Holiday Gift Ideas for the Career Break Traveler
Still looking for holiday gifts ideas for the career break traveler on your list? Or are you dreaming of taking a career break to travel and looking for additional advice or inspiration?
Here are a few of our favorite career break and travel resources to get you started. And as an added bonus? They’re almost all ebooks – no gift wrapping involved!
How to Become a House-Sitter and See the World, by Dalene and Pete Heck.
Dalene and Pete Heck have spent over half of the last three years house-sitting in places like Ireland, Belgium, Turkey, Spain, Honduras, Canada, London and New York. They estimate they have saved at least $30,000 on accommodation costs in the process and now they have poured all of their experience into their ebook, How to Become a House-Sitter and See the World. They analyze the various house-sitting websites out there, recommend how to create a successful profile, tips on how to be a good house-sitter and a variety of resources to help plan for your first house-sitting gig. You can read more here.
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Dream Save Do, by Betsy and Warren Talbot.
The most common perceived obstacle to taking a career break is financial – people fear how much it might cost and assume you need to be rich to take a career break to travel. You definitely don’t need to be rich, and in Dream Save Do, Betsy and Warren show you how to save money for career break travel – or any other dream. They provide concrete ways not only to save money, but to change your life and find the inspiration to follow through. You can read our full review here.
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Negotiating Your Sabbatical: The Ultimate Toolkit for Writing and Presenting a Killer Sabbatical Proposal That Your Boss Can’t Refuse, by Barbara and Elizabeth Pagano
This mother-daughter team took a career break several years ago and now work full-time running yourSABBATICAL.com – a firm that partners with businesses to develop programs that attract, retain and accelerate top talent through the use of structured leaves of absence. This ebook is aimed at employees – providing advice for wanna-be career breakers on how to successful ask for a sabbatical. But, it is even more than an ebook – it is an entire toolkit to help you build a foundation, create a proposal and engage in the negotiation. Check out our full review here.
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The Traveler’s Handbooks, by multiple authors
This series of books, available in paperback or electronically, focus on the idea that travel is about more than just the destination – it’s about how you choose to experience the world. Several books in the series may be of interest to potential career-breakers, including The Career Break Traveler’s Handbook by Jeff Jung, founder of Career Break Secrets; The Volunteer Traveler’s Handbook by Shannon O’Donnell; and The Solo Traveler’s Handbook, by Meet, Plan, Go! Toronto host and founder of Solo Traveler, Janice Waugh.
You might also check out The Food Traveler’s Handbook by Jodi Ettenberg or The Luxury Traveler’s Handbook by Sarah & Terry Lee.
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The Longest Way Home: One Man’s Quest for the Courage to Settle Down, by Andrew McCarthy
Actor-turned-travel writer Andrew McCarthy’s new memoir is kind of a love story to travel. It’s about how travel can help us discover our truest and best selves, while expanding our minds and souls and shaping us into different people. In the book, McCarthy travels to the far ends of the earth while trying to understand what is holding him back from fully committing to his fiance of four years. From Patagonia to the Amazon to Mount Kiliminjaro, he brings the reader along as he finds a deeper meaning in each experience. You can hear more from McCarthy about the book and his travel philosophy here.
Top photo by Jennifer C.
Product links above are affiliate links; we will earn a small commission from any books purchased.
Leah on Mon, 6th Jun 2011 8:12 am
I really enjoyed reading your post. I am thirty-two soon and have itchy feet that are ready to try out foreign soils.
It is a fear of leaving the security of the day to day grind of paying the bills and living a safe and non-challenging way of life that has put me on hold for some time.
I hope (as it has I) your post will inspire others to go and follow their bliss – Leah 🙂
Patricia GW on Mon, 6th Jun 2011 8:54 am
Travel and experiencing a new culture really has put it into perspective, and filled that void with purpose (and joy).
In three weeks I’ll be moving to Paris myself for one month. I have the same feeling – the incredible surreal realization that I’m going to be living there…. it’s thrilling!!
Abby on Mon, 6th Jun 2011 2:11 pm
Oh, Jenny! Escargot isn’t palatable — it’s delicious! I love your writing style; it’s so fun and energetic. Can you believe how far we’ve come? Everyone, Jenny and I were in the exact same industry and have known each other online and via work emails for years and years. But we’ve only met once, many, many years ago. And one of those jobs she was sleeping next to her BlackBerry for was one I’d just left. And now she’s 33 and living abroad, just like I was last year. Kindred spirits. Jenny, you’re a true inspiration — I can’t wait to see how your adventure unfolds!
Debbie Beardsley on Mon, 6th Jun 2011 3:22 pm
Your life in Paris sounds ideal. It is nice to read about people who follow their dreams instead of wishing they had! Enjoy the rest of your journey.
Terriaw on Tue, 7th Jun 2011 1:40 pm
Wow, fabulous and well said! I love your new outlook on like. After experiencing career burnout and feeling a little lost and purposeless lately, you have encouraged me. I look forward to seeing Paris someday!
Jenny on Tue, 7th Jun 2011 6:50 pm
merci for all the sweet comments! @abby we are soooo kindred spirits! well except when it comes to our differing feelings on escargot…;) and congrats patricia on the move! thrilling indeed!
shawna on Thu, 9th Jun 2011 1:32 am
you’ve reawakened my travel bug. must. return. to. france. (someday.) eat a croissant for me!
Weekly Travel Blog Links — LandingStanding on Mon, 13th Jun 2011 6:16 am
[…] how badly I want to go to Paris… If only we could afford living there for an extended period of time during our travels! Any […]
G. Michael Schneider on Sun, 19th Jun 2011 3:36 pm
I am a firm believer in living and working overseas, just as you described. However, many of us actually like our jobs and our homes and are simply looking to renew and refresh our lives, not change it. However, you can have the same type of cultural experience without having to reach into your own wallet and without having to quit your day job–by taking what I call a “working vacation.” My wife and I have done this 15 separate times, from Australia to Zimbabwe, Turket to Tibet, Mauritius to Mongolia. I describe how to do it in my blog otherguysdime.wordpress.com and via Twitter at @otherguysdime. Learn how to have fun without having to have burn any of your bridges behind you.