It’s true! I’m wrapping up my year long traveling sabbatical. Going back to “normal life” at the end of April. I’ve had so many awesome experiences and could not be happier about how the year went. I’m currently in Bali, prepping for the job hunt.

Why not travel forever?

Well, I suspect I’ll always be a traveler, just in smaller increments. Are you ready for mini-weekend trips? Anyone want to go to Cuba or NOLA?

Reason 1: I need a home base

So, I’m ready for a home base now. In the last few years, tons of my friends put down payments on houses. I basically used the same amount to go travel instead. I was pretty sure I didn’t fully belong in NYC (and obviously couldn’t afford a house in NYC if I wanted). Now that I was able to travel A LOT, I’m ready to settle down a bit and have a home.

Things I’m looking forward to:

1. Sleeping in a real bed instead of a hostel bunk bed.
2. Not locking up my stuff in a locker every time I leave a room.
3. Decorating an apartment! Thanks mom for this ingrained need.
4. Taking up projects that need space
5. Having a group of friends for more than a week like on the road

Reason 2: Being closer to family and friends

Living in Asia the last few months, it’s been a lot harder to keep up with friends and family. I want to be able to see my new little niece more often. Or to see my parents, brother & sister-in-law, grandparents, aunts & uncles, and cousins. I want to see all my old friends and their new little babies as well. I have had several travel families, but there’s something special about the people who have known you 10+ years. I don’t expect to live down the road, but living in the same country helps.

Reason 3: $$

Yes another reason I won’t travel forever is $$. I did some work while traveling but ideally, I’d be contributing to retirement and putting aside savings for the future. By default, being close to family and friends in the US means I’ll need more income than I am currently making. I won’t be living in a hostel and living in the US generally requires more money than living in Thailand or Guatemala. I could do more freelance marketing work but the last reason is….

Reason 4: Career!

I was working as a Product Manager before I left and I really truly enjoyed it. It was challenging, but in an intellectual way and not just a “there’s so much shit to do” way. I can’t wait to jump back into a Product role. While I could be a remote Product Manager, I enjoy working collaboratively with people and it’s easier in person at most companies. I’ve devoted a big chunk of my traveling sabbatical time to learning and I’m excited to put things into practice.

TL;DR?

I’m tired, a little homesick, will go broke, and need more intellectual stimulation. 😛

What did I learn?

Oh man this deserves a separate post but here are a few:

1. All about cultures and people in Europe, Central America, and South East Asia
2. I don’t want to be a professional travel blogger
3. How to climb 80 ft up a rock face
4. How to ride a scooter – even in the sand!
5. Conversational Spanish – note I’m a little rusty after 3 months away from Guatemala and Mexico!
6. Built something using HTML, CSS, and Javascript.
7. The “Brooklyn” style coffee shop concept is literally world wide and I can’t help but love it

Are you going back to NYC?

Never say never, but the plan is to try on a new city and see if it fits me better. I’m looking for closer access to nature/road trips, a more chill social scene, and less winter! I’m beginning my job hunt search in: San Francisco, Portland, Seattle, San Diego, Denver, Austin, and Toronto. LA is being considered as well, but I don’t think I could deal with the traffic.

Where will you be and when?

My flight back to the US is in late April. I will spend time in Austin, Houston, and Dallas before making my way to the West Coast. I’ve already started my job hunt preparations here in Bali, so I’ll hit the ground running. Ideally I’ll have lots of coffee meetings lined up with interesting people to learn about the scene. I will be applying to and interviewing for product manager jobs that interest me. But for the next three weeks, I’m in Bali and the Gili Islands. 😀

Do you still have things left on your must-see/do list?

1. South America – specifically hiking in Patagonia
2. Ride a motorbike from North Vietnam to South Vietnam
3. Australia and New Zealand
4. Learning how to scuba dive
5. Write/make a book
6. SO MANY OTHER THINGS. Taking an optimistic view here – the world is big and life is long 🙂

See you all soon,

Ash