Why Take a Career Break?

How does quitting your job and heading out onto the open road sound? Today is all about giving you the kick in the pants to get started on making your career break travel dreams come true.

Since you’ve joined Career Break 30, it means you must have some reservations about the direction of your career or the so called 'American Dream'. An important first step is to ask yourself  why are you motivated to make a change – and why are you waiting?

What is a Career Break and can I do it?

A career break is simply dedicated time away from your job. It may be something that is planned for or something that is unforeseen. It can be from 1 month to 3 years. Anything shorter than a month really falls into the glorified vacation bucket. There are a few things that make a career break unique; namely that you should have a career that you are breaking away from. This puts the typical career break age range from 27 to 57 years old. Younger, and it might be considered a Gap Year and older it may be considered retirement. When people add the element of globe trotting to their break, then it’s career break travel. It may mean that you tick off a bucket list, travel around the world, or simply go live as an expat in another country. Basically, it’s about shaking up your normal routine in a big way with your passport in hand.

Career Break Travel Myths - There are plenty of myths out there that will discourage you from thinking career break travel is possible. We tell you why it’s not crazy.

Career break Benefits -  Getting away is essential for effective thinking. Combine your career break with travel and reap even more benefits. Exposure to cultures that function differently from our own – from language to social customs to public transport – awakens the brain, alerting it to a much broader range of possibilities for being, living, and creating. You will come back to the workforce with skills other peers won’t have. And you will stand out in a positive way.

The First-time Traveler - Not all Career Break travelers are super-experienced. You don’t have to have already been all over the world to take a Career Break.

The Naysayers - While the detractors like to think that you’ll end up in a gutter somewhere if you dare veer off the path set forth for you by society, chances are the opposite will happen.   We'll tell you how you can combat the Naysayers.

What You Can Get Out of It?

It’s not very difficult to tell people why you want to leave your current job to get out on the road to travel. All travel lovers have pondered and dreamed of doing something like this. And while simply getting out of a daily routine and seeing and experiencing the world is amazing, there is so much more that someone can get out of a career break.

Hiking the Inca Trail, seeing Angkor Wat, and visiting the Taj Mahal are certainly huge motivating factors that push people out the door. But it’s also important to ponder what else you can get out of a trip like this. It’s possible for you to:

Getting Over Your Fear

Overcoming Fear and Mental Hurdles - You are here because you want to make a change in your life; you want to shake it up. Hold on tight because change isn’t easy. Change is wrapped up in fear, and fear is big and bad. It can make any endeavor seem like a mountain that is insurmountable at times. The end result of letting fear take over is that it keeps us stuck where we are. We can assume that since you are in CB30, you don’t want to be stuck where you are – right?

Live Without Regrets

Making a life changing decision such as this one is not easy, especially when living in a culture that deems career breaks and long-term travel as unnecessary. If this was a simple decision, then more people would do it.

Though many factors come into play when thinking of whether or not to take a career break, it can really be simplified to one big choice. How do you feel about regret?

If you decide not to do it, and you stay in your current position and current life, do you think you’ll regret it 5, 10, or 20 years down the line? On the flip side, if you give it up, take the plunge, and travel the world, do you think that you will regret that experience down the line?



Other comments

9 Comments on "A Year in Paris"

  1. 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 🙂

  2. 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!!

  3. 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!

  4. 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.

  5. 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!

  6. 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!

  7. 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!

  8. 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 […]

  9. 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.

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