Who Takes a Career Break to Travel?
One of the goals of Meet, Plan, Go! is to show you that career break travel is a very real possibility – for everyone! There is no “typical” career breaker. You can be in your mid-twenties or early fifties. You can hit the road solo, as a couple or bring along your whole family. Want to use your career break to transition into a new career or start your own business? Great idea! Just want a break and then return to your old career? That’s fine, too!
There is no right or wrong way to take a career break. Anyone can do it – it’s just a matter of setting your mind to it and making it work.
Just ask these folks:
Teachers
It’s not just cubicle-dwellers in the corporate world who feel the call of travel. Boston Meet, Plan, Go host and panel members Lillie Marshall and Catherine Cannon Francis and Chicago's Christine Benson all left teaching careers to travel, while San Francisco's Molly Last hit the road after being awarded a paid sabbatical from her school district. Marshall's break re-energized her and inspired her to return to the profession with a new found passion.
Solo Women
No one to travel with? No worries! Just ask our hosts and panelists who traveled the world on their own, but rarely feeling alone. Traveling solo as a female doesn't have to be daunting and women like Chicago's Lisa Lubin and Val Bromann, Minneapolis' Katie Aune and Jill Pearson, New York's Jannell Howell, Toronto's Kailey Lockhart, Ayngelina Brogan and Janice Waugh and San Francisco's Kelly Wetherington prove it.
Accidental Career Breakers
Being laid off from your job may seem like a worst-case scenario, but why not make the most of it and hit the road? That's exactly what San Francisco's Spencer Spellman, Boston's Brian E. Peters, Chicago's Leora Krause and New York's Sheryl Neutuch did after unexpectedly losing their jobs. For all, a seemingly bad situation ended up being a blessing in disguise.
Career changers
Many career breakers return to their old careers after a break with a new energy and sense of direction. Others use their career break to change careers altogether, often ditching the corporate world for new lives as entrepreneurs, consultants, writers or permanent travelers. This was the case for New York's Sherry Ott and Lisa Brignoni, Austin's Keith Hajovsky and Shelley Seale, South Florida's Matthew Goudreau and San Diego's Kristin Zibell.
Later in Life Breakers
Career breaks aren't just for twenty- and thirty-somethings. Seattle's Rhonda and Jim Delamater hit the road in their forties, New York's Larissa and Michael Milne turned 50 and decided to breakaway and travel for a year and Boston's Ellen Martyn spent her career break bicycling across the country with a group of women all over age 50!
Families
Think having children means you can't see the world? Think again! Our group of hosts and panelists have included a lot of traveling families - like Austin's Tiffany and Bill Toomey, Boston's John and Susan Battye, Chicago's Nancy Sayre-Vogel and Minneapolis' Dan Woychick and Jody Halsted.
All believe that travel can be the best education!
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.