Sabbatical(ish)
My family and I have been in quite an interesting season of our lives for the past eight months. We’ve been living at my parent’s house since selling our beloved condo back in late summer. That’s right, y’all, I’m back in my childhood bedroom at the age of thirty! Thanks, Mom and Dad! The silver lining is that we’re here by choice. We’ve been saving some money for something that we believe will change the trajectory of our lives–or at least be an exciting experience.
Come late April, we will embark on a 6-month sabbatical(ish). I say ‘ish’ because Brian will still be working part-time, and I will be managing my business from afar. We’ll be living in about six countries for a few weeks to a month at a time, immersing ourselves in the culture, cuisine, and experiences of living the slow life in each place that we’ve chosen. We’ll be stationed in one town per country and do most of our sight-seeing on day trips.
Our goal is to be intentional and slow down. As all of you know, life can be hectic, stressful, and overwhelming. Generally, we tend to walk through each week, month, and even year with one thought on our minds– retirement. The time when all of our hard work has paid off. We’re free! But what if we didn’t have to wait until we’re older to do what brings us joy? Nothing is promised in life, and we’d be doing it a disservice to not take advantage of each day that we have on this earth.
While it would be incredibly unrealistic to assume every single day will bring heaps of joy on this trip, it will, at the very least, force us to really take in the small moments and just… be. Don’t get me wrong, we’re not planning this move with rose-colored glasses. There will be moments of doubt, frustration, and uncertainty. Let’s remember, we’re doing this with TWO toddlers. There will be times that I miss familiarity and might even irrationally flirt with the idea to come home, “just because”. Truthfully, we’re anticipating all outcomes and even so, we’re ecstatic for what’s to come.
I’ll be giving updates on our whereabouts and experiences, disclosing the itinerary as we travel to each new location. What I can tell you is that the trip will begin with a 2-week transatlantic cruise to Barcelona, Spain. Our ports-of-call are San Juan, Puerto Rico; Philipsburg, Saint-Martin; and Malaga, Spain.
You’ll be able to follow our adventure right here. I’ll be including all the things–good, bad, tasty, and ugly. I’m going to be vulnerable, people, because this is my corner of the internet. So get ready! I’m looking forward to taking you along for the ride.
