Advice on quitting your job and travelling for a year Embarking on an extended adventure often means taking a leap of faith and leaving key responsibilities behind. But those that have done it say the experience is more than worth it. Adapted from: http://www.bbc.com/travel/story/20140204-advice-on-quitting-your-job-and-travelling-for-a-year 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. Expect people to worry on your behalf 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”. "It’s easy to keep doing what you’re doing, and it’s hard to go do something completely different,” said Julia Lam, a former Facebook employee who left the San Francisco Bay area and is currently in the middle of taking a year off to travel around the world. “You’ll probably have moments of regret or confusion, so stay focused on your goals and why you’re doing this.” Have a goal or theme to guide you Although over planning an extended journey can be limiting, wandering the world completely aimless can be equally frustrating. Andy Anderson, who has visited more than 35 countries, enhanced his year-long journey by finding ways to incorporate his passions. “I found a way to work at an Italian winery,” Anderson said. “I also spent a full season in a ski town, skiing being another passion of mine.” Software engineer Marcin Czech travelled from his home in Poland to Malaysia completely on land, and now finds his feat differentiates him from other world travellers. Not sure where to start? American traveller Shahif Abileah recommended planning around big festivals. “By dumb luck we ended up in Lalibela [Ethiopia] during their Christmas celebrations, and it was one of the highlights of our trip. It felt like walking into Biblical times,” he said. “There were other events that we just barely missed. For the next trip we'll definitely check out the big events happening in different countries.” Embrace your journey, even after it’s over While some Quora users went back to their original careers after returning home, others started new ones. Anderson said the job hunt could take two to three months upon return, but suggested starting to look at the end of your trip for a jumpstart. Interviewers may question the gap in your resume, but that could also work to your advantage. Gary Forman, a marketing director from New York, used his experience to screen potential employers. “Some of them couldn't relate; those weren't the folks I wanted to work for,” he said. “Others loved the idea, and had taken similar journeys themselves. Those were the places I wanted to be.” Vocabulary Match the words to their definitions: Word ● To take a leap of a.Total chance faith ● A snippet ● The workforce ● Dumb luck ● To check out ● Folks Definition b.To have a look at something c. To take a big risk with the hope that it will turn out well d. People (informal) e. A small part of f. The employed people in a country Comprehension ● Does Kyle Pennell believe that moving abroad is totally safe? ____________________________________________________________________________________ ● Did Andy Anderson improve his time by incorporating his passions? ____________________________________________________________________________________ ● In what way is Marcin Czech not like other travellers? ____________________________________________________________________________________ ● Did Shahif Alibeah plan to visit Ethiopia to see the Christmas celebrations? ____________________________________________________________________________________ ● How did Gary Foreman turn the resume gap to his advantage? ____________________________________________________________________________________ Responding to the text ● What’s your most memorable travel experience? ____________________________________________________________________________________ ● Where would you most like to go in the world and why? ____________________________________________________________________________________ ● Do you have any ethical concerns when you go traveling? (eg. For the environment, for your effect on local tourists) ____________________________________________________________________________________ ● Can you add any pieces of advice to those given by the people in the article? ____________________________________________________________________________________