On Monday we highlighted the incredible efforts of Groundwork Opportunities (GO) – working to create a world beyond poverty by investing in groundbreaking ideas, empowering local leaders, and engaging communities.

And this Photo Friday from East Africa is from photographer Peter Prato, whose experience we highlighted as well.

As Peter said “To explain what it was like to arrive in places that are war torn and filled with joy, it just doesn’t work in formats like this. Imagine the most moving moments of your life. The times when you realized that there was simply no way you could possibly exist, the you who you are, without other people. It was something like that. When I arrived home I had a difficult time understanding what was happening, or how the streets could be so clean, and calm, or how they could even exist at all.

“The best that I can sum up volunteering in the field is that I think of my life now in two pieces. I think of my life before I went into the field with GO, and I think of everything I want it to be after that experience.”

How has volunteering abroad changed your view of the world and yourself?

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This Photo Friday from Sintra, Portugal is from Facebook Fan Nan LaCaille, who left her job in August 2010 due to inevitable company wide layoffs.

“I sold everything I owned to be free of rent, bills, you name it, and to have finances for travel. What I hoped would happen with my career is that I would discover alternative ways to live, create art and design, to be more independent and free. I’m still in that process. I’ve found much inspiration in this period, made many more friends from all over, and I wish everyone a moment to mix up their lives a little to get more flavor from it!”

You can catch up on Nan’s travels throughout Europe as well as her design work on her site “Nan – Now & Next“.

How do you hope your career break will reshape your career?

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Photographer Peter West Carey recently shared tips on how to best capture Machu Picchu through a lens.

“Before you get to Sun Gate there is a spot to stop. Not the first one with the tall rock to the right. Past that. The spot you are looking for is small and has two simple, small terraces on the right side of the trail. THIS is the spot you want.”

It was from this spot where Peter captured images for this time lapse video.

What dream destination have you always wanted to photograph? Already have? Share it with us!

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The Vogel family, aka Family on Bikes, are adventure seekers who learned early to live life to the fullest. So much so that they spent three years biking the Pan-American highway from the top of Alaska to the bottom of Argentina.

“When we decided to quit our jobs and take off on bikes with our children, we never envisioned ‘Share the Road’ would mean share it with bison.”

What adventures do you seek?

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Last year Caroline Mann Koller traded her office daydreams for the real thing. “I spent six months traveling solo in the South Pacific and this is my favorite memory – swimming with the humpback whales in Tonga. This calf and I played and danced in the deep blue ocean while his mom watched over us.”

Check out Caroline’s travel website for more photos and adventures! www.travelswithcarly.com

Where do you daydream of escaping to?

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This Photo Friday from Canyonlands, Utah was shared by Aimee & Patrick of Propane Kitchen.

This photo was taken three months into their journey across the US in a Winnebago Minnie. Aimee & Patrick are using this break to see how people eat outside the Bay Area bubble; to connect with farmers, chefs and friends; to take hikes, ride bikes, and laze around in the sun.

Want to see your photo here? Check out our easy submission policy!

When you travel off the beaten path, you have to be prepared to stand out. People will stare, follow you, touch your hair; being a ‘minority’ is one of my favorite things about travel. I wandered into this village in the Hill Country of Sri Lanka and found these villagers celebrating a local festival. However when I showed up with my camera – I became the spectacle. Kids surrounded me, people tried to communicate with me, and they invited me to join in the celebration. Getting off the tourist trail is one of the most rewarding things you can do during your career break travels.

Photography Tip: Make sure that you ask people’s permission before taking photos like these, and if they say yes, then shoot away!

You can see more photos from this festival at Ottsworld – The Powers of Observation.

Want to see your photo here? Check out our easy submission policy!

Meet, Plan, Go! Co-Founder, Sherry Ott had the opportunity to meet with some travel giants this week in Seattle. She is pictured here with Scott Durchslag, the President of Expedia.com.

I spoke with Scott about sabbatical travel and the recent Vacation Deprivation study that Expedia conducted and was thrilled to hear Scott say, “Travel increases people’s productivity.” He felt strongly that it was not only important to ensure that employees are taking their allotted vacation, but he also had positive things to say about sabbaticals.

He is a big believer in the transformative qualities of sabbaticals. He told me he takes a sabbatical every 5 years and immerses himself in experiences and cultures. I was enthralled listening to stories of his past sabbaticals and took a few notes for ideas for my future travels! He’s an avid mountaineer and has climbed peaks in Tibet and Africa and has spent extensive time in China. However, the highlight of my time with him was hearing that my nomadic lifestyle and Meet, Plan, Go! work was an inspiration to him!

The message? There’s hope for our career break movement!

It is good to know that there are business leaders who embrace and believe in the many benefits of travel and sabbaticals. It is leaders like Scott who will hopefully bring more attention to our career break movement making the idea of extended travel acceptable and part of our career path.

Want to see your photo here? Check out our easy submission policy!

Today we are revisiting the first photo that kicked off our Photo Friday series.

For our first Photo Friday I choose a photo from my volunteer experience with Peru’s Challenge during my 2006 career break. With the extreme flooding that has been devastating vast regions of Peru, I am reminded of how much that experience and the people of Peru touched me. As part of my volunteering, I photographed the children of Pumamarca for a fundraising calendar. In order to capture them most naturally (without hamming it up for the camera), I used a long lens and shot away while they were distracted during playtime. This is just one of many that truly captured their spirit.

Want to see your photo here? Check out our easy submission policy!

Congratulations to Devon Mills who said goodbye to this cubicle on Wednesday. “Today I said goodbye to this cubicle, and I now look forward to planning the round-the-world trip I’ll embark on in Feb. 2012! First stop: Chiang Mai, Thailand.”

Devon shares more about why “Someday is Today“. Fittingly, her blog is entitled “Answering Oliver” – inspired by Mary Oliver’s quote “Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”. We know that Devon is going to have many exciting answers to that question.

What do you plan to do?

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This Photo Friday is in honor of the recent release of The Muppets movie. For years, one of Michaela Potter’s favorite travel partners was Janice, the ultimate guitar player from Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem. Together they had many great adventures through Central & South America, where she eventually found her final home. Come along for the journey!

Enjoying the surf & a sunset beer in Costa Rica

Enjoying nature and the wildlife in Ecuador

The sea lions in the Galapagos haven't seen the likes of her before

Sunset cruising in the Galapagos

Looking stylish during a Peruvian festival & hiking the Inca Trail

Janice connected with a local band in Cusco and decided she found her home

Do you have a favorite ‘travel partner’?

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Thanks to Facebook Fan Matt Judd for sharing this photo from the Galapagos Islands.

The Galapagos are high on many peoples “must-see” lists, whether on a career break or a vacation. There is no place like it in the world. As Matt says “The human element simply does not exist with creatures in the Galapagos. Maybe that is why he looks so happy. You can almost see the smile on his face!”

What destinations or experiences are top on your must-see list?

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This stunning Photo Friday comes from the Yee Peng Festival in Chiang Mai, Thailand and was submitted by fan Casey Engels. We agree with her statement that it is a surreal pairing of the calm floating lanterns and celebratory fireworks.

In April 2011 Casey and Eli left their home in Boston with a one-way ticket to Iceland. “We took the leap, quitting our jobs in this less than desirable economy and committed to fully exploring the unknown as best we could.”

You can follow their adventures on their site Wonder Wander.

What international festivals or celebrations have you experienced during your travels?

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Ten years ago I (Michaela Potter) was on my first career break, which took me to Nepal, Thailand, Vietnam & Cambodia. Reflecting back on my journal, I realized that on this exact date at that time I was experiencing the majesty of the Himalaya Range during the Annapurna Circuit. Having made it over the Thorang Pass, we could enjoy the beauty of the surrounding mountains during our descent.

“What a spectacular view! We’ve had a lovely, no-wind hike this morning along the riverbed from Marpha and have stopped at the most beautiful spot for lunch. We are in an open meadow with surrounding fir trees and Dhaulagiri Mountain right in front of us. It doesn’t get more perfect than this.”

What were some of your “perfect” career break moments?

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This Photo Friday was submitted by Rhonda & Jim Delameter, whose career break in 2007-08 took them through 19 countries, including Namibia where this photo was taken.

“We had a year of superlatives…birthdays on the Great Barrier Reef and floating the Nile. Thanksgiving on the beach in Bali. Christmas with tens of thousands of Vietnamese dressed as Santa in Hanoi. New Years Eve on the shore of the Mekong and Valentines day watching the sunrise at the Taj Mahal. The highlight was getting up long before dawn to hike the worlds highest sand dunes in Namibia on our 18th anniversary to watch the sun come up over Africa.”

We will be sharing more about Rhonda & Jim’s career break (and future plans) in the coming weeks, but couldn’t wait to share this awe-inspiring photo.

Have you celebrated an important milestone during your travels?

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They are solo travelers – they are couple travelers – they even travel with their families. They are 28 – they are 58. They are volunteers – they are adventurers. They were tired of their jobs – they were laid off from their jobs. They faced critical times in their lives, like cancer and divorce – they decided that there was no better time than now.

The faces you see here represent the career breakers you will meet on October 18th. These are our inspiring panelists. They don’t have super powers that afforded them to do this. They are just like you and me. And we think they are pretty remarkable for following their dreams.

Can you picture your face amongst them?

This nationwide event only happens once a year. Don’t delay your dreams any longer. Get your ticket today.

Austin | Boston | Chicago | Denver | Honolulu | Las Vegas | Los Angeles
Minneapolis | New Orleans | New York City | Orlando | Portland | San Francisco
Seattle | St. Louis | Toronto | Washington DC

This glowing Photo Friday from Botswana was submitted by Facebook Fan Sage Russell.

Sage writes “This is a sunset shot in Botswana, 2-weeks into what has now become 6 months on the road. I’m in Edinburgh, Scotland now, and have turned my career break into a mobile career by writing and looking for lecture and talk opportunities everywhere I go. All thanks to what I learned on B2B [Briefcase to Backpack].”

We can’t wait to hear more about his travels through his site Food Pilgrimage: Inspiring the world through food and travel adventures…one bite at a time.

Want to see your photo here? Check out our easy submission policy!

It’s Monday morning… Your commute sucks… You’re sick of your job… Wouldn’t you like to escape? This past Monday morning we tempted a few New Yorkers with the idea of a career break.

Joining Michaela & Sherry on the busy NYC commuting streets were Charlie Grosso & Riegan Sage – two women who have broken out of the expected path and have followed their own dreams.

As Charlie noticed, “Only two people out of the hundreds that walked by said they liked their jobs. One woman said, ‘Oh I should take one for my friend, well maybe one for me too…Maybe I should take some for the whole office.’”

As I stood there I couldn’t help but notice the look of misery on the faces of the commuters who were on their way to work. Interestingly, the people who looked the most miserable were the ones who avoided looking at the signs, the flyers and us. We stood there with flyers in our hands, an offering of something different than their routine and those who looked like they could use it the most avoided it all together.”

If you are looking for an escape, come out and be inspired on October 18th at a Meet, Plan, Go! event.

And if you are looking for an escape in NYC, check out Baang + Burne Contemporary – the unconventional art gallery that Charlie runs “like an indie rock band”.

This Photo Friday from Iznik, Turkey was submitted by Facebook Fan Juergen Klein who, along with his wife, took a road trip from the Arctic Circle to “fin del mundo” in South America from March 2006 to August 2009.

On their “long way home” they stopped in Germany and Turkey, where this photo was taken. “This is a typical street scene in Iznik, Turkey: a shoe cleaner on the footpath. These beautiful hammered brass boxes are slowly disappearing.”

You can read about Juergen’s adventures on his website Dare2Go.

Want to see your photo here? Check out our easy submission policy!

This Photo Friday from Easter Island was shared on our Facebook page by fan Robin Dean Devaux of Traveling Bones.

“My husband and I left our jobs about six months ago, and are taking a break to travel the world for a year or so. We took this picture on Easter Island in April. Had we not taken this break, I doubt we ever would have found the time to go to such a remote (but magical!) place.”

What magical place has your career break taken you to?

Want to see your photo here? Check out our easy submission policy!

Ready to make your travel dreams come true?
Join us at Meet, Plan, Go! on October 18th in one of our 17 locations:

Austin | Boston | Chicago | Denver | Honolulu | Las Vegas | Los Angeles
Minneapolis | New Orleans | New York City | Orlando | Portland
San Francisco | Seattle | St. Louis | Toronto | Washington DC

This Photo Friday from La Ruta de Muerte, Bolivia was shared on our Facebook page by fans Angela and Jason of Bodeswell.com.

Bodeswell.com is a blog dedicated to the adventures of their traveling family. In August of 2009, Angela, Jason & their son left their driveway in Alameda, California and have been vagabonds ever since. “An extended voyage in our 1971 Volkswagen bus is the only plan.

“We spent our first year driving across North and Central America. We’re almost finished with our second year and we’re in the middle of South America. We have good days. We have bad days. We have amazing days. Join us as we look for inspiration along the way.”

Tell us about your extended voyage!

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We hope that dust washes off before our October event!

This edition of Photo Friday comes from the dusty roads of the Mongol Rally.

Our very own Sherry Ott is on a career break this summer, driving 10,000 miles from London to Ulaan Baatar, Mongolia. “Crossing 10,000 miles over unforgiving deserts, perilous mountain ranges and non-existent roads, we four intrepid travelers will face the possiblity of bandits, breakdowns and corruption while navigating our way through 15 countries and 2 continents.”

“The Mongol Rally isn’t just for us crazy travelers trying to top their latest adventure. During the course of our journey, we will raise money for the Christina Noble Children’s Foundation, a charity helps homeless and abandoned children of Mongolia. Not only that, we will donate our automobile to Adventures for Development at the end of the rally. They will then decide where it will best be utilized in the country.”

Let’s hope the car, Sherry and her team make it there! You can follow the remaining weeks of their road trip on The Social Media Syndicate and through the Twitter hashtag #mongolsms.

The car and teammates pre-dust covered roads

Promoting career breaks even in the desert

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This Photo Friday was shared on our Facebook page by fan Sharon Tewskbury-Bloom. “This is an alpine lake that we hiked to in Waterton Lakes National Park, Alberta Canada; just one of the beautiful vistas on that leg of our journey.”

Sharon and her partner Jay are traveling through the U.S. and Canada in their Toyota Rav4, volunteering along the way in each state. Service Driven is the name for this road trip that is meant to be a cross between voluntourism and service learning.

Have you incorporated service during your career break?

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Many career breakers and RTW travelers have dreams they’d love to fulfill during their travels.  And climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro is high on many people’s lists.

This Photo Friday was shared on our Facebook page by fan Sonia Virtue. She managed to not only make the ascent of Kili (one that many climbers face defeat due to altitude sickness), but she captured this beautiful sunrise on her descent.

What has been a dream of yours that you’d like to achieve during your career break?

Want to see you photo here? Check out our easy submission policy!

This Photo Friday from the Atlantic Ocean was shared by Warren & Betsy Talbot of Married with Luggage on our Facebook Fan Page.

Warren & Betsy are currently 10 months into their three year career break. “One of the best experiences we have had since leaving on our adventure last October was a 5 week boat trip across the Atlantic Ocean with Gap Adventures. We were the only 2 passengers and it gave us a lot of time to contemplate the lives we have created for ourselves.

Warren captured this picture of Betsy while she was writing one day in our cabin while looking out at the ocean for inspiration. We cannot look at this picture without thinking just how wonderful this decision to see the world has been for us. We are loving every minute of it.”

Before taking off on their break, Warren & Betsy hosted our Seattle Meet, Plan, Go! event. In addition to their travel blog, they have also launched the site RTW Expenses – tracking how much it costs to travel around the world.

Where has your travel reward been?

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This Photo Friday from the Routeburn Track in New Zealand was shared by Dena Hughes on our Facebook Fan Page.

During her career break, Dena spent part of the time trekking the Grand Transverse in New Zealand, which includes the Routeburn Track. She shares “Emerging from the trees on our Routeburn descent, the valley opened to reveal her majestic beauty. Simply stunning. What better reward for taking a little time off to see the world?”

We think it’s definitely worth it. Where has your travel reward been?

Want to see you photo here? Check out our easy submission policy!

This Photo Friday from the Amalfi Coast was shared by Sunni Farley on our Facebook Fan Page.

Sunni shares “Two months ago this was my view…hiking the ‘Path of the Gods’ on the Amalfi Coast. It kicked my ass. I actually started in Priano and hiked STRAIGHT UP the mountainside to meet the path up top. It is seriously like being on top of the world! One of the coolest things I’ve EVER done! Can’t recommend it enough!”

Now that she’s back at work, she has enlisted some ‘friends’ to help plan her next getaway. “That ice bath on the left is the only thing reminiscent of blue water in my life now. Doomed to a windowless life under fluorescent lights. I’ve got our lab ‘mascots’ in on planning the mutiny.”

Where have you escaped from and where did you go?

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This Photo Friday from Tophane Istanbul was shared by Renee Deguara on our Facebook Fan Page.

Renee shares “I escaped my cubicle in Australia for the greener pastures of Europe for a few months. As I snapped this picture I was sunk into a teal green beanbag, smoking melon hookah, listening to prayer time chanting from the mosque, nibbling on fresh red strawberries sprinkled with sugar and sipping at turkish apple tea.”

Given the photo she was escaping from, looks like it was a much needed break away.

Where have you escaped from and where did you go?

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Share Your Inspiration in Photos

Have you captured a memorable sunset, a once-in-a-life experience, or a breathtaking view during your career break travels? Then share them with us and inspire others!

Every Friday we feature a career break inspired photo. Want to see your photo here? Join our Facebook Fan Page and upload your career break photo to our Wall. Add a brief description of the photo and we may choose to feature it here! (We are also happy to link back to your blog or website.)

We also want to see those photos of what you are escaping from!

Are you sitting there staring at your cube walls wondering if there could actually be an uglier shade of gray? Everyone needs an escape from their grind once in a while – that’s natural. But sometimes you need to confront the ugly…and take a good hard look at what you are escaping from in order to stay motivated. We also want to see what you are looking forward to leaving behind as you plan your future career break and sabbatical get-aways!

Again, join our Facebook Fan Page and upload your cubicle photo to our Wall. Add a brief description of what your escape plans are and we may choose to feature it here!

This Photo Friday is in honor of one of our Basic Training members – Val Bromann. This weekend Val is kicking off her career break travels in New York City, where she will be attending the Nathan’s Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest for the fourth year in a row!

“I’m hopping on a plane to spend Independance Day watching people stuff their faces with as many hot dogs as they possibly can in the sweltering heat of Coney Island. (Is there anything more American than that?) And a few days after that I’m heading off to travel the world!”

Val is starting in Berlin and plans to spend about “3 to 4 months in Europe then maybe head to Southeast Asia then maybe head to Australia and spend somewhere between three months to a year traveling.”

We are thrilled to follow along on Val’s career break on her site Silly America. You should follow along as well!

Are you sitting there staring at your cube walls wondering if there could actually be an uglier shade of gray? Everyone needs an escape from their grind once in a while – that’s natural. But sometimes you need to confront the ugly…and take a good hard look at what you are escaping from in order to stay motivated. We want to see what you are looking forward to leaving behind as you plan your future career break and sabbatical get-aways!

Submit your photo of what you are escaping from via our Facebook Fan Page and it may get posted on our Photo Friday.

Chris Gray Faust may be the winner of a 2010 Lowell Thomas writing award for travel blogging (for Chris Around the Globe), as well as the former travel editor at USA TODAY. But in between her travels, she toils away in a cubicle like many others.

So how does she stay motivated when surrounded by gray walls? By sprucing them up with reminders of her travels. Like her flag from the Krewe of Muses, a New Orleans Mardis Gras organization in which she is a member. And a motivational reminder Chris Guillebeau made at the World Domination Summit – “One Year from Now…What Will Be Different?”

How do you keep your travel dreams alive in your cubicle?

Are you sitting there staring at your cube walls wondering if there could actually be an uglier shade of gray? Everyone needs an escape from their grind once in a while – that’s natural. But sometimes you need to confront the ugly…and take a good hard look at what you are escaping from in order to stay motivated. We want to see what you are looking forward to leaving behind as you plan your future career break and sabbatical get-aways!

Submit your photo of what you are escaping from via our Facebook Fan Page and it may get posted on our Photo Friday.

The past few weeks has had Michaela Potter and Sherry Ott on the move for Meet, Plan, Go! – including local events in San Francisco, Portland, and Seattle, as well as conferences in Portland (World Domination Summit) and Vancouver (Travel Blog Exchange Conference).

In between, Michael Bontempi joined us for a strategic planning session with Sean Keener from BootsnAll. We utilized the time to map out our next six months, but also to set forth long-term goals for Meet, Plan, Go! – including our BHAG.

Photo from Sean Keener’s presentation at the Travel Blog Exchange Conference. Courtesy of ©KirstenAlanaPhotography/Galavanting

Want to see your photo here? Join our Facebook Fan Page and upload your career break photo onto our Wall. Add a brief description & we may choose to feature it here!

What exactly is a World Domination Summit? Going in, we weren’t quite sure ourselves. But what we did know is that we admire Chris and his mission to inspire people to live unconventional lives – lives in which you follow your own path and not the one that is expected of you.

What we didn’t expect was to be surrounded by 500 people doing just that. And the energy from that big of a group was so powerful and positive. And amongst all of those bodies we were able to connect on a closer level with those who are inspired by our mission to have a career break on every resume. (A special thanks to Jodi Ettenberg of Legal Nomads for letting us crash her break out session on career breaks & career transition.)

Here are just a few of the new friends we made who are ready to leave the briefcase and strap on the backpack.

For more in-depth recaps on the summit, visit these sites:
- What’s Dave Doing: Dominating the World
- Legal Nomads: WDS Wrapup
- Jason Kallsen: Highlights from Day One
- Jason Kallsen: Highlights from Day Two
- WDS Photostream

Want to see your photo here? Join our Facebook Fan Page and upload your career break photo onto our Wall. Add a brief description & we may choose to feature it here!