New Year’s Announcement: My Plan to Travel the World for a Year

*UPDATE
Now reflecting back on this original post more than 8 years later… it’s fun to see how things turned out. I DID end up traveling the world for a year, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything. Since then I’ve done more trips and long stays in other countries, though never anything quite as long as a year. Take a look here, on all the different countries and territories I’ve visited.

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Over the past few weeks I’ve had the opportunity to catch up with some friends I haven’t spoken to in quite some time. Emails, facebook messages and some in person get togethers. And even though I’ve always been alright with my private time, I’ve learned it can definitely be good to get together with friends in the right circumstances.

You realize how much you value some people’s friendship when you haven’t been able to talk with them for a while. It’s made me a disappointed in some other friendships I’ve valued that have faded away or ended abruptly. As typically comes up in conversation, you fall into the, “What are you up to?” question. To all inquisitors I’ve relayed, “I have some thoughts of a new challenge I’d like to take on. I might make an announcement after the New Year.”

So now that the New Year is here…

When the current job I have comes to it’s conclusion, whenever that may be, I’ve decided I am going to travel around the world. For at least one year. This isn’t something I’m just considering, or I think might be fun, or something I’ll give serious decision to… This is something that I’ve decided. It’s going to happen. And I feel great about it.

When my current job ends, I am going to travel the world for a year.

So maybe that’s not super shocking. It’s not like I’m picking up and hiking to China tomorrow. But it’s coming and I feel tremendously energized just by talking about it.

Many of the jobs I’ve held in the past have been political in nature, some on campaigns. With campaigns there’s an end date you can determine. When a primary ends or a general election takes place, that’s when the job finishes. There may be opportunities after that, but typically the job is over and you move onto something else. My current job is with a state political party. It’s not a campaign so there’s no official end date, rather it’s analogous to a regular job. The employee (me) could decide to leave, the employer could decide they no longer value my services, or a combination of the two. However it is a political job in nature, and even though it’s not a campaign, political jobs still have a lifespan to them depending on your direct boss, the board of directors you work with or the inner workings of the organization.

Right now there’s no definitive, “X number of months or years” however in my head I have an estimation for a time frame I believe I’ll have with the position. It will be interesting to look back many moons from now to see accurate I was. As long as I am on the job, be it months or years, I am committed to performing at the same high standard I’ve always held myself to.

So that is it for the moment. My “big announcement,” is indeed I think pretty big. While there is no definitive start or end date to it’s planning and preparation, in the future I’ll be posting a ton on the process. From figuring out finances to getting my proverbial house in order, I’m excited to post a great deal on my thought process and outlining the strategy.

Like all the other goals I’ve set for myself and results I’ve achieved, previously I would have never thought to make any of this public. Things I’ve done and places I’ve been were always done to challenge myself.  They served as an interesting party story should it ever come up or asked about it, but that was about it. I never thought it necessary to share stories or adventures with others, nor did I think anyone would be particularly interested in them. Maybe that’s why I’m not big on taking pictures.

But the nature of why I started this blog is both to challenge myself and to encourage others to step out of their comfort zones. I’ve run across so many people; friends, family, once in a while acquaintances… Who tell me time and again of the things they want to do, the things they’d like to do, but the things they “definitely can’t do.” Everyone has been at that point before, we all have. I have. What’s important is how quickly you push that thinking to the curb and decide you can achieve your goals. Whether that’s getting a different job, going back to school, learning a new skill, starting a family, traveling the world, etc, etc.

I’ve also been surprised by the number of people who have expressed how much they’ve been encouraged by talking with me, reading my thoughts or sharing a conversation. To know that something I did or said actually helped someone in their life’s goals or in a tough spot they’re facing, was very edifying to me, and I’m glad I could offer some helpful advice. The world is abuzz with “resolutions.” Personally I’m more a fan of multiple resolutions and goals, set throughout the year, but ask yourself what you’d like to be doing in a year… or even for a year. Is there something you keep holding off on? Keep pushing to the side? Now is as good a time as any to get started.

Stay tuned for more to come, as I start planning for my one year journey at a time in the somewhat, almost, not so, but maybe, sorta, possibly, distant future.