Preparation

Preparing for Long-Term Travel with Your Partner
Friday, July 19th, 2013

Adam Seper and his wife Megan have embraced travel throughout their decade long relationship. And after getting married, they decided that instead of pursuing the “American Dream” of buying a house and starting a family, they wanted to travel the world instead. So in October of 2008 they set off on a 358-day adventure, visiting 4 continents, 11 countries, and nearly 90 cities. Since they’ve returned, Megan is back being an attorney and Adam has switched careers – from a high school English teacher prior to the trip to editor of BootsnAll.

For other couples preparing for an adventure of their own, here are some important insights and tips they learned.

If you’ve never taken an extended trip before, you’re bound to have tons of questions. How do we begin planning for something like this? Do we just up and quit our jobs? Is a sabbatical possible? How do we choose where to go? What do we pack? What about visas? Certainly all important questions. But what some fail to think about is what it will actually be like out on the road, especially in regards to traveling with your partner.

THE JUDGEMENT AND QUESTIONS

“Are you sure you know what you’re getting yourselves into?”

“Aren’t you afraid you’re going to hate one another after an entire year together?”

“Oh my God! We could never do that! We’d literally kill each other!”

We heard all the above statements when telling people our plan to take a year-long trip around the world together. We initially dismissed those questions as ludicrous, having confidence in our relationship and previous travels that this whole venture would be a walk in the park.

Our trip did indeed include many walks in many parks, but it was hardly the same as the metaphorical meaning of that statement. Something so many people fail to realize about extended travel is that it is really hard work at times. It’s not all puppies, rainbows, and unicorns.

Adam and Megan in Mumbai

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A TRIP AND A VACATION

We all love vacations. They’re great. Whether it’s lounging on the beach, taking a road trip, or renting a cabin in the woods, vacations give us a chance to get away from the daily grind of life, to forget about our worries for a while, and just relax and unwind. When on vacation, we feel as though we could stay forever.

Let’s set the record straight before we delve any further. A career break, RTW (round the world) trip, or taking off on an open-ended adventure is NOT the same as a vacation. We learned quickly that there is a HUGE discrepancy between a vacation and a trip. There are so many things to know, learn, and consider, particularly if you are traveling with your significant other.

(more…)

Where to Go: Timing
Wednesday, June 12th, 2013

Timing plays a big part in deciding where to go.  Some factors to consider include weather, holidays & festivals, and the value of the dollar.

Weather:

What time of year are you traveling and what will the weather be like in your destination? Summer in the northern hemisphere means winter most points south of the equator. And some destinations don’t experience our traditional four seasons but rather two – wet and dry. But whatever time of year you travel, there are benefits to the different types of weather you may encounter.

(more…)

Teaching English Abroad: The International Career Break that Pays You to Travel & Boosts Your Resume
Thursday, April 18th, 2013

Are you looking to escape the corporate grind for a rewarding career break abroad than enables you to live in foreign country and become part of the local community?

Do you need a way to finance your international adventures?

Have you considered that international work experience can boost your resume and set you apart in a globalized economy and a competitive job market?

 

Why Consider Teaching English Abroad?

From Costa Rica and Chile to Cambodia and China, an estimated 250,000 English speakers gain employment each year teaching English abroad, making teaching English as a foreign language (TEFL) one of the most viable ways for people from all background to get paid while living abroad.  You won’t get rich teaching English abroad, but in Europe and Latin America English teachers typically make enough to break even and live comfortably, while in Asia and the Middle East English teachers usually save 30%-50% of their salary each month after expenses, which is great for funding extra travel or perhaps making student loan payments.  In addition, you can enjoy a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to live in a foreign country as a local where you shop in local markets, live in a local neighborhood, and interact with members of the community on a level that even the most dedicated travelers almost never experience.

Teaching English Abroad as a Resume Booster

Whether you are looking to take a break from your current career or are just out of college and looking for ways to enhance your marketability to potential future employers or graduate schools, teaching English abroad can not  only provide a great international adventure, it can make for a serious resume booster as well.

  • * In a globalized economy where commodities, financial transactions, information, and people are crossing borders at ever-faster rates, international work experience is sought by employers in nearly every sector.
  • * Employers also increasingly prefer to hire people with experience interacting with others from different cultural backgrounds, and nothing embodies that more than living and working in a foreign country.

  • * Teaching English abroad will require you to develop organizational and communication skills, as well as the ability manage group settings – all skills that will serve you in whatever endeavors you pursue in the future.

  • * Working and traveling in a foreign country proves your ability to move out of your comfort zone, to take risks, and to adapt and confront new challenges.

  • * Graduate school programs, including law schools and MBA programs, increasingly seek those with an international background and “real world” work experience.

In addition, teaching and living abroad will set you apart from other applicants for jobs or graduate school who will otherwise hold similar qualifications to you.

Key Things to Know about Teaching English Abroad

  1. Take a TEFL certification course!  You don’t need background in teaching in education to teach English abroad, but a quality TEFL course will provide you with the skills you need to become a professional teacher, and most schools and language institutes require it. Also, quality TEFL schools will provide job placement assistance. Make sure you take an accredited TEFL course that meets international standards, including 100 hours of training and coursework, and 6-20 hours of live practice teaching and observation.  This is the equivalent of a four-week intensive class or an 11-13 week part-time or online class.

  2. Research as much as you can!  From interview procedures and hiring requirements to visa matters and salaries, all aspects of teaching English abroad will vary from country to country.  Here are some great resources for learning more:

Resources

Websites like www.daveseslcafe.com and www.eslemployment.com list thousands of job listings for English teaching positions all over the world and forums where English teachers and job seekers share their experiences and insights.

The International TEFL Academy website features hundreds of FAQs & Articles about teaching English in addition to country profiles for teaching English in more than 50 countries around the globe.  You can also call 773-634-9900 and speak to an expert advisor about all aspects of teaching English overseas.

While it’s written primarily for a British audience, Susan Griffith’s Teaching English Abroad is a great resource providing hundreds of pages of information about job markets for teaching English abroad, including country profiles, contact info for thousands of schools, volunteer organizations and recruiters.

Blogs – Many English teachers around the world write their own blogs that offer great first-hand insights into life abroad as an English teacher and many include great job-hunting tips as well.

And finally, don’t be intimidated if you don’t have prior teaching experience or a background in education. Approximately 80% of those teaching English abroad don’t have prior experience and by taking a TEFL course you will gain the skills you need to enjoy a rewarding experience abroad as an English teacher.

Good Luck!

John Bentley is a Senior Admissions Advisor at the International TEFL Academy, which trains and certifies 1,200 people a year to teach English abroad and provides lifetime job search guidance to all students and graduates.  He holds a BA from Harvard University in Middle Eastern Studies and an MSJ from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism.  While at Harvard, John was a primary author for the Egypt-Israel edition of the famous Let’s Go! travel guide series and he has worked in the field of international travel and education throughout his career.  He also grew up overseas in Cairo, `Egypt and has traveled to more than 50 countries around the globe.

For more information about TEFL Certification and teaching English abroad and to request a free brochure and country chart, please call 773-634-9900 or visit: www.internationalteflacademy.com

 

 

The Ultimate Travel Tips
Thursday, April 11th, 2013

We all know that the internet is a cluttered place of information — some good and some bad. Here at the Meet Plan Go! Career Break Headquarters we are always trying to weed through it all to bring you the best nuggets of information out there so you are fully prepared for your travels, armed with tips and advice from those who’ve done it before you.

One of our very own, Chicago host, Lisa Lubin of LLworldtour.com, has just released a brand new eBook called: The Ultimate Travel Tips: Essential Advice for Your Adventures

If you’ve been dreaming about that career break, but are still apprehensive, Lisa’s book is full of info and tips that will put you more at ease and show you how much easier this kind of trip is than you think!

Summary from Amazon:

Have you ever had the urge to chuck it all and travel the world? Or maybe you seek less-permanent adventures but still want to experience something new. Whatever your travel dreams, author and LLWorldTour blog founder Lisa Lubin encourages you to take the leap. After all, that’s what she did! After more than a decade in broadcast television, she quit her job and sold everything to travel the world and chronicle her adventures on her blog. In her eBook, “The Ultimate Travel Tips: Essential Advice for Your Adventures,” Lubin offers readers practical advice on how to save money, pack well, and make connections in new countries. Through her personal stories, you’ll learn tips on packing, dealing with money (saving and spending), getting around in foreign countries, finding the best food for the money and adjusting to cultural differences.

Excerpt:

“Once you are out on the road, first things first: Stop and smell the roses. Enjoy it. This is your time. A lot of the planning is done and now you can just be in the moment. If you are traveling long-term, you will fall into a rhythm and your old chores or to-do list will be replaced by little tasks like finding somewhere to do your laundry or booking your next hotel. Try and travel slowly if you can. The slower you go, the more money you will save (less transport costs) and the more local experiences you will have. Sticking around for a couple weeks or more allows you to immerse yourself more and meet the locals. Meeting people from all over the globe is the best part of travel… besides the tasty food! Getting to know folks from a different place and culture will create memories and stories that you will never forget. Be open to trying new things. You will find yourself doing things that you might never do at home. Jump in. Say “yes” more and you will be amazed at what you learn about the world … and yourself.”

Includes:

Introduction
What to Do with Your Stuff
Packing (with packing list)
How to Save Money for Travel
How to Save Money While Traveling
How to Find Cheap Airfare
How to Find Affordable Accommodations
Credit and ATM Cards
Getting Around
Eating
Traveling Solo, But Never Alone
Adjusting to Foreign Locales
Parting Thoughts

Buy it here on Amazon today!

About Lisa

Lisa Lubin is a three-time Emmy® Award-winning television writer, producer/director, photographer and video consultant. After more than a decade in broadcast television, she decided to take a sabbatical of sorts, which turned into nearly three years of traveling and working her way around the world. She documents her (mis)adventures on her blog, LLworldtour.com, with photographs and articles from the road/train/rickshaw/camel. Her writing and photography has been published by the Wall Street Journal, American Way Magazine, The Malibu Times, Chicago Tribune, Latina, Smithsonian, Encyclopedia Britannica, and the Huffington Post. She also runs LLmedia, a video consulting business.
Lisa has been featured on WGN-TV, Good Morning America, MSNBC.comFOX.comFrommers.com, the Chicagoist.com and in the Chicago Daily Herald and the NJ Daily Record.

Lisa teamed up with Whole Foods, REI and Hostelling International for several “Travel & Food” lectures. She also hosts the Chicago portion of the annual national “Meet, Plan, Go!” event, encouraging working Americans to take career breaks and sabbaticals. She has spoken about video and journalism at several conferences, including the Travel Blog Exchange (TBEX), the World Travel Market in London, and “Visit Russia 2012” in Yaroslavl.
Lisa loves cheese and kittens, but not together.

Volunteering in Dangerous Places: Beirut, Lebanon
Thursday, March 7th, 2013

Without a doubt, Lebanon is one of the most complex countries I’ve visited. On one hand, you have the cosmopolitan capital, complete with a seaside Corniche, trendy restaurants, high-end shopping, and colorful street performers. On the other, Lebanon offers a glimpse of an ancient rural life that still exists throughout much of the Middle East.

About a year and a half ago, I was invited to Beirut to work with the nonprofit organization Baladi. The organization is dedicated to preserving and promoting Lebanon’s heritage to youngsters by encouraging students to learn about their country’s cultural diversity and works to foster mutual understanding between communities. Baladi sees Lebanon’s shared culture as one way to peacefully address regional conflict.

For my Lebanon visit, I accompanied my close Egyptian friend Inji, whom I met volunteering in Cairo the year before. She introduced me to her friends and colleagues in the country. I was most grateful for this personal introduction to a fascinating country.

In addition to the diversity of landscapes, I found the people and the cultures of the region incredibly absorbing (justifying Baladi’s great pride in their indigenous communities). Here’s a snapshot of my impressions during my short time spent in this most remarkable country.

City Life in Beirut

While staying in Beirut, we shuttled between our apartment in the city’s center to the suburban residence of Joanne, Baladi’s founder and CEO. It was here in Joanne’s home that we did the bulk of our volunteer work of providing philanthropic business development and fundraising advice. (Nonprofit development is my profession in the U.S., and I often provide pro bono consulting during my overseas volunteer stints.)

One of the advantages of meeting in a private home is the ability to see a modern-Lebanese lifestyle up-close. Our friend Joanne lived with her extended family in a stylish apartment with sweeping views of the Mediterranean. I got the chance to meet her charming husband and her children.

I especially enjoyed meeting Joanne’s mother. Our conversation was a bit stilted, with Joanne translating for me, but upon my departure she gave me a blessing to protect me during my onward travels. Looking back, I credit these heart-felt good wishes as one reason I survived my 2-year journey relatively unscathed.

As peaceful as the Beirut suburbs are, the reality of the country’s ongoing political conflict is never far away.  During our city stay, there were three incidents that reminded me I was in a country that continues to experience deep and long-running political tension:

  • – After dinner one night, Inji and I were walking back to our apartment we heard a series of loud shots. We were uncertain if the noise was fireworks or gunshots or an incoming missile. We took cover under an apartment overhang, just to be on the safe side.
  • – Driving to meet a potential donor, we made it through the city in record time. The reason? Traffic was light because there was a bomb scare. (I, of course, was wondering why we were still out and about when everyone else had retreated inside.)
  • – While strolling through the winding streets, Inji pointed out the main headquarters of Hezbollah, a Shi’a Islamic militant group and political party which is based in Lebanon. I kept my head down and eyes averted as we walked past the guards stationed outside.

Road-Trip Lebanon

After a few days of intense work, Joanne arranged for several of her Baladi guides to give us a 2-day tour of northern Lebanon as a thank you gift. This was an extraordinarily generous offer, and I cherished the opportunity to be shown the country by these trained historians and local experts. Highlights included:

  • Bekaa Valley:  Here we visited a Druze temple, came across an itinerant Bedouin family living out of a wagon, and hiked through the fertile valley observing the natural wildlife and beauty of this biblical valley.
  • Baalbek: Formerly known as Heliopolis during the Roman period, Baalbek is an extremely well-preserved example of a temple compound from these ancient Roman times. Baalbek is also a Hezbollah stronghold, as evidence from the black flags and pictures of Syrian President Assad lining the streets, political murals on the walls surrounding the Roman ruins, and loudspeakers blaring revolutionary music outside a Lebanese military base.
  • Mount Lebanon: This mountain range which includes the highest mountain in the Middle East is covered in snow 4-6 months out of the year. I admit, I was dumbfounded to still see traces of snow on the ground in June. The mountains are also the known for their famous groves of cedar, Lebanon’s national symbol.
  • Maronite Village: We spent the night here in a village nestled high on the mountains. In the morning we visited several ornate orthodox churches and observed the caves carved into the rugged mountainscape that were sanctuaries for monks seeking complete solitude. With more than 3 million Maronites (about 22% of the population), Lebanon retains a distinctive Maronite character.
  • Tripoli: The country’s second largest city, Tripoli was founded as long ago at 12th century B.C. and has a large Sunni majority (as evidenced by the preponderance of abayas and head scarves worn by the women).  It was here that I had the best meal of my entire 2-year trip, a hand-made feast of full of lively mint and lemon flavors.

Quintessential Volunteer Experience

Even though the country might be in the midst of fluctuating degrees of conflict and unrest, it still provided me with a wonderful volunteer experience.  In fact, as I look back, my quick trip to Lebanon was the ultimate volunteer experience, affording me the opportunity to:

  • – Do some good by lending my business development skills to a worthwhile nonprofit doing important work on conflict reconciliation in the region.
  • – Visit and learn about a country I wouldn’t have necessarily traveled to on my own.
  • – Benefit from a personal tour of the country to see first-hand the richness of the culture and the physical beauty of the landscape.
  • – Make friends with local Lebanese, providing me with a window into their lives and some insight on the challenges they experience each day.
  • – Push my limits of where I felt comfortable in terms of physical safety and erode some lingering stereotypes about Arab countries.

Volunteering in Lebanon opened up a new frontier for me and helped me put into context the struggles that we hear so much about through the news. I consider myself truly lucky to have had this wonderful volunteer experience.

To read more about volunteering and travel in Lebanon, check out the following articles:

A former finance executive, Erin Michelson is now an “Adventure Philanthropist,” who recently completed a two-year global giving adventure, visiting all 7 continents and exploring 60 countries. Volunteering with global non-profit organizations along the way, Erin helped build a house in the Philippines, a well in rural Uganda, and a library in northern Laos, sponsored secondary school education for a young woman in India and helped provide self-defense training for young girls in Israel.  Read more about her experiences on Go Erin Go or follow her on Twitter @GoErinGo.

Photo credits: Lebnen18, all other photos courtesy of the author and may not be used without permission.

Save Time Planning Your Career Break
Wednesday, January 9th, 2013

You have taken the first step – you decided to take the plunge to take a career break to travel. Now comes what should be the fun part – the actual planning. If you are like many career breakers, you might be thinking about booking a round-the-world flight itinerary including multiple stops around the world. Unfortunately, you may find that pricing out such an itinerary can be extremely time consuming. It can quickly chip away at the time you need to take care of everything else on your to-do list before leaving.  Even frequent world traveler Chris Guillebeau has said it can take as much as 40 hours to get a handle on planning a multi-stop trip.

Indeed, planning a trip with five or more stops often requires the use of a travel agent – search engines like Travelocity and Expedia don’t let you book trips with so many stops. Using a travel agent, it can sometimes take days just to get a price quotation in a particular itinerary – and if you want to change that itinerary before booking, count on more time to get a revised quote.

Wouldn’t you rather spend your time thinking about what you’re going to do once you reach your destination instead of sweating out how you’re going to get there?

Never fear – BootsnAll is here to help. The well-known independent travel website has just launched Indie– the first airfare booking engine that offers instant prices, no rules and online booking for multi-stop itineraries. While most search engines like Travelocity or Expedia allow you to book a trip with up to 5 or 6 legs, Indie lets you plan a trip with up to 25 stops. Even better, Indie helps you do it quickly – you can plan and book your entire itinerary in just an hour!

The idea for this new web app was spawned from actual travelers’ feedback,” Sean Keener, co-founder and CEO of BootsnAll, says, “to give travelers the ability to search and book a multi-stop or round the world ticket in minutes. We’ve been serving RTW and long-term travelers since 1998, and one of the biggest pain points we have heard, thousands of times, is the difficulty in planning the airfare component. Indie solves this problem.”

Using Indie is easy – simply enter your proposed route and then view it instantly on a map. You can drag destinations around to change up the itinerary and even add a combination of overland travel and flights. Better yet, unlike other round-the-world booking engines, you can travel in any direction you want and there is no limit on the mileage you travel. As soon as you are ready, you can get an instant price quote for your itinerary and book it on the spot.

Meet, Plan,Go! editor Katie Aune was curious and decided to test Indie out for herself. Having recently returned from a 13-month career break, she plugged in all of the destinations that she flew in and out of – an itinerary that looked like this: ORD-HEL-MOW-VVO-TBS-ROM-IST-TBS-TAS-FRU-RIX-BCN-ORD. Within seconds, she had a price quote for just under $6,000. Since she actually traveled overland between several of those destinations, she altered the itinerary to account for the overland travel and quickly received a revised quote of $3,764 – which was pretty close to what she actually spent on the flights that she had booked as she went along. Her only complaint? She actually flew into Dushanbe, Tajikistan rather than Tashkent, Uzbekistan as she eventually plugged in, but Indie didn’t recognize Dushanbe as an airport (editor’s note: after notifying Bootsnall of the issue, they added Dushanbe to Indie within 24 hours).

Indie has received positive feedback from travelers so far.  “I might’ve been able to get to the same number on Travelocity, but it just felt like more work,” says Jamie Boud. “Now, maybe that was an illusion because I was spending a lot of time checking various sites, trying to work out all the details that I started to get burnt out. But that’s a big reason I appreciated Indie’s clean interface.”

We travelled around the world last year and are looking to go again in 2013,” explains Brian Kelly. “We have had a number of quotes again using Star Alliance, etc., that we used last time, but this system…seems a thousand times easier and lets us get to exactly where we want to go without the usual restrictions placed on you with other RTW companies.”

To try out Indie for yourself, visit indie.bootsnall.com.  And once you’ve booked your dream trip, we’d love to hear how Indie worked for you!

Preparing for a Career Break: Recap 2012
Wednesday, December 19th, 2012

Preparing to take a career break to travel can be daunting: travel insurance, immunizations, buying the right gear – and of course, making the decision to go in the first place. In 2012, several current and future career-breakers shared their advice on preparing to hit the road.

Travel Gear Tips from a ‘Gearologist’

Jannell Howell recently returned from an around-the-world journey that took her through many countries including Thailand, India, Jordan, and Europe. Before she left, she discovered a love of researching travel-related gear and services and shared some of her favorite finds with us.

While going through Meet, Plan, Go!’s Career Break Basic Training, I was introduced to some pretty incredible services and gear that I didn’t know existed. In the process of learning more about these newfound products, I found that I REALLY enjoyed the research. I have since completed the Basic Training course, but have continued to explore new items and I look forward to further study which, I admit, borders on obsession . . . perhaps I’ve become a travel gear-ologist? Continue…

Travel Insurance Terms You Need to Know

Travel insurance can be confusing. Our sponsor, Insure My Trip, provided this great glossary of travel insurance terms that you need to know as you figure out what insurance plan is right for you.

One of the biggest questions facing you as you prepare for a career break can be how to handle travel insurance for your trip. While it may not be fun to think about, it shouldn’t be left off of your travel to-do list.

Sometimes, understanding travel insurance jargon is like learning a foreign language, a little overwhelming and occasionally confusing.  But you don’t have to take a class to become a proficient and confident travel insurance consumer. Simply use this ‘cheat sheet’ of fundamental insurance terms from InsureMyTrip.com and you’ll be on your way to speaking fluently. Continue…

10 Steps to Knowing What Travel Immunizations You Need

Mike Watkins and Akiko Kubo decided to “cash-in” on their dreams of taking a career break to travel around the globe after seeing close friends’ and family’s lives end too soon. They wrote this guest post to share what they learned after spending countless hours figuring out what travel immunizations they needed prior to their trip.

A major consideration when planning a career break or other extended travel through multiple countries is getting the appropriate vaccinations and pills.  Not only is maintaining your health one of the most important elements while abroad, but some countries require certain vaccinations in order to qualify for an entry visa.  The problem is, when we started researching the requirements, we were easily lost in a myriad of information which was sometimes contradictory. Here, we share our 10 steps to a better immunization experience! Continue…

The ABCs of Travel Planning

Sarah Schauer began her career break in June 2012 with a domestic seasonal opportunity before heading to Europe, Africa, South America, and New Zealand. She put together a great list of resources to use when you start planning your own career break.

Like many career-breakers, I spent 8 years paying my dues in Corporate America.  And while I’m probably one of the few who can truly say that I loved my job, I dreamed of something more. After months of thinking, researching, and intensely detailed planning, I was ready to embark on my new “adventure career,” in pursuit of extended around-the-world travels with a purpose.

Following countless hours of research for my own travels, I compiled this A-B-C list of travel-related websites, specifically geared towards long-term international travel.  Whether you plan to go to one country for one week or 20 countries for 6 months, these resources will get you going. Continue…

The Only Way Out is to Jump

Mike Shubbuck and his better half, Tara, left on a round-the-world trip on June 6, 2012. He wrote this guest post comparing making the leap to travel the world to jumping out of an airplane.

My first time skydiving was about on par with the stress level I have been experiencing with the planning and everything else associated with our round-the-world trip. It is bizarre to think that jumping out of a plane could be as frightening as stepping onto one bound for Iceland, but right now, I keep finding myself covered in a cold sweat, hoping that we will be okay.

It is not as though Tara and I have not done a good job researching and planning this trip. Most of our blog posts so far have detailed the deadlines and goals we have had, and met. However, there is still so much uncertainty that we simply cannot plan for. Uncertainty swirling around elements of the trip, our pre-departure, our return, how it will affect us individually, as a couple. These variables prevent us from making decisions, and as someone who likes to attack problems early and head-on, this fills me with worry. Continue…

Preventing Identity Theft While Traveling
Monday, November 19th, 2012

Identity theft is an ongoing issue, but most people don’t think it will happen to them and don’t take simple precautions.  It is said that you are 15 times more likely to have your identity stolen than to have your car broken into.  Per CSID, an identity-protection provider, data theft exposure increases when traveling. For example, some crafty thieves gain access to your bank or credit card information by way of unsecured wireless networks and Bluetooth technology.

Speaking of technology, identity theft occurs more offline than online according to the National Crime Prevention Council – normally due to lost wallets, smartphones, and laptops.  When traveling, the use of credit and/or ATM cards increases, as does the likelihood that such cards will be handled by unknown sources.   A few years ago, I watched the following video about electronic pickpocketing and became aware of the theft potential due to the RFID signal coming from my credit cards and even my passport. It shocked me how easy my financial information could be stolen!

 

The idea of a thief being able to scan my sensitive data right off of my credit card – without touching it – brings a whole new level of worry. Before I left for my around-the-world trip, I purchased Stronghold Identity RFID sleeves for my credit cards and passport and ‘worry’ left as well.

 

 

More and more wallets, purses, and bags are coming equipped with RFID signal blocking, through retailers such as REI and Amazon. These are well worth the investment to provide you with an extra layer of protection against identity theft – and some peace of mind.

 

Roughly 140 million Americans traveled last year – opening themselves up to potential identity theft. The Consumer Sentinel Network reported that approximately 257,000 identity thefts occurred in 2010 with an average loss of $4,930 per incident! RFID blocking products are just one way to safe-guard your identity, but there are other ways – like surfing the web securely, using only credit instead of debit cards for purchases and using ATM machines with caution. Don’t risk your hard-earned vacation dollars; put a plan in place to protect yourself.

Jannell Howell is a lover of travel, habitual blogger, social media devotee and wannabe nomad who just finished an around-the-world journey that took her through parts of Thailand, Cambodia, Nepal, India, England, Italy and Spain. She classifies herself as a ‘flashpacker’ who enjoys staying in one destination long enough to experience a taste of local life.mWhile preparing for her own extended travels, she became a self-confessed ‘gear-ologist’ through (almost obsessive) study of travel-related gear & services. Jannell shares her journey and gearology finds on her blog, Traveljunkie’s World Tour. You can also follow her on Facebook and Twitter.

How to Pack for Your Career Break
Wednesday, November 14th, 2012

If you are just starting to think about taking a career break, you may not even be thinking yet about what to pack. But the time will come when that is priority – and struggle – number one. Here are some of our best tips to pack for your career break travels.

1. Pack Only What You Can Carry

Whether you go with the traditional backpack or a wheeled suitcase, you will be carrying all of your worldly possessions with you from city to city, country to country.So you will want to only pack what you can carry. One way of limiting what you bring is to get a smaller backpack or suitcase. If you get the biggest possible backpack available, chances are you will be tempted to pack it full right away. If you are limited in size, you will be forced to really evaluate what you are bringing. Plus, you’ll want to leave room for all the souvenirs you might want to buy!

In addition, airlines are now charging for overweight bags. This is especially true for smaller, internal flights. That’s just another added expense that you won’t want chipping away at your budget.

When packing it’s extremely useful to lay out everything you plan to bring. By visually seeing everything together, you can step back and evaluate what you truly need. The general formula is to take just half of what you originally planned.

2. Dress in Layers and Neutral Colors

No matter where you travel, there is a good chance you will experience multiple climates – even in the same day! Dressing in layers is a great way to be prepared for any moment. It is also smart to layer and wear your bulkiest items when you’re flying.

Dressing in neutral colors also allows you to mix and match multiple items in your limited wardrobe.

Those who are new to long-term travel may find that one of the biggest challenges up front is the clothing issue, or lack thereof. But keep in mind that as you will be living on the move, chances are most people won’t know that you are wearing the same things every other day. And more than likely, so are they! Not to mention, it can be refreshing not to worry about what to wear each day – with just a couple options, it is one less decision to make!

3. Evaluate What’s Most Important To You

While you generally want to pack light, you also need to weigh potential extras that may be of particular importance to you. For example, if you are a budding photographer, you likely won’t want to travel without your various cameras and lenses. For you, that extra weight will be worth it, even if it means our daypack is as heavy as your main pack or suitcase.

Likewise, if you’re an avid diver, you may want to bring your own diving equipment. A fervent runner? You’ll want your running sneakers for sure. Or maybe you are going to do a lot of hiking and want to bring your walking sticks.

Also think about what you will actually be comfortable wearing – don’t go out and buy a bunch of technical clothing if you aren’t likely to wear it. And while people may tell you to stay away from jeans, if that’s what you’re comfortable in, go for it!

4. Use Packing Cubes for Separating Gear

The last thing you want while traveling is an “exploding” backpack or suitcase – you don’t want to find yourself removing everything while digging through your pack just to find one particular item. This can be extremely frustrating, especially if you are on a train or on your way out.

Keep your backpack or suitcase in order by separating your gear in individual packing cubes. Packing cubes are made of nylon and mesh and come in multiple shapes, sizes and colors, making them the perfect way to stay organized! If you need a new t-shirt, you know which cube to grab. Even if it’s placed at the bottom of your pack, you only have to remove two or three items to get to it. You can use separate cubes for just about everything – shirts and bottoms, underwear and socks, even toiletries and electrical/tech accessories.

A key to packing in packing cubes is to roll your items – this saves space and keeps items somewhat wrinkle free. Cubes also make it easier to repack. It won’t take long for you to figure out the best configuration for items in your backpack or suitcase and it will soon become automatic.

5. Keep Toiletries Light

Toiletry items can easily become the heaviest part of your backpack, so it’s best to try and keep them to a minimum. One way to do this is to only pack what you need for the immediate weeks. You can easily pick up most items like shampoo, soap and toothpaste con the road, so starting off with smaller sizes is a great idea. Plus, if you pack a large shampoo bottle, the bulk of it will still take up more space even as you use it up. You might also consider shampoo bars from Lush, an all-natural cosmetics company – they are compact and long-lasting!

Some items of your toiletry bag that may be more difficult to find overseas. If you wear contacts, you may want to bring extra lens solution as that may not always be available. And women may have a hard time finding feminine hygiene products in other countries – especially tampons. Unless you are comfortable with OB-type products, you will want to pack extra tampons.

In addition to any travel medications you might be on (such as malaria pills) perhaps you have a regular prescription for something. You will want to make sure you have enough of it to get through the trip. It is very important that you bring your doctor’s prescription with you as well.

Another item that will take up a lot of space in your backpack is a traditional bath towel. Instead, use an ultra light towel! They are small, lightweight, soak up water in an instant, and dry super fast. And if you are worried about a towel for the beach, use a sarong! Again, these are small and lightweight and can even be used as a wrap if you find yourself using a communal bathroom.

6. Pack For the Immediate

If you plan to be in various climates during your extended travel, pack for your most immediate. Warm destinations obviously require lighter clothing than cold weather destinations so you won’t want to be lugging around down coats and boots while in the tropics. Likewise, if you’re starting in a colder climate, consider donating your cold weather gear to a local charity before moving on to warmer weather. If you really want to hold on to an item, simply ship it home. The extra space will make it worth the cost!

And not to sound like a broken record but you can always pick up necessary items when you get to your destination.

7. Be Culturally Sensitive

It’s important to keep in mind the local cultures in the countries you’re visiting – you are a guest in their country and you should be respectful. Sure, Thailand is hot, but they are a very conservative country in the way that they dress. You won’t see many Thai people in skimpy tops and shorts. You can certainly dress this way, but be prepared to attract unwanted attention and don’t expect to enter temples dressed that way. Make sure you have a top that covers your shoulders and long pants or, for women,  a skirt below the knees.

Other Quick Tips

? Don’t bring anything that needs to be dry cleaned.
? Dry-fit clothes are great items as they breathe, dry fast, and don’t wrinkle.
? Fabric softener in your pack is a great way to freshen up your wardrobe.
? Are you a runner? Deodorant balls can be great for keeping sneakers from smelling up your pack.

Don’t Leave Home Without:

? Extra passport photos (you never know when you’ll need them for visas)
? iPod (great for listening to travel podcasts and keeps you company on long road trips)
? Water bottle (hydrate, hydrate, hydrate!)
? Straps and carabiners (great for strapping/attaching extra things to your pack)
? Dry bags (great for keeping valuables such as cameras and computers safe when on or near the water)
? Plastic bags (great for separating items in your pack, especially wet items)
? Headlamp (see Our Favorite Gear entry)
? Journal (you’ll regret in the future not documenting this incredible passage in your life)
? Camera (no explanation needed)
? Photos and/or postcards from home (a great way to share your culture and life with the people you encounter)

The Return Trip Starts Before You Leave
Monday, November 12th, 2012

You have saved the money, your flight is booked and you have a vague idea of your itinerary. Perhaps it has been a year in the making or maybe it’s been three – either way, your career break is about to become a reality. You are finally leaving it all to travel the world!

But what about coming back?

While some career breakers decide to pursue location-independent lifestyles so they can keep traveling, many return home and jump back into the working world. If you think you’ll likely return, there are steps you can take before you leave home to make that re-entry a little bit easier.

First of all, dig deep and ask yourself – why are you going?

Are you running toward something or are you running away? (and it is perfectly okay to admit you are running away) Or are you simply strolling along, finally fulfilling a dream of traveling?

Now, why does it matter?

You will need a coherent narrative that you can use in an elevator speech or in heart-to-heart conversations with friends, family, and past and future employers.

If you are using your career break as a springboard for the next chapter in your life, think about what you are running toward. Do some research about the next gig and talk to people who are doing it and ask them how they might use a break – what would they learn? what would they do? Plan to incorporate “learning breaks” into your journey to build skills that you can use in the next phase.

On the other hand, are you running from a job that you hate or running from people who have made you miserable? Honestly debrief yourself (or ask some friends to help you). Separate the misery-making tasks,  toxic work environments, people you neither liked nor understood, your commute, your cubicle, or your wacko supervisor so that your narrative is matter-of-fact and not whiney. If you are running from a bad relationship, know it, own it, and don’t whine about it.

It may be enough for you to say “I have always wanted to travel,” but other people will look to you for a story that makes sense to them. “I have always wanted to travel” needs substance -for example, “since I was a teenager, I have wanted to backpack across the Andes” or  “since I began planning my retirement, I have thought about teaching English in countries of the former Soviet Union.” The more detail that you can provide to these people who will be alternately skeptical and supportive will help them understand you.  Meet, Plan, Go! travel planning resources will add credibility to these conversations.

Finally, take concrete steps to ease your return.

? Keep a diary or write a blog. The discipline of daily writing will help you create your continuing narrative.  What did you do? How did you arrange it? How did it work out? What did you learn?

? Keep a list of the people you meet, their contact information, and note the context of your meeting. You won’t be able to recreate this information after you get back.

? Connect with other travelers. Although you may be traveling alone, meeting up with other travelers along the way will give you important support, new ideas, and great stories.

? Stay connected with the folks at home. There will be some people with whom you stay in almost constant contact (family, close friends), but there are others with whom it would be wise to check in with occasionally:

? Your Mean Old Boss (particularly if you were fired or left on a bad note) should hear from you occasionally so that your accomplishment (planning and making this career break happen) will be top of mind when the inevitable reference check happens. You want to implant something positive into this person’s brain that may supplant whatever awkward departure you had.

? The personal and professional networks you left behind: Career services professionals, former colleagues, people you have identified who do work that you might want to do, people whose blogs have inspired you, people you have met along the road (see above), alumni groups (include fraternity/sorority/extra-curricular), religious organizations. Keep your “connections” radar setting on “high” throughout your Break.

? Prepare for re-entry conversations. People will want to know why you went and what you learned. They will ask right away, even before you have unpacked.

? Keep an up-to-date electronic copy of your resume on your laptop. You never know when someone will want it. Store it in the cloud (Google Docs or Dropbox, for example).

? Carefully describe your career break on your resume. Do not write a “backpacky” paragraph, which gives short shrift to an amazing year:

The Original Backpacky Paragraph: Do Not Do This

TRAVEL

In 2012, I traveled through 20 countries, including studying Russian language in Russia and Ukraine and volunteering in Russia, Armenia and Tajikistan. Prior travel includes Australia, Egypt, Peru, Norway, the Czech Republic, Hungary and most of Western Europe.

The Revised Professional Approach

RELEVANT EXPERIENCE

Volunteer Organization

? Drafted fundraising proposal for new Visitor Information Center.
? Analyzed existing national tourism website and drafted proposal for new website.
? Prepared request for proposals to hire a developer for new tourism website.

International Education and Volunteer Experience

? Expanded cultural views and intercultural communication skills while volunteering and traveling over 13 months in 20 countries.
? Researched and created a detailed itinerary and saved for two years prior to departure.
? Tracked all expenses and maintained a daily budget.
? Studied Russian language in Russia and Ukraine.
? Studied Armenian language in Armenia.
? Taught English in Russia and Tajikistan.
? Created, launched and maintained the travel website, Your Blog.com.
? Contributed travel articles to leading travel websites and blogs.

Your Blog Name

? Edit and publish a travel website that averages 4,000 unique visitors and 10,00 page views per month.
? Write 3-5 articles for publication each week.
? Manage social media promotion and search engine optimization.

It doesn’t matter if you are running toward a new career, running away from an old one or just strolling along. Taking the steps to prepare for your eventual return before you ever board that first flight will make your re-entry just a tad bit smoother.

Of Susan Gainen’s 7 or 8 careers spanning 4 decades, she has spent more than 25 years as a career counselor. Currently a multiple entrepreneur (national career speaker, painter, cooking teacher), she has a wealth of experience and perspective on creating and managing unexpected careers. After nearly 2 decades as the director of career & professional development at the University of Minnesota Law School, Susan now lectures nationwide on career change and alternative careers for lawyers while providing a plethora of career-related advice on her blog, Pass the Baton. You can also follow her on Twitter as @PTBSusanGainen.

Career Break Guide Table of Contents

Meet Plan Go