Most of us see the world in snippets at a time – a long weekend here, a two-week vacation there. But when wanderlust grows beyond what those trips can contain, a longer journey might be in order.
Embarking on a six-month or year-long adventure often can mean taking a leap of faith and leaving key responsibilities behind, like arranging for an extended leave of absence or resigning from a job. But those that have done it say the experience is more than worth it.
We sought out some of those brave, inspirational souls on the question-and-answer site Quora.com, asking: “what should I know if I want to quit my job, leave everything behind and travel for a year?” From the logistics of planning such a trip to the difficulty of managing others’ expectations and re-entering the workforce, the Quora community chimed in with their most useful advice.
Quitting a job may seem like a huge risk to others around you. “People will bring up the dangers to your career, dangers of getting hurt out there, dangers of not finding a job when you come back,” said Kyle Pennell, who recently left a marketing career in San Francisco to live in Oaxaca, Mexico. Those dangers can be real, but according to Pennell, “the places you see, the people you connect with, the pace of life, the person you might discover yourself to really be – it is amazing”.