6 Months On My Traveling Sabbatical…

Six months ago, I left my apartment and job in NYC, strapped a 30 lb backpack on my back, and trekked around Europe. Time flies when you’re having fun! I had some expectations before leaving for the trip, but was determined to not plan out every moment. In the “real world” I’m very much a Type A planner, so I focused on three general themes.

My overarching “plan” was to focus on the following:

1. Travel, see the world
2. Family & friends
3. Personal growth

Travel, see the world

I am so lucky to have seen so much more of the world! I started in Italy, since it’s a country I read about in school, watched movies about, and of course, it has Cinque Terre! Then made my way to Spain, hoping to stay in warmer climates and experience Barcelona. Portugal followed to see the beautiful tile work. After that, I hopped over to see Croatia’s coastline and Plitvice Lakes. After a bit of time in Canada and the States with family, I went on a 3 week road trip with two friends from San Diego to Vancouver, Canada, and back to Los Angeles. Following a stint in Texas, I stopped in Mexico City on my way to Antigua, Guatemala. I still have the wanderlust bug and a big chunk of savings so I’d like to keep traveling.

Here’s a summary of the last six months, traveling wise:

• Visited 5 new countries
  • Italy, Spain, Portugal, Croatia, Mexico
• Visited 33 new cities
  • Italy: Rome, Naples, Ischia, Amalfi Coast, Florence, Pisa, Cinque Terre, Bologna, Venice
  • Spain: Barcelona, Granada, Cadiz, Seville, Madrid, San Sebastian, Salamanca
  • Portugal: Porto, Lisbon, Sintra
  • Croatia: Dubruvnik, Split, Korcula Island, Sibenik, Zadar, Plitvice Lakes, Zagreb
  • United States: San Diego, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Portland, Seattle, Vancouver
  • Mexico: Mexico City
• Tried new foods
  • Foie gras, blood sausage, and a cricket(!) on a taco were the most adventurous
• Navigated public transportation systems in foreign languages, mostly without mistakes, thanks to living in NYC
• Made friends with countless people from all over the world

Family & friends

I had plenty of time to visit with friends and family, some that I hadn’t seen in years. After my Euro-trip, I spent 3 weeks in Toronto for a cousin’s wedding (Congrats to Greg & Cari!) and to visit with family. In the states, I visited with friends and family in Boston, NYC, Washington DC, Dallas, Houston, and along the west coast. Understandably, I love that I had time to catch up with those that matter most to me. While in Houston preparing for my current trip, I helped my mom and grandma prepare for my sister-in-law’s baby shower. Spoiler: I built a castle! 😀 I’m planning to head back to Texas in December to meet my new niece and to join in on the Christmas festivities. Here are some photos I took from my cousin’s wedding this summer:

Personal Growth

Although countless hours were spent figuring out logistics while traveling, I clearly have a lot more time on my hands than I did in NYC. With this extra time, I’ve been able to make progress with personal projects.

Speaking Spanish

I can now hold a basic 10-15 min conversation in Spanish with just a few pauses. I am more comfortable speaking Spanish, without worrying as much about making mistakes. You could say I’m a 5 year old in the Spanish language. I don’t have all the grammar or vocabulary down, but I can get a point across! Antigua is well known for its reasonably priced Spanish immersion schools, so I’m researching if that is a good next step for me.

Photography

In September, I was delighted to be featured in a Tiny Atlas Quaterly’s photography show in San Francisco! The SOLAS show highlighted photos with a theme of “light”. I have been experimenting with photography and trying some new things. I would love to get a mirror-less camera since they’re SO much lighter/smaller/inconspicuous, but that expense will have to wait. For now I’m carrying around my big honking Canon 60d.

Career-oriented learning

My most recent job was a Product Manager role which involved understanding the business challenges of our customers and working with designers and engineers to solve those challenges with software. I’m using this sabbatical to build my technical skill set so I can have a better understanding of what the engineers on my team are dealing with. Currently, I’m working on a free introduction to Javascript class with the Flatiron School. Reading relevant articles and books has also expanded my knowledge. Check out The Inevitable: Understanding the 12 Technological Forces That Will Shape Our Future and get thinking!

Random!

In addition to the above, I’ve been experimenting with some other projects. I won’t list them all, but a sample: Watercoloring, meditation, yoga, freelance search marketing, writing (not on here, sorry), being dairy free (I miss cheese so much), and continuing to read interesting books.

What’s next?

So, I went back to planning things! I’ll be in Antigua, Guatemala for the next month. My primary goal is to build up some freelance income. There’s a great coworking space here, Impact Hub, which has fast wifi and a bunch of other like-minded freelancers. Texas, I’ll see you for the holidays in December & to meet my niece. After that is up in the air based on what opportunities come my way.