Hi. I’m Kirk Horsted. Welcome to BreakAway–an amalgamation of opinions & ponderings on the provocative topic of Sabbaticals and Career Breaks. I emphatically believe that real people (like you!) can and should take these restorative breaks–and I’ve done a bunch of them myself to test the theory. Click What’s the Big Idea to read more…

For a firsthand account of what a BreakAway can look (& feel & sound & taste) like, check out the Travelog category of the blog, which chronicles my family’s 69-day tour of the West Indies during the winter of 2008-2009.  

Beyond that, If it’s all working properly, herein you may find:

• Inspiration. With any luck, you may find that the travelogs, trippy stories, and pictures from my past Sabbaticals will help kindle your own inner stirrings. After all, countless “ordinary” people find their way to successful Sabbaticals all the time. Really!
• Help! If you dream of taking a BreakAway someday (and who doesn’t?), you’ll find some recommended references—books, sites, more—to get you going.
• Humor? Let’s be clear: This site and blog endeavors to inform, but also entertain. Maybe even make you laugh (if only at me). This is NOT a Ph.D thesis. NOT a polished self-help hardback. NOT a “get-into-me,” MySpacey vanity show. Take it all in with a grain of salt (it goes well with beer) and just enjoy.
• Miscellanea. BreakAway is a big topic. And my brain “works” in mysterious ways. Thus you may find yourself reading about everything from finding work/life balance to being kidnapped. From the stupid economy to digitalia addiction. From lost luggage to moments of bliss. From the slow movement to fast sailboats. It’s all good, right?

So please…join the party. Take it all in. Leave a comment, ask a question or invite fellow Seekers, Slashers & Hackers to this site. Plot your own escape and share your plans.  

But for me, it’s time to get going. Time to live and blog like there’s no tomorrow. After all, do we know for certain that there is?

Carpe diem! Carpe noctus! Carpe vita!

And as we say in Minnesota, “Thanks for stoppin’…”