Copyright FlashpackatForty.com

Today we have a great guest post from Craig and John, a couple of experienced career breakers currently traveling the world. Based on their personal experience, they’ve got some great tips for finding out if a career break is for you and how to get started. They have an eye to becoming nomadic and give you an insight into their lives and what they’re going through as they make that decision. It’s a post that balances their personal story with great advice for anyone thinking of taking a break. I’m really thrilled that Craig and John took the time to share it with all of you.

Inspired to Travel Long-Term

In 2008 we took a vacation to Bali. At this point in our lives, we had about three luxury holidays a year, many to exotic destinations in an attempt to satiate our yearnings to travel. However, this turned out to be our last of such trips.

On this holiday we met a couple who had spent many years travelling around the world. They had both left their jobs years ago and had lived in the UK, Germany, Turkey, India and travelled the world extensively. Dave & Debbie were about the same age as us, but they weren’t exhausted from working tirelessly earning money to secure what maybe a better future. They were fit and active, and most importantly very happy with their chosen lifestyle. We asked ourselves, whether this was something we could do.

After being inspired by our new friends, we started to follow many travel blogs, researching others who had made this giant leap from a career to become a long-term traveller.  What we discovered is that there aren’t that many people dismissing the virtues of taking a career-break or saying that their lives have been irreparably damaged from taking a few years off work.

On the contrary, the empirical evidence suggests that the majority of people who pursue their travel dreams benefit in many ways from starting such a journey. Always a bit sceptical, we needed to explore in detail the personal impact of making such a life changing decision.

Copyright FlashpackatForty.com

The Career-Break Quandary: To Travel or Not To Travel?

We asked ourselves all the questions that any person considering long term travel and leaving their job would. Questions such as, can we spend so much time together as a couple, what happens if a family member gets ill, what will we do after the trip, do we have enough savings etc?  I won’t go into the hours, days and years we spent discussing these questions and many others, but there are answers and solutions to all these quandaries.  Travel websites, like Career Break Secrets, provided us with the knowledge to know it was possible.

Our problem was as soon as we answered a question, another would arise; maybe we just didn’t want to travel on a long-term basis enough.  No, that wasn’t it, the more we learned the stronger our desire to travel became.  We knew if we didn’t take a career-break, we would only ever be able to see a small fraction of the world, at the mercy of our annual leave entitlement from work.  Even if we finished work in our 60’s (more likely to be 70’s with the constant changes in the age of retirement legislation) assuming we would live that long, there just wouldn’t be enough time.

We certainly weren’t running away from our lives, heck, we enjoyed them. We realised that we were frightened of our dream becoming a nightmare, and would be embarrassed to return after just a couple of months on the road, having missed our home comforts. We needed to try this out and see if we could hack it.

Copyright FlashpackatForty.com

Try Before You Buy

We’d never had the privilege of travelling on a long-term basis, prior to or immediately after graduating from university, as we are both from large working class families and our first priorities were to pay off our debts and progress with our chosen careers.

We had nearly always travelled independently, unless we were doing an all-inclusive holiday to somewhere like Mexico or Goa. So we were pretty good at making travel plans and visiting several destinations in one trip.  One thing we hadn’t done, for decades, was travel on a budget.  We appreciated that it wouldn’t be financially sustainable for us to travel the way we’d travelled in the past. Not that we’d been totally frivolous, but as we both worked very hard, our leisure time together was of great value and so we placed a premium in ensuring that our holidays went smoothly. So we both decided to take three weeks annual leave, and travel around Morocco to see if we could stick to a tight budget and hopefully our plans of travelling around the world wouldn’t be shattered.

Travelling in Morocco we stayed at hostels, and budget accommodation using public buses and trains to get around.   We ate where the locals ate or in budget restaurants, the food was amazing. One thing we did quickly realise is that we wouldn’t be staying in ‘dorms’ as we valued our space and privacy too much, to compromise on sharing accommodation. We managed to keep to a tight budget and thoroughly enjoyed touring around Morocco.  To our relief and surprise we didn’t miss the little luxuries of chocolates and rose petals on our pillow, or spending too much time in the hotel/resort sipping cocktails. In fact, we felt we’d experienced and learnt more than on many previous holidays combined.  This trip was our ‘eureka’ moment and fixed our conviction to take a career break.  After this we developed our ‘flashpacking’ travel philosophy, for our around the world trip.

Copyright FlashpackatForty.com

Making your travel dreams a reality

The first decision was when to depart and how to break the news. Once our employers had agreed to our exit (which wasn’t that easy) and suitable dates set, it’s explaining your decision to family and friends. We didn’t want people to think we were having some sort of mid-life crisis, well I don’t think we were, so we explained to people we were going flashpacking.

What’s flashpacking? Unless you’re a fully paid up member of the travel community you probably haven’t come across this term. If you haven’t, you can find out a bit more about flashpacking and us, in our travel blog.  The reason we chose this way of communicating our decision, was it allowed us to answer follow-up questions and explain in detail our reasons. Therefore, people were aware we weren’t running away to join a commune or on the hippie trail, not that there is anything wrong with either of these choices, just not something we’d choose to do. Once all the tears had been shed, everybody was really supportive.

We started to deconstruct our lives, well possessions really.  This takes a very long time, from selling everything, cars, properties, and placing in storage what you want to keep.  The amount of administration is onerous, from changing addresses and cancelling direct debits.

It’s all pretty straightforward but don’t underestimate the amount time this takes, so start work on this as soon as you set a travel date.  The whole process is very cathartic, and you begin to appreciate how much junk you’ve accumulated, and after over 20 years of living together you’d be surprised at just how much two people can own. We certainly won’t be purchasing any tourist souvenirs whilst on this trip!  The hardest thing for us, was emptying our vast bookshelves, this proved quite an emotive process. To make this a little easier, we got an e-version of those publications available.  However, being old romantics our books held memories more than just the words printed on the pages.

Copyright FlashpackatForty.com

Life on the Road 

We started our around the world journey in Melbourne, Australia and are currently in India.  It was a bit scary spending our first month in Australia, as the Australian dollar was at an all time high and we completely smashed our budget. Although, we easily managed to recover these costs in cheaper destinations such as Vietnam and Cambodia.  We especially enjoyed our travels around Cambodia, Japan and New Zealand.  We absolutely fell in love with South Korea and would highly recommend people place this country on their travel itinerary.

We plan to travel to every continent on this trip and are looking forward to touring the USA in 2013.

We’ve not really experienced any problems whilst on the road. We do find ourselves replacing travel gear and gadgets now and again, as they really do get a hammering being used almost daily.

The experience has been exhilarating and we both feel more relaxed and healthier than we did working long-hours at home.

Copyright FlashpackatForty.com

What does the future hold?

We’re enjoying ourselves so much, that we can’t see this journey ending anytime soon. If we reach a point when we do become a little travel weary, we’ll look at teaching or voluntary work in a foreign country. We’ve been amazed by the stories we’ve heard, whilst on the road, at just how viable long-term travel is, whatever your budget or finances.  An example of one story, told to us by a Spanish couple we met in their mid-thirties, which has allowed them to travel for the last 10 years.

They take temporary jobs, preferably working in different countries to fund a minimum of 6 months travel every year. We met them diving in Gili Air, Indonesia, just before they were departing for Denmark to plant Christmas Trees. They have no savings or property, and most importantly no worries.  They are one of the happiest couples we’ve ever met and have no plans to stop travelling.

Finally, I mentioned earlier about our friends, Debbie & Dave, who inspired us to travel. Debbie contacted us by Skype, when we were in Thailand recently, and informed us that Dave had been rushed into a Turkish hospital and was in a critical condition after suffering massive heart failure. Dave hadn’t been to a doctor in over 20 years and was in excellent health. Dave is now in the UK awaiting major heart surgery, and will hopefully make a full recovery, and no doubts, they’ll be back on the road again soon. For us, after our initial shock, it reaffirmed our decision to follow in their footsteps pursuing our travel dreams as you just never know what the future holds.

What we do know is, we are completely smitten with our chosen travel lifestyle. We don’t have any regrets, but if we had to have one it would be that we didn’t start our career break sooner.  When the money starts to run out, we’ll look at a career that can incorporate our desire to travel and experience new destinations around the world.

About the Authors

Flashpackers, Craig & John, embarked on their around the world trip in December 2011. The couple of forty-somethings, agonised for three years before eventually making the decision to travel on a long term basis. Here they describe why they found the idea of taking a career break difficult, and how life on the road is for them now. The travel bloggers write about their around world trip and the destinations they travel to at  FlashpackAtForty.com/

Taking A Career Break Isn’t Easy is a post from: Career Break Secrets: Travel show, independent travel blog and advice for career breaks and around the world travel adventures

Copyright ACoupleofTravelers.com

Today we have a great guest post from career breakers Dave and Vicky who are currently traveling the world. When planning our breaks, there’s a natural concern by others around us about what we are going to do post-career break. We career breakers aren’t immune from this concern, but we figure it out and come to peace with a bit of uncertainty that exists when thinking about the re-entry phase. Dave and Vicky share their experience and put that uncertainty about the future in perspective.

“What are you going to do when you get back?”

I get asked this question all the time. I usually want to say:

“Honestly, I’m way to busy planning this trip to even think about what I’ll be doing two years from now.”

But that might come off as a bit rude, so I usually tone it down a bit and unenthusiastically list off a few things that I could potentially do two years from now. Find a job or go to graduate school usually suffice.

But actually, that I’m too busy planning my trip isn’t 100% honest, because even though we ARE too busy planning this trip, I do think about what I’ll be doing two years from now. It’s a legitimate question, and I probably think about it daily, and usually with a bit of anxiety (OK, a lot of anxiety).

And today I had an epiphany.

I think I understand the source of the anxiety, and it’s not what everyone probably thinks it is. What most people think is that we’re going to come back broke. We will have been out of the workforce for two whole years. We’re not going to know what we want to do next. We will probably be living in someone’s basement (most likely chez parents). Above all, this will be 100% because of our decision to travel. If things don’t work out, travel will be to blame, and we’ll be back at square one. Worse, square zero.

Now it’s true we’ll probably come back broke.

It’s also true we’ll have been out of the workforce for two years.

We hopefully won’t be living in our parents basement, but you never know.

Is it crazy that none of this really concerns me?

What concerns me is simply not knowing what I’ll be doing two years from now – general uncertainty of what to be doing with your life and less and less time to figure it out.

And I realized that this doesn’t actually have a lot to do with travel. Actually, if you asked me today what I’d be doing two years from now (if we weren’t traveling), I wouldn’t know. And if I decided to continue working for two more years, and you asked me two years from now what I was going to do next, I probably STILL wouldn’t know.

In fact, I can’t remember the last time I knew what I was going to be doing two years from now and whenever I thought I knew, it never ended up turning out how I pictured it. When I went to school to become a physicist, did I imagine that I’d graduate and have my first employer be a major, financial services company (doing anything BUT physics)? Nope.

So either way, travel or not, I still have this general anxiety. Moreover, I actually feel a bit more comfortable knowing that we’re traveling. Frankly, after two years of work, I don’t feel any more prepared to answer the question regarding my future than I did two years ago. I also think, with two MORE years of work, I’d be marginally more prepared to answer that question, but basically in the same spot.

However, through traveling, connecting with other people, learning more about myself, and finding out what life is actually like “out there”, I feel like I might be setting myself up to answer this question after all. This is how it was back in college when I was preparing to become a physicist, but ended up as a business analyst. I was simply preparing myself to be marketable to a whole bunch of job fields and to naturally go where the tides took me after graduation. So right now travel is about as good an idea as any I’ve thought of, and in light of this, traveling actually calms my nerves about what I’ll do “when I get back.”

Sure, if I wasn’t traveling, I’d certainly end up with a lot more money two years from now, but what would I do with it? I certainly can’t buy myself a career or some sort of future, so forgive me if I don’t regard it very highly. Power isn’t in small amounts of money, but in large potential value that can be exchanged down the line.

So at the end of the day, while traveling certainly prompts a lot of questions about what you’re going to do afterwards, it really shouldn’t be the focal point of the conversation. In fact, I could probably ask most of the people who won’t be traveling what they’re going to be doing in two years, and I don’t think too many of them would know, but nobody is asking that question, are they?

Author Bio:

Having spent 2 years in the working world, Dave and Vicky are ready to exchange their briefcases for backpacks, dress shoes for sandals, and beds for sleeping bags. In September they set off on a 2 year journey across Asia and Europe. You can follow along at A Couple of Travelers.

“What are you going to do when you get back?” is a post from: Career Break Secrets: Travel show, independent travel blog and advice for career breaks and around the world travel adventures

Gerard and Kieu at the Taj Mahal. Copyright GQTrippin.com

In this week’s ¨Who’s Out There Now¨ feature, we bring to you Gerard and Kieu. While the name of their travel blog, GQ trippin, may be a play on their first names, The GQ may actually reflect them being the cutest and most fashionable damn travel couple out there: Gerard is a self-described health nut and Kieu has a background in the cosmetics industry. As they travel around, they’re paying special attention to the food of the world.

1. So, where in the world are you answering these questions?

We just checked into our cozy homestay in Ubud on the beautiful island of Bali.

2. You each had different experiences leaving your jobs. Gerard was forced into a career break (even though you were already thinking about taking one) and Kieu, you left a job you say you loved. How did the difference in your employment status affect your planning, budgeting and even your attitudes towards your break.

Well, we were supposed to quit our jobs together. Gerard’s job quitting him just meant he’d be doing most of the planning and preparation – where to go, stay, do and of course eat – that sort of stuff. And because he was laid-off, his severance package added a wee bit more into our travel budget (but not much). In a way, Gerard getting laid off three months prior was actually a blessing and relief.

3. You started in New Zealand jumping right into the game by zorbing in Rotorua and you haven’t really stopped since. Is there any sort of action activity that you ultimately decided not to do? (please include a link to your zorbing video and I’ll put it in the post)

Gerard really wanted to go river boarding in New Zealand, but he’s not exactly good in the water – not unless you consider doggy paddling swimming. I was terrified myself so I made every excuse, mostly riding on the fact that he couldn’t swim, to get ourselves out of going. It worked. Gerard agreed it may not be the safest of sports. So we went bungy jumping instead!

4. This trip got personal on your trip to Vietnam where both got to visit family. How was your visits and what do they think about your world tour?

It’s always nice to be with family especially after being away for so long. This trip was extra special because Gerard got to meet his dad’s side of the family for the first time in Hue and found out he is a descendant of royalty.

On the topic of their thoughts on our world tour: My grandmother says I should go home and get a job. Others ask why so long? or my personally favorite, why you no marry yet? It’s an Asian thing I guess – to focus on career and marriage – but despite all this, they do think the world (pun intended) of our decision to travel long-term. Most could only dream a life of travel and world experiences, so the fact that we’re actually doing it, is a good thing. So long as we’re happy and healthy.

5. You’ve got a great list of 30 Before 30, essentially your bucket list. Is this the main way to organize your trip or are you just checking stuff off as you come across it?

Both. We didn’t organize the trip based on our bucket list, but we knew we had the opportunity to check off quite a bit so we modified our itinerary to make that happen, like making sure we were in Thailand in time for Songkran or in India for Holi. As for the rest, we check stuff off one by one, slowly as it comes to us. Honestly, that list far extends 30 before 30 and is constantly changing.

Getting ready to bungy jump in New Zealand. Copyright GQTrippin.com

6. Career break, nomadic adventure, backpacking, how do you characterize your trips?

Our current resume probably screams career breakers more than anything. I don’t think we stay in one place long enough to be considered nomads, and while we do physically carry backpacks, we’ve been living on a flashpacker’s budget. So maybe we’re a blend of all of the above.

7. What are some of the secrets to travel that you’ve discovered that you think more people who aren’t traveling should know?

Learn to be sneaky, manipulative and always stay one step ahead. That is, when you’re trying to pass your backpack as a carry-on luggage at the airport so you don’t have to ever check them in of course. I may lug around a carry-on size backpack but it by no mean meets the weight limit for most airlines in Asia (a ridiculous 7kg!). We typically hand-carry our backpacks and wear our daypacks on our back so it appears as if we’re not carrying much at all. Then when we approach the counter, we place our bags in front of us hidden by the counter.

We also found that if you spend some time and check in online beforehand, the whole counter process at the airport is much quicker. A quick passport check followed by a simple, do you have any luggage to check in? which we politely answer no and we’re on our way. And just in case they decide to weigh our backpacks, we’ve already shifted all our heavy weight items – camera, electric cords, toiletry, etc. – to our day packs beforehand.

As for accommodation: Just because you’re a backpacker doesn’t mean your only option for accommodation is a hostel. We find using Airbnb as a couple is more beneficial than hosteling especially for countries like New Zealand and Australia. The cost can be the same if not better.

Plus you get additional amenities you wouldn’t otherwise get with staying in a hostel like unlimited internet which is practically non-existent in those countries. In Australia, we stayed in an apartment complex where we had access to a gym and pool. In New Zealand, we had a private room with double bed, access to the laundry machine and a pet dog Milly for the week. But probably the greatest benefit from using Airbnb is that it feels like home.

Celebrating Songkran in Thailand. Copyright GQTrippin.com

8. What was your first ¨We’re not in Kansas anymore¨ moment on this trip?

India. On our first day, we were told there was a look of fear in our eyes. From the moment we exited the taxi, trying to maneuver through the dirt and trash filled streets, dodging beggars, tuk tuks, motorbikes, cows and cow poo – I’d say fear was an understatement.

9. What’s been your most ¨local¨ experience so far?

Attending a traditional Indian wedding in Jaisalmer, India. Gerard has never danced with so many guys in his life!

10. What has been your most embarrassing moment?

Bathing in the nude with total strangers. Or as the Japanese like to call it, a typical evening at the onsen (hot spring). I was fine, but Gerard was originally going to wear his towel around like a skirt. Haha.

11. What’s your secret for getting the most out of your journey?

Getting in with the locals. We’ve been fortunate enough to be part of the Couchsurfing community and met incredible people. Through this, we got to do things we wouldn’t otherwise on our own. The onsen experience along with the Indian wedding would’ve never happened had it not been for Couchsurfing.

We also live in the digital age whereby if I tweet a question like, where can I find the best coffee in Hanoi?, and I’ll get a recommendation or two in return. As much as our daily lives are inundated with social media, we’ve found it most helpful in getting tips from friends, family and complete strangers.

Living the Digital Nomad Dream. Copyright GQTrippin.com

12. Finally, our lightening round.

• Best dish you’ve found so far: Shanghai dumplings
• Most exotic food eaten: Balut (duck embryo)
• Most breathtaking moment: Bungy jumping in New Zealand
• Biggest disappointment: China
• Most memorable place: Pushkar, India
• Most memorable person: Jay, our first Couchsurfing host in Queenstown, NZ
• Best thing to have on a long bus ride: headphones
• Worst thing to have on a long bus ride: a loud snorer next to you
• Best thing you packed: Gerard’s Android smartphone.
• Dumbest thing you packed: Gerard’s hat and my extra swim suit
• Funniest travel habit the other one has:
  G: Kieu says cheese and smiles even when I’m taking a picture of her from behind. Q: Gerard throws up the peace sign every time I try and take a photo of him
• Place you wish you could’ve stayed longer: Japan

You can follow Gerard & Kieu online at GQtrippin.com, on Facebook and on Twitter @GQtrippin

Every week, Career Break Secrets profiles a different traveler or traveling couple who are embracing the ¨Because Life Is Out There ^TM¨ travel spirit.  These are people who have taken the plunge to embark on a career break and are currently traveling the world.  

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Who’s Out There Now: GQ Trippin is a post from: Career Break Secrets: Travel show, independent travel blog and advice for career breaks and around the world travel adventures

The authors, Betsy and Warren, in front of an exploding volcano in Ecuador. Copyright MarriedwithLuggage.com

I’ve known Betsy and Warren for a while. They are the kind of people that once you meet them, you feel like you’ve known them your whole life. They have a passion for life that even amongst the traveler community is notable and infectious.

They’ve been blogging about their travels and their perspective on life for a while now on Married With Luggage. But, as time has gone one, they’ve focused less on travel advice to more lifestyle advice to help people either achieve their potential or at least realize a key goal they have in life. They’ve helped me directly. For a speech I gave earlier this year in Italy, they gave me invaluable advice that helped turn it from from just OK to a real barn burner.

Late last year, they published Dream. Save. Do. A No-Nonsense, Step-by-Step Blueprint for Amassing the Cash You Need to Live Your Dream. That’s quite a mouthful. And, it’s quite a brand promise. Anyone who’s been reading their site knows that they excel at no-nonsense advice. It’s raw, it’s honest, and knowing them like I do, I hear Betsy and Warren talking to me when I read their writing. What you see is what you get.

Why this book is worth your attention

• It’s action oriented. The book isn’t about rehashing tired cliches like spend less, save more. While this is true, Betsy and Warren remind us that, ¨It takes more than this basic knowledge to set yourself on a path to amassing the kind of cash that can change your life.¨ Dream. Save. Do. Is more than a cute title, it’s the structure of the book.
• The stories. It’s easy to give advice. But, Betsy and Warren pepper the book with real experiences from their life that grounds the advice they give and the lessons they’ve learned. They’re personal and raw like the health issues from young members of their family, from opening talking about their marriage, and previous divorces. You get a real sense of where they are coming from and what has shaped their lives.
• The checklists. Tied directly to the action orientation of the book, Betsy and Warren give you real tools, real exercises from turning your dream into reality, including how to dream in a way that leads to action. This is not an exercise in simply daydreaming.

Your dream may not be to travel. No worries. This book is for anyone who has a dream and just needs a little push, a little realism and a lot of support to help you get there. I definitely recommend that you buy this book.

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Getting Off the Dime: A Review of Dream. Save. Do. is a post from: Career Break Secrets: Travel show, independent travel blog and advice for career breaks and around the world travel adventures

It’s here!

This week is the culmination of months of behind-the-scenes work. My book, The Career Break Traveler’s Handbook, is finally here. Since I started my trip back in 2007, I had dreams of writing my own travel book. Then when I started Career Break Secrets, I had dreams of writing my own book. And all along the way, my aunt kept encouraging me to write a book. But, the management of the site and working to get The Career Break Travel Show (coming soon!) launched precluded me spending any time on trying to figure out the publishing world.

The Power of the Network

Late last year Janice Waugh, author of The Solo Traveler’s Handbook, told me that she wanted to expand her book into a series. As you can see from the review of the Solo Traveler’s Handbook (1st edition), I was a fan. She offered me the chance to be a part of the first wave of travel style books under her label, Full Flight Press, and I accepted without hesitation. At the same time, the other authors came on board: Jodi Ettenberg to focus on food travel, Sarah & Terry Lee to focus on luxury travel and Shannon O’Donnell to focus on volunteer travel. Janice took the opportunity to produce the 2^nd edition of her book on solo travel. It’s always great to work with smart people who are experts in their field. The Traveler’s Handbooks series was born.

Why a Career Break Book?

Frankly, I wanted to have a resource that made it easy for anyone with a dream of a career break to get started quickly. There’s a lot of information out there about taking a career break and blogs filled with stories and adventures of people who are out there doing it right now. That’s great for amplifying the amount of information that’s available for the people planning their trip right now. But, it also adds to the time you need to comb through it all to find what they need. And, you still have to piece together your own plan.

My goal was to take the information and put it together in a way that helps you get going and get planning. Not only that, I want you to be able to have a process to follow so you don’t forget any important details.

Finally, there are so many people that I’ve met during and after my career break who have stories worth telling. I try to cover as many as I can on the site. And, the book has many more. Some are stories I’ve told on the site already while others I haven’t. I could have included so many more and I felt bad that I couldn’t include more. I tried to focus on one aspect of their story to help illustrate the various themes of the book. Having those stories also highlights that there are a lot more people than known taking breaks, they come all walks of life and do it for a variety of reasons.

What’s Inside

• The book is only about 110 pages. So, you can get through it quickly
• There are over 20 photos from around that world that I took that will hopefully fuel your wanderlust
• 13 stories from current and former career breakers
• 4 sections covering the career break lifecycle
  • Deciding puts the career break in perspective of your overall life and career, explains why it’s not selfish to take a break, highlights the scientific benefits of taking a break and ends with a pep talk
  • Peace of Mind Planning takes you step by step on how to prepare so you can fully relax once you leave knowing you are ready for anything that comes your way. I cover what you need to do before you quit, how to come out of the career break closet, the art of career break budgeting, planning where to go, dealing with your health, packing and tech tips and more
  • Making the Most of Your Trip gives you ideas for how to maximize the time you have whether you have have one month or one year. I start by highlighting the 3 types of activities that career breakers do, how to adjust to a ¨free¨ life, how to deal with loneliness, how to stay safe physically, digitally and protect your belongings, my list of budget stretchers and discuss whether you should work or not
  • Re-entry helps you get going again once you’re back from adjusting to life back home, how to restart your networking and how to position your career break to prospective employers
• Resource lists (over a dozen) that cover the following:
  • accommodation
  • career break and related books for further reading
  • career break TV and films
  • other career break resources
  • budgeting and money management
  • connecting with locals and other travelers
  • finding great dining experiences
  • flights
  • health and health insurance resources
  • re-entry resources
  • registering your trip
  • free blogging and communication options
  • volunteering resources
  • naturally a list of the other books in the series

And finally, you can check out the Table of Contents and read a sample chapter.

Reviews of the Career Break Traveler’s Handboook

I’m trying to capture the reviews as they come out. Here are the latest of what I’ve seen so far.

“I found the taking of sabbaticals the single most successful strategy in helping me to look at my work as a calling, rather than just as a job. Jeff Jung tells you how to go about it.”
Stefan Sagmeister
Grammy Award winning Art Director and Graphic Designer
Author and TED Speaker
___________________________________________________________________________________
“Jeff Jung helps us realize that Career Breaks are important aspects of our work lives. As a 5-time career changer, talent and career take time to play, study, explore and really live. We are so much more productive, imaginative and interesting when we do these things, and that leads to innovation and a competitive advantage for our careers and the organizations we work for. Taking a Career Break is a “must-do” and this book is a “must-read.”
Ginny Clarke
CEO of Talent Optimization Partners, LLC
Author of Career Mapping: Charting Your Course in the New World of Work
___________________________________________________________________________________
“This book covers everything. From how to quit your job to how to pack your bags, it’s all in there. If you’re ready to turn that secret travel dream you’ve been ignoring all these years into reality, this is your starting point.”
Dan Clements
Author of Escape 101
___________________________________________________________________________________
“Perhaps you have been dreaming about taking a career break. After reading the career break travelers handbook, you will move from dream to action. With inspiring stories, practical advice and an overall can-do, should-do, will-do spirit, this book will have you asking yourself why you’ve waited so long. Even if your career break is not possible today, you will get step by step strategies to ensure your career will not slip away without one.”
Julie Bauke
CEO, The Bauke Group
Author of Stop Peeing on Your Shoes: Avoiding the 7 Mistakes That Screw Up Your Job Search

Where to Buy The Career Break Traveler’s Handbook

The book is in both paperback and electronic versions. It is currently rolling out around the world. Here are the places where you can buy them

• US
  • Amazon.com (paperback and Kindle)
  • BarnesandNoble.com (paperback. Nook Coming Soon)
  • Sony Coming Soon!
  • Kobo
  • iBook Store Coming Soon!
  • Copia
• UK
  • Waterstones (paperback)
  • W.H. Smith (paperback and Kobo)
  • Amazon.co.uk (paperback and Kindle)
  • iBook Store Coming Soon!
  • Copia
  • Hammicks Legal
  • The Book Depository (paperback)
  • Eddington Hook
• Canada
  • Amazon.ca (paperback and Kindle)
  • iBook Store Coming Soon!
  • Kobo
  • Copia
• Australia
  • BetterRead
• Croatia
  • Superbookshop
• Estonia
  • Kristosomus
• India
  • BookAdda
• Japan
  • Amazon
  • Junkudo
• Italy
  • Bol
  • IBS
• Latvia
  • Kristosomus
• New Zealand Coming Soon!
• Norway
  • Bokklubben
  • Studia
• Romania
  • Books Express
• Sweden
  • Bokus
• Wholesalers
  • Baker & Taylor Coming Soon!
  • Alibris (UK) 
  • Gardner’s (UK)
  • Lehmann’s (Germany)

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Book ‘Em Jeffo is a post from: Career Break Secrets: Travel show, independent travel blog and advice for career breaks and around the world travel adventures

Photo courtesy of ShelleySeale.com

This year will be my first year not hosting Meet Plan Go in Austin. It was a tough decision to make because I really love this event. In the past two years, I got the chance to meet so many great people getting ready for their own trip. But, my schedule just didn’t allow for it to happen. Luckily, we found a great pair to take the reins and from what I’ve seen, it’s going to be a fantastic night. Shelley and Keith are globe trotters who have first-hand experience taking a career break. They have great stories so I asked them to provide us with a guest post so you could get to know them better. To Shelley and Keith I saw, Knock ’em Dead! I know you’ll do great as hosts. And, for anyone thinking about taking a break, please check out this year’s Meet Plan Go event.

How Career Breakers Are Made

It’s literally the ticket to the whole world…but only 30% of Americans have a passport. A passport is about so much more than travel; and travel is about so much more than sightseeing and vacationing. It’s about witnessing different ways of life than your own, experiencing different cultures and ways of thinking, meeting and interacting with people who have a completely different lifestyle than your own.

It’s about their traditions, beliefs, loves, foods, hardships, dances, songs, history, geography, and passions. It’s about life itself – and there is far, far more to life and the world than what any of us see in our own backyards, in the little corner of this planet that we are born into.

Neither of us came from families that traveled much while we were growing up; family road trips were the most of it. When we each finally started traveling as young adults — decades before we knew each other — worlds were opened up that we had previously only dreamed about.

Photo courtesy of ShelleySeale.com

Keith’s story: A serial career breaker

I never really had the opportunity to travel while growing up, but even as early as in my middle school years I knew that I wanted to eventually get out and see the world. Then, burnt out on school after finishing my sophomore year in college, I decided that I was going to do whatever it took to backpack around Europe with my best friend. That decision ended up being one of the most important and best decisions of my life.

To save the money I needed for the trip I worked a ridiculous number of hours of hard labor at a box factory of all places and took any other odd jobs that I could find that summer. When September came around my friend and I flew standby to Brussels with the vaguest of plans, our precious travelers checks (no ATM cards back then!), a copy of Let’s Go Europe, and a sense of excitement that I cannot possibly put into words. Before that time I had never been more than 400 miles away from where I was born, and here I was about to backpack around Europe!

That three and a half month trip changed my life forever. The sense of wonder and excitement that I got from exploring different countries and cultures on my own never left me, and I knew without a doubt that travel would always be a big part of my life. Likewise, learning how to adapt to the unexpected while on the road made me much more confident in myself and prepared me for taking other worthwhile risks in life. And last but not least, getting outside of my ‘normal’ life and comfort zone to mix with people with such different lives and belief systems has enabled me to see our complex world in a much more open and understanding way.

Upon returning home from that auspicious trip back in 1985 I eagerly finished school, and I have been a regular career breaker ever since. Sprinkled all throughout my various stints in Corporate America and even after practicing law for a short while I have taken multiple extended trips abroad. From backpacking throughout different regions of the world, including a two year hiatus in Southeast and South Asia, to studying Spanish in Guatemala, to teaching English in Japan, to doing bits of volunteer work, I have taken breaks from work to recharge my batteries and to regain perspective.

And after my last job in Corporate America three and half years ago I decided to intertwine my livelihood even more closely with my love of travel. I simplified my life to give me the time and space to explore different opportunities, and I ended up starting a travel consulting business that has spread into travel photography as well. With my partner Shelley Seale, I co-wrote the book How To Travel For Free (or pretty Damn Near It!), and I likewise became the Director of Overseas Projects for a non-profit organization. Doing these things hasn’t always been easy, but it has certainly been well worth it.

Because travel has changed my life for the better in so many ways, I a firm believer that everyone should take an extended trip at least once in their lives. I can honestly say that I’ve never heard anyone who has done it say that they regretted it later, and at the same time I have heard plenty of people say that they HAVE regretted not taking the time to do it. So if you have been thinking about hitting the road, you really just need to make up your mind and take the plunge!

Keith’s website is Travel Sherpa Keith and you can follow him as @SherpaKeith on Twitter.

Photo courtesy of ShelleySeale.com

Shelley’s story: A passport to a new lifestyle

I got my first passport in my senior year of high school, in 1984. Up til that time I had only been to places in Texas and a few surrounding states (New Mexico, Oklahoma, Louisiana) and to Mexico (you didn’t need a passport back then). My high school’s Spanish teacher, Doctora Rodriguez, was organizing a month-long European trip – and that is what I wanted for my high school graduation present. With all my heart and soul, desperately. Many other people would have perhaps thought that was $2,000 that could have bought a car, something longer lasting.

But the truth is that it is the car, or any other thing that could have been purchased with that money, which would have been gone long ago. Now, more than 25 years later, I still have fond memories of my first glimpses of London, the Eiffel Tower and Leaning Tower of Pisa (you could actually climb it then!). I remember looking down from my hotel window in Rome, after Italy had just won a huge soccer match, to see the complete gridlock party in the streets. That trip fueled a lifelong love of travel – and the curiosity and desire for learning that came with it.

Over the next 15 years I didn’t travel extensively, internationally. I started a career (my previous career in real estate), got married, had a child. I traveled here and there, but it wasn’t until I took my daughter to France when she was 10 years old that my next phase of life — that of a global wanderer — really began. Within the next few years I began to transition out of real estate, which was a career that sort of chose me and that I wasn’t passionate about, and into a full-time writing career.

I also began to transition my writing around travel writing. I still write about a lot of other topics in addition to travel, such as food, lifestyle, nonprofits, health and wellness — but part of my crafting of a new work life including crafting of a new whole life. See, I came to realize that we shouldn’t have to compartmentalize our lives. Work shouldn’t be some separate thing that you do for 1/3 of your life just to pay the bills. I wanted to create a life that reflected my passions, values, interests and beliefs — and that certainly included travel.

You don’t have to be a writer to do this. There are plenty of ways that people find to earn money on the road or to support a traveling lifestyle. I have several friends who come home and work and earn money (which they save) for months or years at a time, then hit the globe for months or years at a time on that money. Others work their way around the world doing bartending, odd jobs, child care, English language teaching, working on farms, etc. Still others start businesses that can be done online or become consultants who can work virtually from any location.

In today’s world, with the Internet and mobile phones as well as the new workplace norm of more freelancing, entrepreneurship and virtual offices, it’s much easier to make a living, and a life, while traveling. I encourage anyone to follow their dreams in this regard. Yes, it takes time and patience and a lot of hard (but mostly just consistent) work to make it happen. But if it’s really what you want, I promise you — if I can do it, so can just about anyone else!

Shelley’s website is ShelleySeale.com and you can follow her as @shelleyseale on Twitter.

Meet Plan Go is a nationwide movement focused on career breaks and long-term travel. The Austin event, one of 10 cities in North America hosting the events, will be held on October 16 at Abel’s on the Lake. Tickets are limited to 120 and selling fast. Get yours today. 

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How Career Breakers Are Made is a post from: Career Break Secrets: Travel show, independent travel blog and advice for career breaks and around the world travel adventures

It turns out, I’m not alone. After getting to know so many other people who have taken a break, I realized that I wasn’t alone. For each of us, a point came in which we said, NOW. Now is the time to take a break. Now is the time to make my break.

I’ve included a summary of my own story in case you haven’t heard it before. But, I’ve also asked a couple of other people who have taken a break to tell their story, the story that never gets talked about, the one about the moment in time when we stopped saying no and said yes.

Jeff in Greece. Copyright CareerBreakSecrets.com

Jeff:

¨What’s it going to take to make you happy?¨ It was a question I had been asking myself. But, there was something about the way that my friends Mike and Joy asked me that question on that Friday night. We are on the Riverwalk in San Antonio, feeding ourselves with margaritas and mexican spanish/mediterranean food. From all outward appearances, things we going well. But, behind the scenes, things weren’t what they appeared. Weight gain, lack of sleep, an inordinate amount of stress made it increasingly difficult to hide the fact that what I had been achieving in my professional life wasn’t being shared in my personal life. I knew something had to change, but I was having difficulty figuring out what ¨that¨ was.

UPDATE: My friends have corrected me on where the fateful event took place. What is still true is that margaritas were involved.

Mike and Joy’s question stuck with me all weekend. When I woke up on Saturday morning, I kept thinking about it over and over again. Maybe it was the fact that I realized that I wasn’t doing a good job of hiding it my unhappiness anymore. Maybe it was the mix of Texan humidity and margaritas. But, that morning I had my epiphany – I wanted to travel. And, not just take a week off to the beach to relax. I wanted to see the world. I wanted to go to all those places I had been dreaming about since I was a kid. Of course, the big question was, could I afford it?

I spent the rest of the weekend working on budgeting. I tried to figure out how much I would need for such a long trip. I turned to the internet. But, in 2006, there wasn’t nearly the information from people who had done it that there is today. So, I looked really closely at what I was spending on my current lifestyle. Shocked at how much it cost me to live, I thought, surely I can do it for way less than that. I continued working at the math, comparing it to my savings and realized that it was possible. Three weeks later, I quit my job and started my new life.

Sherry Ott:

Sherry in Nepal. Copyright Ottsworld.com

I had a job anyone would have wanted…at least from the outside.  I worked in an international luxury retailer in the upper management of their IT department.  I had a great office, a good title, and stock options. I had climbed the ladder and clawed my way up through various companies and lived in various cities to get there.  I did just what you expect of every childless, unmarried, type A female – I kicked ass because I had nothing else to demand my time and attention.  I managed people older than me from early on in my career and just thought it was normal.  But I had a secret.  I didn’t really enjoy my career except for the fact that it allowed me to accumulate things I wanted.  I accumulated and accumulated and lived the American dream.  I turned off the part of me that really paid attention to what was going on deep inside and I worried about the outside instead.

I remember one day coming home from work from a particularly bad day. I sat on my couch and looked around my beautiful apartment and started crying.  All I could think about was that I was so miserable at work – and not just my specific company – but working in IT in a field that I never felt like I belonged in. Somehow I kept getting rewarded and promoted in a field that I felt like I knew nothing in.  On top of this, it didn’t help that people I worked with were some of the most brutal, insensitive people I had ever encountered in my career. I sat on my couch and wished for simplicity, but I was surrounded by complexity. I started to wonder if I would be just happier to be less well off financially and simply do a job like waitressing or something – no money, but better work/life balance. I thought about my college days when I had so little – and longed for it again.

That was the moment where the pain of my present situation became greater then the pain of leaving the situation – and change happens when you finally reach that point. Shortly after that episode I remember realizing that I didn’t really have to stay. No one was making me stay except for myself and what I thought others expected of me. I knew I had a year contract with my employer – and I started to tell myself  I would leave when that contract was up. Once I had a plan, my whole attitude at work changed. The people that I disliked became more bearable.  I fantasized about the day I would put in my notice. Granted, I ended up staying 2 more years, but I always knew that my time there was temporary and that’s what got me through to the day I got on the plane 5 1/2 years ago!

Sherry is the co-founder of Meet Plan Go and blogs about her travels at Ottsworld.

Betsy and Warren ready for action. Copyright MarriedWithLuggage.com

Warren and Betsy Talbot:

Margaritas, friends, and an unexpected question were the perfect combination to change our lives.

In retrospect the evening started like any other great night out. We were celebrating a long weekend in Seattle and decided to head out to our favorite Mexican food restaurant with close friends. These are the types of friends where a conversation just flows and there are no restrictions. We all felt free to share ideas, hopes, and concerns with each other.

As the hours wore on Betsy and I started to reflect on our friends and family. Betsy’s brother was still managing life after a major heart attack at 35. While he had recovered it was a major shift in diet and attitude. Our close friend Maria was still in the hospital almost 1 month after a brain aneurism at 34 and no one knew what the future held. Without evening knowing it, our lives were about to be changed.

As typically happens with great friends the discussion turns to life and the future. We reflected on how short life is and posed the question, “What would you do if you knew you would not live to be 40?” (we were both 37 at the time). Without pausing to consult Betsy and I both answered, travel.

Within another hour, and thanks to the aid of another round of margaritas, we made the decision that would change our lives. We had agreed that we would take a year off to travel around the world.

The next morning, in the cold light of day, we knew that our mindset had been changed forever and we started planning our adventure in earnest. Today we are 18 months into an adventure that has morphed from 1 year to 5 years to a lifetime.

It all started innocently enough with great friends, a few drinks, and a question. This is why we advocate strong friendships with supportive people so strongly. They can literally change your life.

Warren and Betsy run the site Married With Luggage and are the authors of the books Dream. Save. Do., Getting Rid of It, and Strip Off Your Fear. 

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The Catalyst is a post from: Career Break Secrets: Travel show, independent travel blog and advice for career breaks and around the world travel adventures

Six Steps Toward Freedom: A personal story

Six Steps Toward Freedom: A personal story is a post from: Career Break Secrets: Travel show, independent travel blog and advice for career breaks and around the world travel adventures

On my recent trip back to the US, I was determined to read the book. It’s been 4 years since its release. And, since then, the world economy has been on quite a roller coaster. When Dan and I took our career breaks, people were still leaving voluntarily. The economy was good and no one gave much thought about the possibility or likelihood of significant economic chaos that would hit in 2008.

In 2009, I met a lot of people on forced career breaks. By and large, these were people that had decided to wait out the downturn and take the trip that they always wanted to take. Some had been planning a sabbatical. Others had not.

Now at the end of 2011, I was curious to see if what Dan had to say was still relevant. Would his words still be inspirational? Would the advice still be relevant? Could Dan still speak to working professionals credibly?  I was rooting for him. But, I was skeptical.

The answers are Yes, Yes and Yes.

Review of Escape 101

¨Leaving was actually easy. It was thinking about leaving that was hard.¨ This point still rings true. And, as Dan points out, there are a couple of meanings behind it. First, while many of us dream of taking time off to travel and see the world, we get stuck in our day-to-day lives. It traps us and mentally, it’s hard to make the decision to go. But, this statement also recognizes that there is work and effort involved in the planning so you can do it right. It’s worth taking the time to think through all the issues.

Dan states that taking a career break is about ¨living deliberately.¨ And, I couldn’t agree more. We only get one life on this merry go round. So, take the time to live it as you want to. Escape 101 is about taking the break without losing the parts of your current life that you enjoy. As he says, it’s about ¨taking the break you need, without losing ground.¨

The first part of the book explores why you should get away and focusing on your commitment to live deliberately. He then tackles all the big things that scares people about leaving: money, your job, your business, and kids. Finally, he goes through to talk about how to get the most out of your experience and how to re-enter.

He challenges you to think about why you want to go. I often find with many career breakers that there is a catalytic event that finally spurs someone into action. Dan calls these triggers. And, he argues that it’s important to know why you want to go: work, health, a desire to volunteer, a good old-fashioned desire to travel? Or something else?
From there, Dan provides concrete advice on how to start planning your time and away. But, most importantly, he stresses the need to figure out how to get the most out of your time off.

Are you traveling with kids? So did Dan and his wife. So, if a family trip is in the card for you, Dan has some great advice for setting out with them.

If you are looking for a great read on how to plan for your career break that goes beyond a tactical approach and gives you the philosophical underpinnings of why you should go, then check out Escape 101.

Disclosure: I was provided with a review copy of Escape 101. All comments and opinions are my own.

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Does Escape 101 Stand the Test of Time? is a post from: Career Break Secrets: Travel show, independent travel blog and advice for career breaks and around the world travel adventures

Janice enjoying some crickets in Mexico. Copyright SoloTravelerBlog.com

Are you excited by the thought of taking a career break, but daunted by the prospect of doing it alone? I understand. I have friends who can’t bring themselves to go to the movies alone in their hometown. So, to find the courage to take a trip by themselves, especially overseas, is tough to do.

But, a community is forming on the internet of current and future solo travelers. Collectively, they help each other make the leap to take that first solo trip and support each other to continue traveling. The emerging leader of the solo travel movement is Janice Waugh, publisher of The Solo Traveler Blog and founder of the recently formed Solo Travel Society.

She recently published The Solo Traveler Handbook: For those who love and those who long to go solo. On a recent trip between Canada and Colombia, I finally had a chance to read the book.

The Solo Traveler Handbook Review

Copyright SoloTravelerBlog.com

One of the first things you learn is that this subject is personal for Janice. Having lost her husband at a young age, she found herself widowed in her 40s. Traveling solo provided the catharsis that helped heal her and give her life renewal. So, when Janice speaks on the subject of solo travel, you better listen.

The books blends story narration and lots of tips to help give the reader inspiration and perspiration (Janice’s tips are real, actionable and plentiful). Janice doesn’t shy away from the downsides. There is an entire chapter devoted to safety and security. Starting with her first solo adventure in Cuba after her husband died to an awful con encounter in Paris, Janice has a lot to discuss and share. Her safety priorities, principles and tips will serve any new solo traveler well, and aren’t a bad reminder for the seasoned soloists.

What I like most about the book is that it Janice blends her stories and tips effortlessly for the reader. She captures you with her stories before she gives you the medicine, so to speak. As she’s advising you, you have context for the tips. Whether she’s telling you about having coffee with a stranger in Patagonia, dancing all night in Spain or hiking the mountains in England, you’ll see that the advice is earned from her own travel jaunts.

For anyone looking to go traveling solo, The Solo Travelers Handbook will make your journey more accessible and enjoyable.

The book is available at the Solo Traveler Blog and on Amazon in paperback and electronically for your e-reader.

Time to Get Your Solo Butt Out There: A Review of The Solo Traveler’s Handbook is a post from: Career Break Secrets: Travel show, independent travel blog and advice for career breaks and around the world travel adventures