Who We Are
Sherry Ott
Sherry is a refugee from corporate IT who is now a long term traveler, blogger and photographer. Sherry has been blogging about her travels on Ottsworld: Travel and Life Experiences of a Corporate America Runaway since 2006. It was named one of the Best Around the World Travel Blogs on Bootsn’All travel website. While on a career break she traveled around the world to over 23 countries primarily solo armed with her camera.
Since her career break she has spent a year living and working in Vietnam, wrote an ebook about her hiking the Annapurna Circuit in Nepal with her father, traveled the globe house-sitting, participated in cultural exchange programs in the Middle East, co-created Career Break Basic Training online class & community, and organizes Meet, Plan, Go! events across North America.
Sherry has career break expertise in solo travel, volunteering, extended travel of a year or longer, teaching ESL, photography, working while on the road, living as an expat, as well as living out of a suitcase for extended periods.
Michaela Potter
Michaela is a freelance designer through Wanderlust Productions who has managed to interweave travel throughout her life. Having picked up a backpack for the first time in college, she was inspired to then take a “gap half-year” after graduation, a concept common in other cultures. That experience inspired her to incorporate traveling career-breaks throughout her career, including three months in Nepal & SE Asia in 2001, a summer volunteering in Peru in 2006, and another three months in Oceania & SE Asia in 2007.
As editorial and creative director for Meet, Plan, Go! and the Briefcase to Backpack blog, she now uses her experience in non-profit management, video production, and design, along with her passion for travel, to bring the concept of traveling career breaks & sabbaticals to the American culture.
Michaela has career break expertise in volunteering, traveling with friends, traveling as a couple, photography/video, slow travel, shorter breaks, and multiple breaks.
Michael Bontempi
Michael is by no means an “inexperienced” traveler. His corporate job, required him to spend a significant amount of time away from home. For over 14 years he lived in dozens of cities and worked in all but a few US States. Some assignments lasted a few months, others for an entire year.
He took two vacations a year, visiting exotic locations and trying new experiences (e.g. surfing). But he was never away from the office for more than a week at a time and always reachable by either cell phone or email. When he took off with his then girlfriend, Michaela, on his career break it was the first time he traveled for an extended period with only a personal agenda. Some may see this as the act of a burned out employee; he saw the trip as a chance to experience a portion of his retirement 25 years earlier in his life.
Michael used his career break to further his career and is now back in the corporate world. However he still serves as a career break spokesperson sharing his story and the benefits of career breaks to the Meet, Plan, Go! audience. He also acts as the financial brains behind Meet, Plan, Go! on the weekends when he puts on his CFO hat and gets out his calculator.
Photos courtesy of Chuck Lau Photography
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.