an economic downturn, companies like Deloitte and General Mills rolled out sabbatical programs for their employees. And it’s not just an offering at big companies; companies with fewer than 20 employees are also on yourSABBATICAL.com’s list of 100+ companies that regularly offer career breaks to employees. And we continue to add to the “Workplaces for Sabbaticals” list of forward-thinking companies.

Like the folks at Briefcase to Backpack, we’re working hard to impact the way we work and live, believing every career should include meaningful “pauses” along the way. The old model of educating ourselves and then working hard for 45 years BEFORE we can go and do something that we dream of doing no longer makes sense.

The companies that realize this and nurture their workers with holistic approaches, valuing both the professional and personal lives of their contributors, are worthy of recognition. They’re typically great places to work – so check them out, if you’re in the job market.

ANGIE KALOUSEK
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
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
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
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
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
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

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.”

“My husband and I quit our jobs this past January and are in the midst of a round the world trip.  Today we happened upon your website and got very excited because we could relate to your content 100%.  We have no regrets about our choices to travel, and it makes us happy whenever we see others promoting and supporting those who choose to make such a big decision.”

“I found your website referenced in the New York Times article.  What a great site!  I have really enjoyed reading the articles and posts.

I was more or less forced into my own ‘gap year’ at 48 years old, when I was laid off from my job.  I was working for American Express in Manhattan after the September 11th attack in 2001.   Since the industry of travel came to a halt, American Express laid off 14,000 employees of which I was one.  So I took my severance package and turned it into a 28 leg round the world ticket, backpacking solo through 33 countries.

At the time, ‘blogging’ was not really mainstream, and there were very few resources for planning an around the world journey, particularly for a middle aged woman traveling solo!   So it is great to see your site as a reference to encourage people to have this experience.  It was the greatest year of my life thus far!   I have since been rehired back by American Express, but still contemplate doing it all over again.

Thanks for helping plant the seeds of wanderlust in other US citizens, as travel is the greatest educator on the planet!”

“I just wanted to say thank you.  I found your website through the recent NY Times article.

I’ve just passed the 2-year mark of my intended 3-year career break and more than once I’ve wondered if I was the only person “crazy” enough to leave a 6-figure salary and all the trappings of upward mobility for the life experiences that come with traveling the world.

As I start preparing for re-entry, I’ll look to your website for what I’m sure is a wealth of information.”

We look forward to many more voices in the future.

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.”

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.

That is not to say I don’t have incredible admiration for my friend Sherry. I absolutely do. Anyone who has a dream and pursues it relentlessly – regardless of the financial consequences – gets props in my book. To do what you want to do – and only then figure out how to make money at it – is an amazing way to live. Apologies to (Duke basketball coach) Mike Krzyzewski for misquoting him, but years ago he said something like “I’ve never made a decision primarily because of money, and I’ve made a lot of money.” My parents did it – starting an opera company in 1976 in Cleveland, Ohio was not a terribly astute financial decision. But it worked out great for twenty-nine years. To a large extent, I’ve done it – I love what I do and I have been fortunate to be successful. (Confession: Would I do the same thing if you could get stock options for dog training? Maybe not.)

So I think Sherry’s choice is all the more amazing. Traveling for a year – then two, then four and counting – is not a way to pad one’s bank account. But she started with an idea to take a break and turned it first into a passion and then a business. Trust me, she works as hard as anyone I know. If you think her entire life is waffles, frites, and faux Midwestern strip clubs you have clearly not paid attention to the deafening roar of tweets from her Twitter account or seen her up until 2am uploading photos and preparing the next day’s blog post.

Which brings me to the recent adventure I had with her. You see, part of following my dream has been to reenter the entrepreneurial world and try to grow a company with no safety net beneath me. So after six years as a sales VP at Oracle, I took a position in a small tech company in Silicon Valley. But between jobs, I had my own mini-version of a career break. I took two weeks of staycation when I was still fully plugged in – to some extent, doing two jobs while I exited the first and prepared for the second. But the third week, I wanted to do something different – to see places I would never see on business. I invited my vagabond Backpack friend to come with me. I wanted the company, I thought Sherry would be fun to travel with, and I figured our shared obsession with pulling dangerously off the highway to take the perfect picture would make her an ideal travel companion.

We did the travel Briefcase style, staying in actual hotels, eating actual food, sitting in good seats at Cirque in Vegas, and tooling around in a navigation-equipped sedan. In a week, we saw Las Vegas, Death Valley, Grand Canyon, Antelope Canyon, Horseshoe Bend, Zion National Park, Snow Canyon, and Bryce Canyon. We were always on the move and had a lot of fun, although I was constantly and ironically reminded that Sherry was always at work! Taking pictures was a perfect distraction, since figuring out the right angle and exposure allowed me to obsess about something other than email and my new job, which would start only a few days later.

I’m not going to tell you about our trip. That’s Backpack’s job. Besides, she took notes along the way and will undoubtedly have more interesting stories than I would. I reserve the right to challenge her assertions in comments on the Ottsworld blog. But I’ll trust her to be accurate and entertaining. (Have you noticed that she can write endlessly and engagingly on absolutely nothing?)

But I would like to say a few words to the other Briefcases out there – the ones who like the idea of a career break but who are a little intimidated by reading this site and the idea of dropping out of society for four years! My few pieces of advice:

1. It’s ok to like business. I do. But if you don’t like what you’re doing, you will probably suck at it. And so you won’t like it. And so it will suck more. Get it?
2. If you only have a job so you can afford vacations, you are kind of missing the point. Find something you really like to do. Do it. I’ll bet you can find a way to make enough money at it. You can learn a lot more from Sherry by following this advice than by learning what kind of waffle is best. (Correct answer: Brussels waffle.)
3. It’s ok to unplug. No one knows better than I do how easy it is to skip vacations. But the office will function without you. I may be a business junkie and mild workaholic, but I still spent a week in a cave house on Santorini last year and a week traveling national parks last month.
4. Your career break can be planned for a week, a month, a year, or a lifetime. It’s ok to start small. See where it takes you. You may (re)discover a passion, as I have done with my camera or Sherry has done with traveling itself!

I’m still a Briefcase. I probably always will be. I will still obsess about maintaining my Starwood Platinum and my United Global Services status. I’ll still get a little antsy if the Westin forgets to leave complimentary bottled water in my room. I’ll still do emails late into the night.

But it was fun traveling with my favorite Backpack and being reminded of the importance of following your dreams and – for a week or a lifetime – to unplug.

Steve Bamberger is an unrepentant Briefcase and may be reached at steveb@alumni.duke.edu. His Twitter handle, where his infrequent and generally uninteresting 140 character musings may be found, is @sbamberger

He shares with us what led him to this point in life.

Could you tell me more about what made you decide to take a career break?
The American system of moving from childhood to adulthood usually involves going to college and identifying your future professional pursuit. Going to college also involves far too many parties and tons of interesting “flavors” of coursework. I graduated from school with degrees in creative writing and psychology, but I failed to figure out what I wanted to do with my life. Actually, I think I secretly knew what I’m consciously aware of now: I simply don’t want to do the kind of work that has come to typically define the word.

With no aspirations of seeking higher education after graduation, my liberal arts degrees effectively became little more than proof that I successfully completed undergraduate studies. I was on my own for job hunting, but, by the grace of some long-forgotten god, I managed to land a job as a technical writer at an amazing software company after only a few months. By any estimation this was the best “first job” I could have gotten.

And it only got better. I climbed the ladder and began managing other writers before my second anniversary. Before the end of my third year, I was managing other managers. I was accomplishing goals, reaching new heights, and excelling. It’s hard to say it, but I had never applied myself enough to excel at anything previously. But when the climbing stopped so did the rush, and I was forced to reconcile the fact that while I thrilled at the feeling of advancement I didn’t actually love the work. I had no expectations going into the job, and, after almost seven years, no goals or exit strategy.

I tried a lateral move and a new position in the hope that I would find that fire from my first few years – I really wanted to stay at this amazing company. Alas, it was not to be. There was no way I could live with myself if I “faked it,” doing just enough but never excelling or standing out. I finally forced myself to face the facts. I needed to leave. And if I would sacrifice such a great job then it would have to be for my passions: travel and creative writing.

How did you go about quitting your job?
Once I decided that I would not be satisfied in the position any longer, my wife and I started brainstorming ideas for what I could do. It wasn’t as simple as going to a different company – I loved where I worked and the people I worked with. Ultimately I decided to return to my creative writing roots and meld it with my other love of travel. Identifying my passions has been the hardest part of this entire process, and they are not set in stone. They are fluid, and the best I could do was identify things I enjoyed doing.

I started formulating a plan and then crunched numbers to see how we could work the finances. I forecasted the number of months I needed to work to continue saving and we switched our lifestyle to adhere to a strict budget (which was quite new for us). The months rolled by and we steadily accomplished our monetary goals. Then one day six weeks before my planned departure I spoke with my boss and let her know I was leaving. It was as “simple” as that.

And what were people’s reactions?
People’s reactions have ranged from congratulatory to half-jealous to muted. I haven’t been privy to any wild or outrageous responses. Most people seem to respect me for following my dreams and actually doing the work to make them happen. I’ve been very grateful to have avoided negativity and jealousy from friends and family about my choice, though some have struggled with my giving up a good job. I’ve made it clear that it’s been difficult to come to this conclusion, but that my priorities are not governed by money and as such I can’t allow it to keep me locked into a career that won’t make me happy.

Keith will begin his Unconventional Travel Around the World November 2010 in Argentina. Follow along on:
Website: Traveling-Savage
Twitter: @travelingsavage
Facebook: Traveling Savage Fan Page

Our New York City panel for Meet, Plan, Go! share the reactions they received when telling family, friends and colleagues about their decision to take a career break to travel. And you may be surprised by how positive people can be.

So what were some of the reactions our panel received?

Brook Silva-Braga (A Map for Saturday)
Co-workers and family were surprised such a career-focused person would up and leave. They didn’t understand my ambition transcended money, it was an ambition for accomplishment and adventure in various forms. But in my experience very, very few people took a negative view of the decision; they were jealous or perhaps confused, they didn’t think it was realistic for them (for a series of dubious reasons) but they thought it was a cool idea.

Jennifer Baggett (The Lost Girls)
It definitely helped that I was going to be traveling with two other women as I think our family and friends mentally thought the decision sounded more structured and a bigger, more “legit” deal doing it together. But I was still very surprised at how supportive everyone in my life was including bosses. Of course my boyfriend at the time (who I was at a major cross roads with relationship-wise) had a tough time accepting the decision – one that ultimately broke us up – but my uncertainly about the relationship was one of the factors that made me decide I wanted to leave NYC and travel.

Although partly fueled by society, but more so just personally, I was putting a lot of pressure on myself to achieve certain milestones by a certain “magic” age (getting married, having kids, scoring a high level position in my career, etc.).  So at first I viewed the trip as a last big hurray before I had to buckle down and get really serious – a sort of “well, I’m about to turn 28 so it’s now or never to do this before settling down” attitude. Interestingly, by completely removing myself from my present (and then pretty stagnant) situation and getting out and seeing the world drastically changed my attitude and self-imposed deadlines. Now, at 32, I’m much happier to take things a day at a time and not worry as much about when I achieve certain goals or whether or not society accepts certain things about the way I live or choices I make. And making bold decisions to travel or take time off to write my book or switching jobs when something wasn’t working ultimately made me more successful and opened more doors than if I’d taken the safer route.

Michael Bontempi (Briefcase to Backpack)
It is in this category alone that I think was the true inspiration for Briefcase to Backpack. It was eye opening to me that we live in a business environment that truly does not value the individual. I say business environment as I have friends who are academics who take periodic sabbaticals with the intent of bettering their skills for the benefit of the university.

For me, this was purely a selfish act that had a specific purpose for me. I did not leave my job for a career break, I left my job because I had hit a plateau and it was time for a change.  What I chose to do next is take a career break.

Sherry Ott (OttsWorld)
Some people like to ski down a mountain at deathly speeds, I like to shock people with unconventional life choices. To each his own. I told my family 2 yrs early so they could get used to the idea. Since I didn’t come from a big ‘travel’ family, they were quite confused at first. My father was concerned about my career, stability, future.  My mom’s reaction – “Why can’t you just travel in the US for a year instead of leaving the country!” I had already had experience with ‘bucking’ societal norms as a 36 yr old unmarried, single woman who didn’t want kids.  But leaving my career brought this to a new level. Most work colleagues were supportive & excited for me; my boss and Sr. Executives weren’t quite as supportive though when I sprung my resignation on them with 2 wks notice. Friends embraced it completely and many joined me along the way in my travels.

Brian Peters (No Debt World Travel)
My parents – OK really my Mom – were worried while I was on the road. Otherwise all my family and friends were excited for me. Some admitted they were jealous. Some assumed that it took a lot of money for long term travel, which is part of the reason I continued my blog and wrote my book after I came back. American society focuses on work and making money. I heard a lot of “I wish I could do what you are doing.” When I ask why they haven’t they give the usual excuses: job, mortgage, career, kids, money, etc. Most times they just don’t think it is possible for them and so they don’t even pursue it. If they did even the preliminary research, they would find it is really within their grasp. They just have to reach out and grab it.

Marie Elena Martinez (Marie’s World)
Most people were very excited for me, though I did encounter some jealousies, and tried to tune them out. I heard a lot of “I wish I could do that,” and now, having done it — I can reply “you can!” My mother was supportive, if not worried. My sister, a stay-at-home mom whose idea of a vacation involves fruity drinks and expansive stretches of sand thought I was crazy, but wasn’t shocked. My father, however, gave me a really hard time. He is of the school that you work at the same company for 30 years and retire with dignity and accolade.  He refused to read my blogs, and until I started gaining recognition through my writing, we fought often over my decision to travel. Inwardly, this caused me a LOT of angst. With respect to work, I was headed for a promotion, I was a rising star, and I think my superiors were shocked. I had always openly expressed a desire to travel extensively throughout my working years, I just never acted on it.

Michaela Potter (Briefcase to Backpack)
I always made travel a priority in my life, so I was never bothered by people’s reactions. To me, climbing a corporate ladder, finding a husband, settling down, etc… were never priorities. And because I’ve always been proud of how I live my life, people are very excepting of my travels. In fact, people now associate travel with me and I feel like I let people down if I don’t have any travel plans in the works!

And luckily, I met and married a man who embraces my values and priorities. I did a lot of extended travel and took career breaks before Michael and even while we were dating. And during our career break in 2007 is when we even got engaged.

So my advice is that if this is important enough to you, stand behind your priorities, be proud, and others will respect that. If they don’t, you shouldn’t feel badly about it.

What are some societal fears holding you back?

Thank you to our Premium, National, and Local Sponsors for making last nights events so invaluable by offering great resources as well as amazing prizes for our attendees:

Gap Adventures offers the widest selection of affordable small group adventure tours, safaris, treks and expeditions to more than 100 countries on all seven continents. Offering a range of different trip styles and comfort levels to suit every traveler, their award-winning trips allow you the freedom to explore off the beaten path in an authentic and sustainable way to bring you face-to-face with the world’s most fascinating cultures, customs and natural wildlife.

GeoVisions offers exciting ways to experience first hand a new country, a town, a community through their volunteer abroad and teach abroad programs. You have the ability to immerse yourself in a completely different land and culture while gaining a new cultural understanding.

STA Travel is a global travel specialist with 30 years experience advising people on extended travel and adventures abroad. They offer flights, accommodation, and insurance among other valuable travel products. They are specialists in Around the World airline tickets and you can also view sample itineraries as well as plan your around the world itinerary on their site which caters to the long term traveler.

The Unconventional Guides are the brainchild of Chris Guillebeau who’s mission is to fight the status quo and live the life you want. His book and travel tips/guides will help propel any want-to-be career breaker to break free of the cubicle.

Tara Russell of Three Month Visa Coaching and Consulting has worked with dozens of clients to help them get clarity on what they want from their time off, define clear and attainable goals for their preparations and then stay on track as they work towards the day they are ready to step on the plane!

Thanks again for all of your support and we look forward to spreading this Career Break Movement together!

When we started talking about the concept of Meet, Plan, Go! we had no idea how many people would embrace the concept of career break and extended travel. And we have been pleasantly surprised by the response to this night of events with nearly 1,400 people registered and another 700+ on our wait lists! And of course we couldn’t have done it without our stellar team of hosts.

What we love about our hosts is that they all come from different backgrounds and have very different career break experiences to share. Like our Washington DC host, Sonia Zamborsky, said in Letting Go: Making Other Plans: “There is no ‘right’ way to travel, and there is no ‘right’ way to do a career break. All sorts of people are doing it their way, a million different ways.”

And Jeff Jung, our Austin co-host, really encapsulated our diverse experiences in his post ‘The Many Faces of Long-Term and Career Break Travel’. “What I want to convey is that the long-term traveler is not one type of person but a diverse group of people all passionate about the potential that long-term travel has to enrich one’s life in a way that no other activity can.”

He so smartly broke us down as:

• The Enablers: Barbara and Elizabeth Pagano (Atlanta) | Tara Russell (San Francisco)
• The “Back to Work” Breaker: Sonia Zamborsky (Washington DC)
• The 20-Something Breakers: Lillie Marshall (Boston) | Michael Tieso and Teresa Gotay (Philadelphia)
• The Soloists: Janice Waugh (Toronto) | Alisha Robertson (Dallas) | Lisa Lubin (Chicago)
• The Traveling Duos: Betsy & Warren Talbot (Seattle) | Keith & Amy Sutter (Philadelphia)
• The Family Breakers: Marc & Danielle Hoffmeister (Dallas) | Mike & Catrell Cooney (Orlando)
• The Ex-Corporatists: Sherry Ott (New York City) | Jeff Jung (Austin)
• The Multiple Breakers: Kirk Horsted (Minneapolis) | Michaela Potter (New York City)

And if you factor in all of our Panelists and Ambassadors, the experiences multiply tremendously.

If you are unable to make it to a Meet, Plan, Go! event or your city is sold out, you can still follow the conversation on Twitter! For months we have been using the hashtag #MeetPlanGo – but you can follow the specific city of your choice.

FOLLOW THE CONVERSATIONS ON TWITTER

Atlanta #MPGATL | Austin #MPGAUS | Boston #MPGBOS | Chicago #MPGCHI
Dallas #MPGDAL | Minneapolis #MPGMPLS | New York City #MPGNYC
Orlando #MPGORL | Philadelphia #MPGPHI | San Francisco #MPGSF |
Seattle #MPGSEA | Washington DC #MPGDC | Toronto #MPGTO

We will be sure to share photos, videos and stories from across North America in the days and weeks following the event.

And if you haven’t already, be sure to sign up for our newsletter and join our Facebook Fan Page to stay up to date on future events and the launch of our Career Break Boot Camp in January 2011!

Are you stuck in the closet – afraid to come out and act like you really want to? I bet you are. In fact – I bet about 90% of you are. You are lurking in the dark, afraid to declare your secret desires, but willing to watch; from a safe place.

You are in the career break closet.

Research shows that about 90% of the people who read online media do not actually participate in the conversation; consumption vs. production. That’s fine, I understand, communicating online isn’t for everyone.

However I’m willing to believe that a percentage of that 90% are not lurking because they want to, but because they feel like they have to. They are staying in the closet because they can’t yet let people know about their career break plans. They must stay in the closet in order to remain at their jobs and while they quietly plan their getaway.

Keith and Amy Sutter from Green Around the Globe share their time in the career break closet:

In January of 2009 Amy and I made the big decision, to travel the world for a year. And with all of the excitement and anxiety that comes with such a big decision there was one unpleasant aspect that regularly kept us up at night. We now had a huge secret to keep from everyone we knew. There are practical elements to keeping your decision a secret initially. What if you decide not to do it? What happens if something comes up? A family member gets ill, you get ill. There are any number of potential events that could change your plans. So Amy and I went into the “traveler closet” for 6 months. This meant that as we were doing our initial research, reading books, blogs and anything else we could get our hands on, we had to be sure to keep it all under wraps. When friends came over for dinner we had to spend 10 minutes scanning the condo to make sure an incriminating book was not left laying out.

When we did start telling people, starting with close family we had to bring them into our “circle of trust”. We had to make sure we controlled who knew when. Practically it was to make sure we handled giving notice at our respective workplaces on our terms and in a professional manner. We could not afford, either financially or professional, for word of our plans to leak back to our companies before we were ready. The other reason to control the information is so that we would be the ones to personally tell every one of our family and friends. That reason was selfish, we wanted to be there to see or hear their unfiltered initial reactions. One of the best parts of planning the trip is telling the people you are closest to and getting their reactions.

I completely understand this feeling. When I was planning my career break to begin in September 2006, I actually started the planning a year prior to that. Even though I’ve never been married, I likened the planning process to that of a wedding. After all, most people who take a career break don’t simply decide one day and leave in a week; it takes time to shut down your ‘normal’ life in order to branch off into the adventurous unknown.

My year of being in the closet was one of the hardest I can remember. It was full of self doubt, stress, worry, indecision, and temptation. Only my closest friends knew of my plans as well as my family. I thought it was important to ease my family into the concept of my career break; especially my father.

As it got closer to my departure the really difficult things had to start happening. The ones where you knew there was no turning back…such as telling my landlord and subletting my apartment. It was exhilarating and terrifying all at once.

Then there was work. As an IT manager we were always planning out into the future. When we started having to plan out past my future at the company – and only I knew about it – stress overwhelmed me. The thought of committing to things at work knowing that I would be leaving and would never even see or really care about that project was not as fun as once might think. In fact, my sense of responsibility got the best of me when I started having nightmares about leaving my job…the job I hated.

So – why I am feeding all of your career break closet dwellers stories that will keep you in the closet? I’m telling you this stuff because I WISH there would have been something like Briefcase to Backpack and Meet Plan Go when I was in the closet. Hence, it’s one of the driving reasons why we developed the site and the nationwide event.

Briefcase to Backpack is a safe place where you can actually crack the door of the closet open for a bit and actually speak up; talk about your fears, excitement, plans, and indecision. We’ve all been in your position. You can comment and not use your real name if you want…no one will know! We just want you to know that we, and our community of career break veterans, are here for you to make the transition from Briefcase to Backpack a little easier.

When you can finally tell people, it makes all of the waiting worth it and sometimes it even comes with benefits! Here’s Warren and Betsy Talbot’s story:

When we made the decision to leave our lives in Seattle to travel the world there was a huge question around when I would tell my employer. After all, I would be walking away from a great job as a Director and leaving a career behind. We set the date for 2 years out to give us time to save and sell everything we own, and as a result we were torn between sharing our excitement with others and the fear of being exposed at work. To help relieve some of the pressure we started our Married with Luggage website/blog using the aliases Husband and Wife.

However, the truth is that keeping the secret was something that I knew I could not do until we left. After months of wrestling with the decision, we decided that the pain of keeping the secret was not worth the risk posed by telling everyone. Thus, 14 months before we were set to leave on our multi-year trip around the world, I told my bosses about our plans. The response was overwhelmingly positive and they have all been more supportive than I could have imagined. In the year since telling them I have been promoted, given a new opportunity to drive change, and have been assured that if I ever want to return the door would be open. After so much angst it was an amazing feeling to be able to share my plans with everyone in my life.

Sometimes coming out of the closet can be the best thing for you! If I can even get one of you closet lurkers to speak up, then it will be worth it! Come on…speak up, tell us about your career break dreams and preparations, ask us questions, and feel free to come out of the career break closet for a little while; your in good company.

How does one balance the importance of living in the present with the need to prepare for the future? Some people don’t contemplate this issue. They simply do what comes naturally – sometimes suffering the consequences of favoring one over the other.

But, if you are one who does consider how to balance the two, where does the answer lie. And, what is the question?  If you love travel, the question is: should I stay or should I go?

We chose to go.
Late in 2000 my husband and I decided to go.

We could finally see our way clear to living our dream of long-term travel. Having sold our business and with two sons out the door, one entering his last year of high school and the youngest going into grade six, it all seemed possible.

To others, it may have made more sense to wait, at least a year, but we planned and went. We bet on the present over the future and, as you’ll see, we won.

Our trip of a Lifetime
My husband had traveled a year through South America when I was just entering high school. (He had seven years on me.) I had taken many short trips since I was 15 – a few weeks here, a month there. Together, as we blended our families, started and built a business – we lived a very busy life – we also planned to travel. In 1995, we managed six weeks with kids in France, Scotland and Ireland. But that wasn’t enough. We had bigger plans in mind.

Then in 2000 it seemed right. Our number three son could do his last year at Neuchatel Junior College, a Canadian school in Switzerland, and I would homeschool our youngest. We could rent our house for income (we made $25,000 in ten months) and rent a VW Pop-up camper for transportation and accommodation. Yes, it could all work. We fit the pieces together and left at the end of August 2001.

Over the next 10 months we covered a lot of ground. My mother joined us for a few weeks. The older sons each came over for a time. It was a free-flowing trip of a lifetime. When we needed to feel settled, we stayed. When we’d had enough of a location, we simply moved on.

Life Without Regrets
We came home in June of 2002 which is a perfect time to return. The summer is slower than most times of the year and gave us two months to prepare for the real new year, September.

However, while the kids and I settled back into our home life, my husband became less settled. Was it the culture shock of re-entry? We couldn’t tell at first but his life, our life, got very complicated. And it became even more so over the next few years.

In 2006, my husband was finally diagnosed with Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP), a very rare neurological disease that first shows itself in personality changes and later with debilitating physical changes.  He passed away later that year on December 9^th.

While our choice to take an extended trip at that particular time of life may have seemed odd to some, it made sense to us. At least, we made it make sense. We put our present and our future on a scale and chose to live in the present for that year. And, at the time, we had no idea that it was our last chance to do so.

Should you stay or should you go?

Go.

With her children grown Janice now travels solo. She is also publisher of Solo Traveler, a blog that offer travel stories, tips, safety advice and destination ideas for those who travel alone. You can sign up for her newsletter and receive her free ebook: Glad You’re Not Here, a solo traveler’s manifesto. A professional writer and entrepreneur, she is also co-founder of the Global Bloggers Network, an interactive, online service for travel bloggers. She is also hosting Meet, Plan, Go! in Toronto.

The digital world is king. Most of our interactions are done digitally now; just think about your average week of texting, social networking, and emailing. Even for people who don’t live online as I do, the digital world has crept into the heart of our days. When was the last time you mailed a letter, or called someone’s land line? Do you even have a land line? We read our news digitally, we date digitally, we even manage to purchase our gas without ever having to see or talk to another person. Physical interaction is old fashioned.

In the world of digital connections sometimes I forget the power of simply being physically present. So when the panel of travel writers and editors sat down in front of the audience and actually started talking I was a bit startled; they were real people talking to me. Their wise voices emoted rise and fall in pitch, and there were pauses for emphasis. I could read their facial expressions and most importantly understand their tone. All little things I have come to take for granted in the flat world of reading text online.

The panel was impressive. Even though I had met some of them before in social settings, it felt different this time. I was here to hear them speak about there craft – in person; I was present.

The expert panel of writers and editors talked about the importance of story telling as opposed to simply describing the situation. They discussed the importance of arc in a story, and writing using all of the senses. As I sat and listened to them it hit me; none of what they were saying was rocket science. In fact – I’m pretty sure that in my digital world of Google searches I could have found these exact pieces of information if I had googled “how to write a good travel story”. But listening to them speak the words and see their expressions and body movement gave it all a different impact.

It inspired me.

I got out my notebook and started to write notes…actual handwritten notes. I really thought about what they were saying and it resonated with me. I believe it resonated with me because I was there physically in person to hear their voices resonate – a complete physical and emotional experience.

This got me thinking about my own blog and writing. After all, I looked around the auditorium and was surrounded by travel bloggers. We push out digital information to our readers who we’ve never met physically. Sure, that’s an effective way to reach people; however, how much more effective would it be to actually be able to speak to my readers. Or more importantly, how much more inspired would they be if they actually met me in person and heard me talk about the benefits of career break and extended travel. Would they be inspired?

This is why I’m so excited to be a part of creating the travel discussion, Meet, Plan, Go! a free event where you can physically meet some of your favorite travel experts and ask them questions in person. I think it’s great that you read Briefcase to Backpack to learn about other inspiring couples and solo travelers benefiting from taking traveling career breaks. But consider how much more inspired you would be if you could actually meet some of them. Would the message seem more powerful, more meaningful, more compelling? I think so.

We are trying to bring you that opportunity when organizing Meet, Plan, Go! We’ve brought together a group of truly inspirational travel writers/bloggers, career breakers, and extended travelers to simply give you time with them. Time with them in person. They will be scattered out among 13 locations in the US and Canada as we try to reach as many of you as we can.

Why are we doing this? Because we want you to see the world. I hope you join us and see our body language, hear our tone, listen to our pitch; and most importantly receive our message in a way that can be much more powerful than bit and bytes.

The message is more powerful in person.

Be present.

Do you receive and process a message differently in person as opposed to writing?  Leave a comment and tell us what you think!

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?
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.

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?
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.

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

Other hotbeds of career break talk on the internet seem to be about mothers (expectant ones and especially those going back to the workforce), people who had a ‘big break’ in their career, and our global neighbors the Brits taking a gap year. It seems that in the UK the idea of a career break is a regular part of their vocabulary. What I’ve learned from my Google alert for ‘career break’ is actors, singers, mothers, and Brits can take them; it’s socially acceptable.

When I started researching the keyword “career break’ for our SEO plan for Briefcase to Backpack I knew we had a hard climb ahead of us. I learned Americans don’t really search for the word…ever. I tried the word ‘sabbatical’ and had a few more hits, but in general Americans don’t consider this extended time off concept really part of their vocabulary.

This made me sad and happy. Sad because as Americans we just don’t get it. There are people all over the world taking a break from their career and employers who support that idea. They find a break rewarding, invigorating, educational, and they actually enjoy going back to their job more productive; but not in America. Sad. However I’m happy because it does show the need for Briefcase to Backpack to exist. It shows there’s an opportunity to bring this concept to overworked and burnt out Americans.

One problem – there’s a need, but the people who need it don’t know about it. How do you get people to search for a phrase that they don’t really think exists? Actually, they know it exists because they follow Beyonce’s career break; but they don’t really think that it exists for them.

How do you get a word to get noticed? How do you create excitement and interest in the word so that people want to type it in Google and search for it to learn more? Sometimes I think reaching world peace would be easier than getting Americans to understand that career breaks are possible. People think taking a career break will ruin their career; little do they know that it’s actually a career maker.  Not to mention that odds are you’ll bee a happier person after taking a break from your job. Isn’t that what all of us Americans are searching for – the pursuit of happiness?

Video kindly provided by Chris Christensen from Amateur Traveler Podcast

For the same reason that Beyonce takes a year off from singing and dancing…regular people need career breaks too. Sometimes what you need is to grow your experiences and develop skills outside of the workforce. That can be done thru travel, further education, or longer term volunteering. The key is to get away…whatever your away is.

I know what you’re thinking; we aren’t all rich like Beyonce. However you can make it over the money/mortgage hurdle with a little work and a lot of compromising (I never said it was easy…I just said it was possible)

The second big concern about taking career breaks is that you’ll ruin your career with a big gap in your resume. Do you think that Beyonce worries about ruining her career? Probably not. Why? Because she’s confident. She will take this time off and use it to her advantage to re-energize, get to know herself and her strengths better, try new projects, and determine the path she wants to take when she returns to her career. She doesn’t sit and worry about ever winning a Grammy again because she knows she will win another Grammy.

If you take a career break and look closely at what you have learned and how you can apply it to your career when you return , AND you can confidently sell that experience you gained; then you’ll find a job upon your return. People like people who have confidence. I suppose in Beyonce’s case, people also like a nice bootie.

So when you are ready to finally un-tether your bootie from your desk, or you’ve reached a plateau, or you are jealous of the other countries that seem to get endless vacation, or you simply are burned out; then type in these two words “career break”. You might just find out that there is a whole world of websites and articles there to help you realize you aren’t alone. You’ll learn the words “career break” exist for more than movie stars, musicians, Brits, and moms.

You may even find Briefcase to Backpack. I hope you do.

I recently had the pleasure of hearing Seth Godin talk at the Small Business Summit in New York City. (Godin is a bestselling author, entrepreneur, agent of change and overall inspiring speaker.) And although he was addressing an audience of small business owners and entrepreneurs, the messages he imparted can most certainly apply to you as well.

Following are a few of his “sound bites” that made a great impression on me and led to a few observations of my own. (Please note that they are paraphrased from my fastidious notetaking.)

Become a Misfit
“The reason they want you to fit in is that once you do, they can ignore you.” – Seth Godin
Growing up it always seemed so important to “fit in”. And as a grown-up, we’ve been led to believe that we must do what is “expected” of us. If we follow this expected path of least resistance, we are promised a metaphorical pot of gold at the end of the rainbow – retirement. But the trick is on us once we get there to find out we won’t always have the health or wealth to enjoy it. In the meantime, we are serving other people’s goals and not our own.

Be an Artist of Your Own Life
“Art is about seeing the world as you want to see it. Artists work without a map.” – Seth Godin
In school we were always taught to stand in line, fill in the ovals with a #2 pencil, and raise your hand before you spoke. We were told how the world looks from text books and outdated film strips. Now that you are old enough, don’t be afraid to make choices for yourself. Color outside the lines – swing upside down from the jungle gym – and most importantly, don’t let other people’s views of the world make you question your own.

Ignore the “In-Crowd”
“We all have a lizard brain – that voice in the back of our head telling us to stop because we are worried about failing and people laughing at us. It forces us to act like sheep.” – Seth Godin
If you have ever expressed your dreams of travel to people before, most likely you have gotten strange looks and responses like “why would you want to do that?” or “why would you want to travel there?”. More often then not, these people are resentful that you want to break out of the mold and do something unique. Trust me, there is a network of other career breakers who will openly accept you into their clique.

Still need more motivation?

Top 10 Reasons to Take a Career Break and Travel

Why It’s Not Crazy for Working Professionals to Quit Their Jobs and Travel the World

Six Reasons Living on the Road is Good Option in a Down Economy

Round-the-World Trip Tips, Planning Resources, Inspiration and More

So….what’s stopping you now?

Barbara Pagano & Elizabeth Pagano

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.

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?
The best things we had going for us were our enthusiasm and a pretty good mother-daughter relationship. We communicated openly and frequently. That doesn’t mean we saw eye to eye on everything, because we didn’t! (Slammed teak cabin doors make a loud bang.) The absolute best thing we did was to not declare a “captain.” This aggravated many of the cruisers we met who’d say, “but you have to have a captain.” But it worked for us. In fact, because neither of us carried more weight, we were forced to “work it out.” And the quicker the better, because we were in tight quarters, you know?

We built on our communication skills, worked through our conflicts, and shared stunning daily vistas that made us smile. Plus, we enjoy one another’s company and like to laugh. That helped.

Did you face any anxieties while preparing? If so, how did you deal with them?
The reactions from family and friends were mixed. While Elizabeth’s friends tended to think it was cool and were supportive, my friends said things like: “Are you out of your mind?”; “This is dangerous”; “You don’t know what you’re doing.” My husband asked me if I’d consider putting a captain on board. But it was important to me to try to do it on our own. He accepted that and was totally supportive (but fearful as well).

How did you decide on what to do and where to go?
Our approaches were very different. I just wanted to “head south for as long as we can.” Elizabeth needed a goal. One afternoon, we rolled out a map of the Caribbean and I said, “Pick a place.” Elizabeth chose Trinidad…that became the goal.

But we never made it that far. And in hindsight, the goal was too aggressive given the time of year, wind direction and the length of our sabbatical. In the end, the goal wasn’t important – the journey was.

What surprised you the most about yourself during this trip? About each other?
I was challenged with pushing a little boat through big water, and there was much I didn’t know. Navigation was a puzzle and so were some of the boat’s systems. And while I was determined, I realized I was slower than my daughter to pick up things and “get it”. At first that was so frustrating to me (and to Elizabeth). Accepting the fact that age changes things just meant I had to be persistent and plan for a longer learning curve – but I’d eventually get it!

Elizabeth had always known me to be a very confident, in-charge, decisive woman. Then, a couple of weeks into the trip, she realized I was none of those things. Her nickname for me was “Nervous Nelly.” I didn’t like that at all. As the trip unfolded, Elizabeth watched me work through my self-doubt and show vulnerability. And she respected that.

Don’t wait. Go before you are ready.

While on the road, what helped you through any doubts or struggles you encountered?
We found a community of cruisers who gave us plenty of help along the way, from teaching Elizabeth to fiberglass our water tanks to helping us re-wire our power system. Best of all, they encouraged us and built our confidence.

We also worked every day to do things better. At the end of each day, we’d sit in the cockpit and have a conversation: What did we do well? What could we have done better? Our focus on becoming better may have been because we anticipated times when Mother Nature might slap us around (which she did). But it also built our confidence. And each day we really did do some things better!

Did you feel you could have been better prepared in any way? If so, how?
Some would say that we should never have left until we proved to be good sailors. Had we waited for that, we’d probably still be at the dock. We left before we were ready….and we’d encourage others to do the same.

How was your experience returning home? Did you struggle with reverse culture shock?
The hardest part of the whole trip wasn’t 10-foot waves breaking over the bow or the fish pot that wrapped around our rudder during a night sail. It was getting off the boat. We were out of money and out of time, so we had to go back to our land lives. But we loved our life at sea … we were learning to be better sailors every day … and there was a new island to explore just around the bend. Re-entry was really tough.

Reflecting on your sabbatical, what insight did you gain?
Desire outranks skill and experience. If you really want to do something, you’ll learn what you need to know. It won’t be pretty, and you’ll make lots of mistakes. You might even be afraid.

Bottom line for us: We learned to be brave.

How did you apply lessons learned from your experience to your life and work now?
We make fast decisions. On the boat, all kinds of things happened – the wind picks up, that darned current is stronger than anticipated, the weather forecast turns out wrong or the jib is jammed. Should we reef the sail, turn around, or plan on entering an anchorage after dark? We learned to take in the information and make the best decision we could, because we had to.

We also learned that changing a decision or reversing a decision is no big deal. So what if you’ve got 8 knots under your keel and you are almost to your destination when a pod of whale goes by, traveling in the opposite direction. With one turn of the helm and a couple of sail adjustments, you can be right there in the middle of the pod!

In our business, there’s always the unknown, and we’ll never have ALL the information. We make the best decision we can and adjust it if necessary.

What advice would you give to someone thinking of doing this?
Don’t wait. Go before you are ready.

What are the benefits of a travel sabbatical and what types of activities do you recommend to your clients?
I think the greatest benefit of travel sabbaticals can be summed up by one of my favorite quotes from travel writer Pico Iyer: “Travel is like love: It cracks you open, and so pushes you over all the walls and low horizons that habits and defensiveness set up.” When we are home, we can begin to define ourselves by our routines and labels (i.e. our careers, our consumer habits, etc.) For example, I’ve had clients come to me and say “I’m a top-level executive consultant with 15 years delivering Six Sigma expertise to tech firms in Silicon Valley” or “I’m an eco-conscious soy-latte-drinking, Prius-driving reusable-grocery-bag-toting Yoga nut!” All good stuff, to be sure…but not who these people really are at their core.

Travel removes us from our habits and routines and lets us rediscover ourselves anew. It expands our horizons, gives us fresh and new perspectives, strengthens our sense of adventure, pushes us to challenge ourselves and feeds an appreciation of our own courage and abilities. By the time those same clients came home, they were able to say “I am someone who survived and thrived during 15 months of solo travel…who watched the sun rise over Machu Picchu and set over the steppes of Mongolia, who learned new languages and opened up to new cultures…who made life-long friendships out of chance acquaintances, etc.” Those are gifts that come home with you and last a lifetime.

In terms of what activities are best for a sabbatical, that is a very personal decision and depends on the individual client – each person has different needs and wishes for their time off and we do a lot of coaching around what exactly that might look like. Some people need adventure and adrenaline; white water rafting, sky diving and bungee jumping. Other clients want to completely disconnect and relax during their time off; get rid of their Blackberry, sit in a hammock and just read for weeks on end. Some need to reconnect with their passion or their work; to that effect, some of my clients have chosen to volunteer their professional skills during a sabbatical (i.e. teaching English or participating in a medical or dental mission trip.) As a Sabbatical Coach, I feel that determining what you want and need from your trip before looking at where you might travel is the first essential step in making any sabbatical a great success.

“Tara, I just wanted to let you know how impressed I am with your coaching. I can barely believe that I am currently taking a 12 month career break and have just returned from a trip through Cambodia which was the most amazing experience. Before we started coaching together, I had been working flat out for 25 years and figured that I deserved a break – it was one of the best decisions I have ever made. I went to Cambodia with the following in mind, ‘Can I learn to judge the quality of my day by how much I have noticed, rather than by how much I have accomplished?’ The work we did around shifting perspectives and setting those types of intentions made a huge difference.” – John K.

What are the benefits of using a career coach when planning/returning from a travel sabbatical?
One of the other great benefits of long-term travel sabbaticals is having time and space to examine who we are and what we truly want out of life. It sounds like a simple concept but in reality, it can be completely revolutionary. My clients begin that process of deep self-reflection and discovery before they even leave for their trip. I can’t tell you how many clients have come to me saying “I’ve never even taken the time to look at what I want or how I feel”. Coaching gives them that time and space as well as a powerful advocate and partner in that process.

When clients work with me, they get:

• Clarity about what they really want and need to get out of their trip
• Concrete goals – a “game plan” of how to go about making that trip of a lifetime into reality
• A passionate advocate who is in their corner at all times, helping them stay accountable to their dream and move forward step by step with planning
• Someone who has “been there, done that” and understands what it takes to realize this type of undertaking (and also the rich rewards of seeing it through!)

When returning from a sabbatical, working with a coach can be a huge advantage, easing what can often be a jarring transition period during repatriation. People are often shocked to find that the most challenging leg of their journey can actually be coming home. Repatriation can be exhilarating and overwhelming at times; disappointing and even depressing at others. People returning from a long stint traveling or living abroad sometimes feel that nobody can relate to what they have been through. Re-entry Coaching helps my clients get the same clarity, concrete goals and advocacy that pre-travel coaching gives them but in the case of repatriation, we are working towards helping them settle back into their life at home.

“With 2 top business degrees and a successful 7 year career in Brand Management, I took a year off to live in Spain. Everyone thought I was crazy to leave a great career (even for just a year), but I knew it was right. Coaching with you helped me put aside other people’s opinions in order to do what was right for me and kept me on track during the long, often overwhelming preparation process leading up to my sabbatical.

Over the course of my year off I learned Spanish, traveled around Spain, Europe and Morocco and met my husband. We moved back to the states together and I came back energized, in love, bilingual, and with many more career options (more because I had shifted my perspective, not for any particular skills that I acquired). I’ve transitioned to flexible freelance work, I’m working on getting certified as a Coach, and I’ve also gotten certified as an ESL teacher. This past summer, my husband and I took time off, which included teaching ESL in Poland. Another amazing experience! I couldn’t have done it without you.” – Kelly A.

Have you ever used a career coach or thought about using one? Tell us your thoughts!

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.

Did you face any anxieties while preparing? If so, how did you deal with them?
My biggest anxieties were breaking the news to my parents about the trip, which I did 2 years before I eventually left home, and notifying my boss at work, which I did about 2 1/2 weeks before I was ready to hit the road. I found the best way to deal with both situations, as well as the lesser anxieties about which malaria medication to use, and so on, was to remind myself how amazing my trip would be once I boarded that first plane. The knowledge that I was about to do something amazing always trumped my fears.

How did you decide on what to do and where to go?
Since this was my dream trip, I drew up a long list of countries that sounded appealing. My knowledge of most of them came from talking to other travelers, reading about them in magazines like National Geographic Adventure, or seeing them in TV shows or movies. The list ended up being at least 30 countries long. I knew I wouldn’t be able to visit them all, so I prioritized, selecting “must-see” destinations that I wanted to visit the most.

As for my route, I decided to head west to the Pacific and Asia first, as I wanted to arrive in Nepal during good weather for trekking (April). I also figured that if I started off with the countries farthest from home, then as I ran out of money toward the end of the trip, the countries I missed would be the least expensive to visit in the future.

What surprised you the most about the destinations you went to? What surprised you the most about yourself?
I was surprised at how easy it was to get around despite my lack of language skills. Even in places like Chengdu, China, I’d manage to get around with smiles and body language. Of course it was always a richer experience when I could speak to someone in English, or knew a little of the native language (such as Spanish in Colombia), however it showed me that not being able to speak the language is a very weak excuse for not traveling somewhere.

While on the road, what helped you through any doubts or struggles you encountered?
When I got a throat infection on Phuket in Thailand, it was leaving me so lethargic that I considered coming home. It was a little scary to feel such a lack of energy, and not have had the chance to make any travel friends. I e-mailed my parents every day, and just hearing them say that I could always come home for a break helped a lot. In the end, I stuck it out, recovered, and spent the better part of another year traveling!

I remember after having been in Asia for 7-8 months, feeling unenthusiastic about some of what I was seeing and doing. I messaged Gary from Everything Everywhere and he suggested jumping to a new continent. I decided to skip Vietnam, and hasten my jump to South Africa. It worked like a charm, as the minute I was flying over the African continent, peering out the airplane window, I felt that special sense of excitement again.

Did you feel you could have been better prepared in any way? If so, how?
Nope, I don’t think you can ever be fully prepared for long-term travel, and that’s part of the excitement.

How was your experience returning home? Did you struggle with reverse culture shock?
The last 6 months of my trip were spent living in Medellin, Colombia, so it was especially strange to return to suburban Virginia after living in a Latin American city. After a few weeks though, it felt like I’d never left, except for the fact that I was far more confident in myself as a result of overcoming all the challenges – physical, mental, financial, and emotional that I experienced while traveling.

To overcome the reverse culture shock, I started doing yoga regularly, which I didn’t get the chance to do much of in India, and I kept up with my salsa dancing which I had begun in Colombia.

Reflecting on your career break, what insight have you gained?
It feels incredibly empowering to set a big goal for yourself, work toward it every day for years, and then realize it. In my case, since traveling was my goal, I felt as though I had the chance to realize my dream every day for 20 months.

What advice would you give to someone thinking of doing this?
My best advice would be to set a dollar amount you want to save, and a time frame for achieving it. Then work backwards by setting yearly, monthly, and even weekly goals for getting there. It’s like the Confucius saying, “a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” Also, it helps to find a support system of likeminded people. Luckily, the online travel community is incredibly supportive.

What next?
I’m excited for the February 1st launch of my new online community, Travel Blog Success. I’ve spent the last few months building an online course around everything I wish I’d known about travel blogging when I got started back in 2007. In addition to the lessons covering everything from buying a domain name to making money online, there will be an exclusive Blog featuring audio interviews with popular travel bloggers and a Forum where members can interact, collaborate, and support each other.

Be sure to vote for Go Backpacking as Best Travel Blog and Medellin Living for Best Latin American Blog in the 2010 Bloggies!

Career breaks and sabbaticals are a great opportunity to quiet your mind and help you connect with what it is that will make you truly happy.

One of the things that drew me to immigrate to the USA is a phrase in the Declaration of Independence.

I grew up in England, which holds its citizens as “subjects” of the monarch, with no written constitution to guarantee their rights. The idea that the purpose of government was to secure for its citizens “certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” was revolutionary. It seemed a wonderful basis on which to create a country and a new life for myself.

I moved to Menlo Park in the heart of Silicon Valley in the mid 1990s. The computer industry was in full bloom and the Internet was starting to explode. Netscape’s offices opened a couple of blocks from where I worked in Mountain View. Central to my choice to be here was the unquestioned assumption that the pursuit of happiness lay through the pursuit of wealth. I would become rich and happy – or so I thought.

What I discovered over the next two years was that the personal price I was paying for continuing to climb the corporate ladder no longer seemed worth it. I had reached a point of diminishing returns. Although it was nice to see a growing bank balance (which I have always equated with more freedom), what I was doing to earn that money was not what I would do if I were truly free. So in 1997, I left my job on what I thought would be a six-month sabbatical, in search of a more direct route to happiness. I traveled to a meditation and yoga ashram where I lived for the next seven years.

During my stay in the ashram, I was immersed in a culture, philosophy and practices very different from those of the high-tech business world I had left behind. Here I learned that joy is our natural state of being when we quiet our mind (both anxieties and fantasies) long enough to notice it. I learned to start by accessing the joy and peace within me, and create my life and work from there – rather than expecting a fast paced, stressful job to somehow “earn” me happiness. Now, eight years after leaving the cloistered ashram life, my work as “The Sabbatical Coach” is to help others make their own break with their past to create work lives grounded in joy and fulfillment. And to do so as directly as possible. After all, not everyone can afford the luxury of a seven-year retreat from the working world.

To help others in their personal pursuit of happiness, I turn, somewhat paradoxically, to science. One of the advantages of science as a methodology is that science is peer reviewed within global scientific community, so when I quote a scientific expert, you can place him in the spectrum of the scientific establishment (and hence quickly gauge his credibility as an expert). It is not that I expect science and logic to convince you of the need for a change, only your heart can do that. What I do know is that reason can help reassure your mind that you are doing the right thing and spare you a lot of inner conflict.

Dr. Martin Seligman is one of the leaders in scientific research on the subject of happiness. He is a past president of the American Psychological Association, and the founder of the Positive Psychology movement.

According to Martin Seligman, there are three distinct ways to generate happiness. In order of increasing effectiveness they are:

1. A Pleasant Life: This is a life filled with pleasures. These are often things which money can buy and are usually fleeting in their happiness impact.
2. An Engaged Life: This is a life where we are so focused on some activity that we loose track of time and become totally absorbed.
3. A Meaningful Life: This is a life filled with relationships and activities which hold intrinsic meaning – they are not a means to an end. It usually involves finding our place in the world through our contribution to something bigger than us which we love.

Here is a 25-minute video of Dr. Seligman presenting these ideas at a TED conference. Take the time to watch it; you’ll save yourself a lot of time down the road.

So what does this have to do with you, as you consider taking a break from your work?

My assumption is that you are contemplating a career break/sabbatical because your work life has not generated the levels of happiness that you seek there.

If my assumption about you is correct, doesn’t it make sense to devote some part of your career break/sabbatical resources (time and money) to learning about what generates success in the pursuit of happiness? If so, Martin Seligman’s book Authentic Happiness: Using the New Positive Psychology to Realize Your Potential for Lasting Fulfillment is a great place to start.

Which of the three paths to happiness (pleasure, engagement, or meaning) will drive your choices of how you spend your time and money on your career break/sabbatical? If you intend your career break/sabbatical to be a stepping-stone to a happier life, science suggests that you choose the path of meaning.

You can do this by:

1. Finding out what you care most about; what you would be willing to devote your life to.
2. Planning your career break/sabbatical so that it includes as much of that as you can. If you have a few alternatives, try them all out and notice how spending time on each of them makes you feel.
3. Designing a structure to keep yourself exploring what has meaning for you (your values) and incorporating more of it into your life.

A life/career coach can be a very useful resource in all three of these steps. If you are serious about returning from your career break/sabbatical to work which is more fulfilling than the job you have now, consider investing in all the help you can get to make your quest more likely to succeed.