Comments on: How to Prepare to Take a Break from Your Career to Travel

By: Rufus Evison

Rufus Evison — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 12:35:00 +0000

People always raise an eyebrow at something unusual. They also remember someo e who has done something unusual. After twenty interviews being ther one that they stuill remember is an advantage. No one I know has found it a problem to get a job afterwards. You say it does not count in yoyur favour and it doesn’t count directly but it does practically speaking make getting a job easier.

By: Rufus Evison

Rufus Evison — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 12:31:00 +0000

I set off with $300 and a single ticket to Venezuela and came back nine months later. You do not need to save up too much money! I went with three sentences of spanish and a Spanish English dictionary. I leaned most of my Spanish there from a rather lovely colombian girl. I doubt there is a better (nicer) way to learn.

By: Roadless

Roadless — Sun, 26 Jun 2011 10:47:00 +0000

I’m with you, I went to Brazil, couldn’t speak Portuguese. I didn’t even try. I went to El Salvador and tried my Spanish and looked like a fool. Someone told me to stop and they went to find a translator. LOL! I went to Korea and I was laughed at on the boat ride over by the locals who thought my pronunciation was too funny. Now I’ve been in Japan and I still can’t really speak. I can get around and I do think I need to learn more. I have been here longer than 2 years so out of respect I should keep studying, but I wouldn’t let language hold me back or be a way to motivate me to go somewhere else.

By: Roadless

Roadless — Sun, 26 Jun 2011 10:44:00 +0000

Your last tip, there “may never be the right time” is so true! When I decided to move to Japan I had to just do it. I couldn’t wait for a better opportunity. After I made the decision to move I worked hard to get rid of all consumer debt and extraneous things like, my car. I started to say goodbye to the U.S. before I left it.

By: Roz Bennetts

Roz Bennetts — Sat, 04 Jun 2011 21:23:00 +0000

These are all probably good things to do but I do feel there’s an element of risk with taking time off to travel. I’ve done it myself (about ten years ago during the recession) and while I did get a job fairly easily when I got back people still raised an eyebrow. That’s not to say that people shouldn’t do it, I just feel that you should be aware that it’s unlikely to count in your favour, more likely the opposite – and definitely build up a track record and great references before you go.

By: Tonya

Tonya — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 12:33:00 +0000

This article and the comments were right on time, what I needed to hear. I have been saving a lot of money and really wanting to travel while I live here in Asia and always use the excuse that I don’t have the time to travel. Also, I save as a back up just in case I have to return to the states with no job. Life is too short. I just need to go for it.

By: susan

susan — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 16:21:00 +0000

Great comments above. I agree. It’s a thrill to take time off to travel. Getting out of the comfort zone is challenging and can be a highly rejuvenating experience. Personally, when I go exploring my mind is alert and the ride side of the brain is activated –creative side, less organized and anal. I took a month off to visit South America a few years ago. I was in between positions at an old job, so they were fine with me taking the time off. It was lovely.

By: PlanOpen

PlanOpen — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 04:34:00 +0000

Loved your reply. I am planning a one-way ticket trip to Australia after chasing phantom career goals for the past two years. I decided I need to find out who I am and what more life has to offer outside of the professional-middle class boxes I was desperate to be packaged in right after college. And you are totally right about the travel mentality. I traveled quite extensively throughout Asia, South America, and Europe during college, and was(is) the “soooo American” let me participate in your culture so I can log it in my travel log tourist. It was a lot of BS and very little “immersion”. Hopefully this trip will help me get over myself and get on with being me.

Thanks,

By: Alexis Grant

Alexis Grant — Tue, 31 May 2011 18:51:00 +0000

Love your first line! Yes! “Life is all about setting priorities, not just waking up everyday and doing the same old.”

By: JESS Kalinowsky

JESS Kalinowsky — Tue, 31 May 2011 17:46:00 +0000

Life is all about setting priorities, not just waking up everyday and doing the same old same old! I tell my clients all the time, everyday, save a little bit of money for travel! Open a special savings account just for travel! Everyday put the change from your pockets, plus a little extra, into that savings account. OK! Maybe going to the bank every day is not practical for all, but most can do it with a zillion teller machines all over the place. Instead of going out for expensive lunches or dinners, or cocktails with your friends, take that money and put it in your travel account. It adds up faster than one might think! Then. here is the real goody! Make your travel plans a year in advance, pay on them monthly BEFORE you go, then you have no credit card bill, at 15-18% interest when you come home! We do this for our clients as a FREE service! No handling fee! Then when you are ready to take your trip, it is all paid for and you just have to control your shopping when away!!! World Travel so enhances your resume`.
JESS Kalinowsky Professional Travel Consultant Friends Travel LLP Google/Bing/YahooSearch us!

By: Onuora Amobi

Onuora Amobi — Tue, 31 May 2011 14:24:00 +0000

Funny, I just took time away from blogging to go on an amazing trip to Mexico.

Really good recharging of the batteries…

http://www.windows8update.com/2011/05/31/back-from-mexico/

By: Jenniferdelaneyfogarty

Jenniferdelaneyfogarty — Tue, 31 May 2011 12:51:00 +0000

I took off 2 years and traveled through Asia, Africa, and visited friends in Europe, after spending 7 years working in Tokyo for a concert promoter (I was the only non-Japanese in my company). I was 31 at the time and people could not believe I was turning down pretty great job offers in NY. In a nutshell, you just save up enough money and do it. Don’t be too planned, just let the trip lead you..you never know who you will meet or where it will lead you. While visiting a friend in Nairobi, I was asked to do some pro bono work on AIDS prevention education/entertainment which led to my next career in working on issues for children in Africa from Washington DC. You miss so much if you are too planned; and focused on seeing every sight so you can say you’ve been to X, and if you have a mission, for the love of God, don’t mention it. It can be anoying/ “soooo American” to your fellow travellers. Also, be street smart, be aware of what’s going on around you, don’t wear any flash or expensive jewelry. Keep your cash in your bra.

Learning the language is BS. Know a few phrases. Having spent 10 years living abroad,there is nothing more silly (to the locals) is visitor who thinks they are down with the locals. The best advise I have is to treat people no matter what culture like human beings. Be polite and nice and know something about the culturan norms, but don’t act as if people are so different b eacuase they are from another culture. For the most part everyone wants the same thin in life no matter what coultry. Also, people are people, ome are very good and some are very bad. When you set out to have a “cultural experience” with someone – it kind of devalues them as a person. The best immersion experiences I have had is when I was just part of something – not trying to have a certain kind of experience.

Good luck and just go for it!

By: Rufus Evison

Rufus Evison — Tue, 31 May 2011 12:30:00 +0000

I did this and feel that telling people about it and attaching a date is the most significant piece of preparation. To start with people assume it is a pipedream but as the date gfets closed and you are still saying that is when you are going they become more and more supportive and helpful. Like having a baby it is never “the perfect time” but it boosted my career rather than hindered it. Braoder experienjce and understanding can have more applications than you would imagine.

Rufus Evison (rufus.evison.com)