Survey sez:  52% of the happiness we derive from travel is experienced before we even arrive at our destination.*

If that’s true, then why not always have a getaway in the planning stages just to boost your spirit?

I witnessed such a “joy of anticipation” at a BreakAway Meetup on Monday of this week.  A good 25 people showed up out of the gray to talk travel, share memories, and say hey to Sherry Ott (of Meet, Plan, Go! fame)—who shared amazing laptop pics of her Mongo Rally journey.

A joyful time was had by all—really!

• Big bios, big plans

The most eye-opening part, though, was listening to strangers talk with palpable commitment about their travel dreams.  Dreams?  Make that Realities.  Most of these new friends have already been to exotic places—and most have specific plans for more.

In a few days, one leaves for an extended stay in South America.  Another flies out next week for annual school-building work in Haiti.  One is scheming to restore a storm-damaged catamaran and start a kite-sailing charter.

• $5 days in Europe, $5 burgers, and the Battery Killer too

We were also fortunate to host published travel heavy-hitters like Doug Mack (just back from Cuba) and Leif Pettersen (soon off to Romania to write for Lonely Planet).  High-5s to the good service and $5 burgers from Wilde Roast.  And many thanks to the friendly travel enthusiasts whose energy and synergy felt contagious.

To quote the old cliché:  Getting there is half the fun.  That’s worth remembering when a BreakAway seems far away.  Keep the faith—and 52% of the joy can set in before you even set sail.

*according to TravelSupermarket

If the career-break movement really ever does catch wildfire, some of us will get so rich that we go on perma-break, right?  Until then, the people provide a rich enough payoff.  Like meeting Sherry Ott, who’s graced these web pages before and motivates thousands through Meet PlanGo, her own travelblog Ottsworld, and more.

Although she’s highly inspirational, she also may be crazy.  I mean, who else signs up for a 10,000-mile car race through remote Mongolia’s deserts and mountains—all for charity, chills, and thrills—that in the end leaves her wondering,

What will I ever do to top this?”

Why not ask her yourself…when Sherry guest-stars in our Breakaway meetup on Monday night (1-23-12), and tells tales taller than Mongolian mountains.  We’ll be at Wilde Roast, on the river, sipping wine and spreading the career-break gospel (and gossip).

Meantime, please enjoy Sherry’s responses to the BreakAway 11Q.  You’ll get a taste of Sherry’s unique travel genius—and of what it’s like to take an outlandish journey with three veritable strangers.  Just for kicks and craziness.

We hope to see you Monday night!

• Biggest getaway challenge

Getting out of a Kazakhstan police station I was being held in.  (you need to come out and meet me on Monday to hear the rest of the story!)

• Grandest arrival

Our first day arriving in Brussels to stay with my friends there.  When we arrived at 11PM after driving all day from the kickoff party in London, we walked into their apartment and they had champagne, wine, cheese, and a grand feast for us all prepared!  We ate like kings and stayed up until 2AM giddy with excitement from the beginning of the rally.

• Favorite place

Camping in the middle of nowhere in Kazakhstan under a full moon.  I have no idea where we were, but drinking beer until midnight sitting on our little camp stools under a full moon was perfect.

• Logistical nightmare

Navigating Mongolia.  Geez – where do I start?  There are no roads in Mongolia, there are only dirt paths that spread out like tendrils of a complex spider web.  We used a compass and an out of date map to attempt to determine our way.  And consider this, with no roads, that means there are no bridges either.  Water crossings were an adventure and a nightmare at the same time!

• Most meaningful moment

The first glimpse of Ulaanbaatar (exactly 5 weeks after we left London) sent chills through my body.  I was overcome with emotion – a giddiness and sense of accomplishment that is unparalleled.

• Worst disaster(s)

Knock on wood – we didn’t have any major disasters.  But here’s the ones that sort of qualify:

Mechanical – busting our exhaust system and muffler, as well as our front shock in Mongolia.

People – There were some pretty major fights in that little car.  Tears, yelling – you name it.  One that ended in the car screeching to a halt in a cloud of dust and people getting out screaming at each other.

Technical – The day we left London we ‘bricked’ my iphone and it no longer even booted up.  Since I’m a travel blogger I rely on my smart phone for staying connected while traveling.  We had to try to get it repaired along the way and ultimately I had to buy a new one while in Germany!

Administrivia – We didn’t have the right paperwork for our car’s title which is a big issue when crossing borders in this part of the world.  We were able to forge a copy of our title while in Kiev and we’d hold our breath through every border crossing hoping they didn’t realize it was a copy and not the real thing.  Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn’t.

Other Teams – A team we had been caravanning with were out at a nightclub in Russia when someone drugged their drinks.  They were taken out in the forest outside of town and robbed.  Even after the incident – they kept going and made it to the finish.

• Serendipitous experience

In Aktobe Kazakhstan while stopped at a stoplight we were lost as usual trying to read maps and make guesses on which way to turn.  A man pulled up next to us in an old, white car and beeped.  We all looked and he started to try to speak to us; he simply said “Tourist?”  We said yes, and then he gave us a little heart shaped key chain and drove off.  It was an odd encounter, but we attached that key chain to the headrest of one of the seats, and after that moment our luck started to change.  When we turned in the car for the auction in Ulaanbaatar, the key chain was still there.  Despite that fact the many children were asking for it, we always kept it for good luck.

• Strangest encounter

Once we arrived in Mongolia, everyone wanted to buy our car; our beat up, dirty, sticker-filled, falling apart car.  Locals would stop us at gas stations, accost us at a stop light or ride up to our camp site and try to communicate with us to find out what we were doing there.  We’d try to explain through charades that we were driving to Ulaanbaatar for charity, but they’d always ask us if they could buy our car.  Some would also ask if they could buy our tents, camping gear, and headlamps too; they wanted to purchase every last bit of stuff we owned.  We were like walking billboards to these people who had money, but didn’t have products to buy.

• Requisite health dilemma

Nothing major on this front.  I think all of us are full time travelers and were pretty used to ingesting foreign bacteria!  Our biggest health issue was that early on while in Europe one person had a cold and inevitably we all got the cold since we were stuck in a small space together coughing and sneezing.

• Profound take-away

Traveling by car in this manner, completely independently, was some of the most challenging travel I’ve done.  Every day you are faced with decisions and you have to make decisions based on the unknown (road conditions, language barriers, mechanical issues, where will you next find food).  But I was once again taught the lesson that people will always try to help you when you need it.  We relied on locals along the whole route; they gave us food, directions, parts, did repairs for us, brought us gifts, and took care of us.  The more unknown you have to deal with, the more you have to simply surrender control and rely on others.

• Re-entry vibe

I was left with this post-event low and lingering question of “What will I ever do next to top this?”

Economic times are tough.  So if an employer offered unlimited vacation time, don’t you think the shop would run on empty?  Heck, no:  Few Americans use the modest vacation time they already receive.  So why assume abuse?  One Joe Reynolds of Red Frog Events has turned the tide on vacation policy (as part of the “World’s Best Benefits Package”), and his company is going swimmingly.

• USA:  Land of the Fried, Home of the Slaves

Survey sez:  Only 38% of Americans take all their vacation time.  The average worker takes only 14 days, and leaves 4 on the table.  That equals $67 billion in “profit” for the employers.  And 72% of the vacationers check in at least occasionally.

You can say what you want about France.  But they do know how to party; the average Frenchie takes 35 of their alloted 37 days.  Vive la France!

• Red Frog Grows by Leaps and Bounds

Mr. Reynolds, as the story goes, grew his $45 million event company from a $5,000 investment—while prioritizing worker performance and loyalty.  His workers can run away all they want or need to.  And instead of exploitating his kindness, his people are

unflinchingly focused and devoted to our mission.”

He’s getting attention, of course, including the Chicago Tribune’s Best Workplace award.  Best of all for this boss man:  The vacation policy has such recruiting power that for every opening, he gets 750 applicants.

Mr. Reynolds claims to work hard—100 hours per week.  But when he wrote his recent story for CNNMoney.com, he just happened to to be on vacation.  On an island:

Watching surfers and sipping a delicious Hawaiian brew.”

Like we said:  He’s turned the tide on vacation and things are going swimmingly.  Maybe the only vacation abuse happening these days is UNDER-use.

So take Joe’s advice:  Take your vacations!  You’ll do better work.

A few days ago, Apple inspired me.  Not in the usual way—with fresh innovation that changes the world—but a with an indifference and boorishness that makes Burger King charming.  Now that Steve Jobs has gone to the other side, I wonder if anyone considers the other side of the ubiquitous Apple influence.

Apple stores differ.  But mine (in Rosedale Mall) is usually more noisy and uncomfortable than a school bus.  They make you wait and want you to hang around.  But even a simple stool can be impossible to score.

Sure, many great people work at Apple.  But sometimes, the Apple attitude turns sour—and takes devotees with it.  What have I experienced or pondered?  Behind the sweet products and branding, here are some unpleasant flavors that can linger…

• Rude. If an employee (genius?) is smarter than the customer, that’s great.  But when the employee gets short—or forgets basic greetings manners, that’s foul.
• Arrogance. Rude’s older cousin often shows up (especially on the phone)—and seems to enjoy making others feel inferior, slow, or uncool.
• Cunning. Apple’s marketing represents American materialism at its best (or worst).  No entity has consistently made us crave the fruits of what’s newest, next, or better.  If you don’t keep up?  They may make you feel 1.0—or lock you and your old gear out of their party.
• Conniving. Sure, some Apple products perform amazingly for their price—even if it’s usually more than the competition (if there is any).  But like buying a car, the spending only begins with the purchase—and Apple has mastered the art of trapping you into upgrades, replacements, repair, and more more more.
• Self-important. Beyond the mercenary, what, exactly, has Apple done to exemplify generosity, compassion and valor?  Some might say Steve Jobs was no Bill Gates.
• Narcissistic. Examples are everywhere, but a friend’s Christmas story was particularly personal:  This year, at his large family holiday gathering, about 75% of the people were staring down at their screens.  He missed the good old days, when “just us” was the point.  What lexicon did Apple push for most of the products?  i.  i.  i.

But enough ranting.  For now, let’s not even bite into the new waves of research about phenomena like tech addiction, texting while sleeping, and online shopping while drunk—to say nothing of the challenges digital-mania presents to parenting, teaching, coaching, and the grand old art of civil conversation…the kind some Apple folks don’t have time for.

Mr. Jobs and Apple changed the world.  For better AND worse.

Maybe a year runs too long.  In today’s nano-second culture, who has the attention span to make changes for 365 days?  We’re too busy making changes every nine seconds, if only in our screen lives.  Anyway, lifting weights invariably evolves into lifting beer bottles—as proven in this amusing video from veteran BreakAway artist Dan Woychick.

So this year, let’s keep the resolutions short, simple, and of-the-moment…

11 New Day’s Resolutions for 2012

1. Today, I’ll focus on today—and just hope the rest of my life don’t zip past too fast.
2. Today, I’ll believe a long and life-changing BreakAway will happen someday—but be grateful for a little vacation anytime.
3. Today, I’ll get my finances in order—even if that means merely cleaning the coins out of the junk drawer.
4. Today, I’ll eat well—which may include a 16-oz T-bone with Bernaise and Bordeaux.
5. Today, I’ll get outside—if only to throw rocks at crows when they attack the wren houses.
6. Today, I’ll get some exercise—possibly preferring beer bottles to dumb-bells.
7. Today, I’ll seek some silence—even when noise and chatter seem inescapable.
8. Today, I’ll try to help make a difference—even when I’d rather not.
9. Today, I’ll keep the faith in one Career Break Movement—even if “movements” seem as common as blogtwit-gurus these days.
10. Today, I’ll let Doomsdayers and New Agers pontificate about 2012 being the End or the Beginning—and respond as best I might to the whatever epic events may occur.
11. Today, I’ll unplug from the internet—and watch TV’s endless parade of parades, games, and fireworks (when not partying with family and friends).

Just for today, and maybe tomorrow…HAPPY NEW YEAR!

I love the long days…”

So goes a phrase exchanged by a faraway friend and me every 12-21 and 6-21, to mark the winter and summer solstice.

When we shared a shabby duplex some 20 years back, we’d spontaneously meet outside bi-annually for sundown brewskis for that toast.  Aspen’s his home now, so FaceBook serves as our virtual porch.  Guess it’ll do.

As the sun rises today, we solar-powered humanoids grasp for light and warmth.  Bright rays pierce bare trees, then become a blinding beam on the frozen lake.  Stunning, yes, but it won’t last.  Low clouds lurk and will soon swallow the dim orb.  So streetlights will do double duty today, and for many more.

Lucky for us, we’ve seen this cycle.  It’s always the same—with years that whirl past so fast you’re tempted to skip the toast.  But don’t.

Personal rituals keep us both spinning and connected, whether jamming into churches packed with part-timers on Christmas Eve, bowling on Tuesdays, or howling a snarky toast into silent skies on the shortest day.

These rituals can fade, along with memory and humor.  But maybe they’ll only matter more as the years go by.  Why not pack in as many as possible?

When my interest wanes, I try again.  I seek significance—though comedy will do—when sneaking a spell to meditate, meeting friends in the bar after the softball game, or dreaming and scheming about the next 90-day BreakAway.

That Sabbatical may or may not come to pass.  But the Summer Solstice will be here soon enough—guaranteed, so long as we live to notice and remember to celebrate.

There’s a lesson here about faith.  And light.  And tradition.  When I figure it out, I’ll shout it out into the cold, dark air.  Whether anyone is listening, or not.

Well, what’dya know.  After thousands of deaths, countless injuries, and enough accidents to make an auto-body-shop owner dance on graves, the NTSB has finally decided that cell phones and driving don’t mix.

“Inattention” is the label they put the problem.  Indeed.  People who choose to be present in conversations (or presenting to groups) often see this disorder in others, but at least no one’s getting hurt.  I’m not one of those government haters—and have driven with phone—but this delayed reaction confirms NTSB’s incompetence.  Shame.

Most states do no better.  And most drivers wouldn’t pay attention to phone laws, to say nothing of cops.  So don’t expect the NTSB’s shocking declaration—or the suddenly-famous reports of 25 dead here, 11 dead there—to change a thing.

So the advice from the NBAB (National BreakAway Board) remains the same:  Unplug.  Drive your car.  Focus on where you’re going.  And whenever possible, transport yourself someplace far away from pile-ups, trauma, and undeserving distractions.

Everybody’s looking for a way to save money these days.  And nobody’s got more brilliant ideas than Corporate America.  You can’t buy a cup o’ jo or a paperclip without some store-clerk puppet mouthing that smarmy question:

Are you a Bogus Bonus member?”

• Trick question

This stressed-out consumer dodged those programs like telemarketing calls until, dang it, the cash flow was turning pink and some stores were bleeding my wallet.  Take my hardware store (please): When procuring $1,000 worth of lawn equipment, the sales woman got me all aroused at my potential payback.

• How could I say no?

So I signed up.  There, and most everywhere.  So now and then, a $5 (or whatever) discount diploma comes in the mail.  One must take them when going to the store. And not forget to use it.  Before the expiration date.  And when shopping, they’ll probably have an irresistible snow blower on the counter, and you’ll spend another $1,000.

• Worth the hassle?

Are they worth it?  In a word, no.  The issuers send junk mail and spam.  They profile your purchases and probably sell or trade your data.  They pay back a fraction of what you spent to get the “discount.”  And usually, they make you carry around little cards and fobs that make your jeans bulge in strange ways.

• Take care of your millions…

Back in the day, I worked at a small ad agency with Audrey the Accountant.  She would preach,

If we take care of our pennies, the dollars will take care of themselves.”

Well, yes, BUT.  In the case of loyalty marketing programs, it’s too easy to start thinking like “them,” instead of thinking for yourself.  You get tempted to take extra airline flights to “get the miles.”  You get nowhere.

Audrey, may I respectfully suggest that if you take care of your millions, your dollars will take care of themselves.  Oh, you don’t have millions?  Well then, start saving.  Because spending is rarely the route to wealth.

It’s a woman’s world these days.  They’ve won the majority in college (if not Congress), and now hold 53% of the entry-level jobs in corporate America.  Good for them.  And good for men—who’ve ruled the roost long enough, yet have hardly pushed for a “liberation” from restrictive role-playing.

But, according to Larissa Faw, a Forbes contributor who “writes about workplace trends impacting Milennial women,” young women are paying a hefty price for their success.  They’re stressed out.  Exhausted.  And questioning what it’s all about.  In short—and a host of studies backs this up—they’re largely unhappy.

• A story that sparks responses

Soon after the original article appeared, thousands of women in question lit up the internets with their rants and retorts; here are a choice few.  Cue up Peggy Lee’s depressing song, “Is That All There Is?”

Maybe you “Millennial Women” never did learn how to make your bed after you slept in it….”

When my male friends get home at the end of the day, they have left their work at the office. For my female friends (and myself included) we have trouble detaching from what is going on in the office even when we are not there. The stress of work often becomes all consuming.”

We want to be good workers, good daughters, girlfriends, volunteers, wives, granddaughters, friends, and be “good girls.” This is too much stress for any person to handle, and many of us are turning to anti-depressants, alcohol and shopping to forget our pain.”

We now have the ability to live many lives in our one, and maybe that causes some burnout here and there.”

Men have a better support structure. Women tend to take competition personally and oftentimes hold a grudge or seek revenge, whereas men can shrug off a competitive loss and are raised to be ‘tough’ and ‘aggressive.’”

As a male, I’ve often wondered when women might officially gain the edge—as they have in many circles—but also, what’s so appealing about all that power and responsibility?  You could fill a cemetary with the men I’ve known who died early due to hard work, neglected health, and overall imbalance.

One likes to think that women know how to juggle better—and have entered the world of success and stress more voluntarily.  But research from Captivate Network finds that men are more likely to take work-day breaks, go for a walk, and go out to lunch—and they are 35% more likely to take breaks “just to relax.”

• Bring on golfing, fishing, and career breaks

Ironically, the career-break movement appeals to women at about a three-to-one rate, at least according to what little research is available.  Maybe they plan for burnout better?  Maybe they see a career as a prolonged journey?  Maybe they forgot to take up sanity breaks like golf, fishing, and man-cave dwelling along the way?

Sadly, job frustration everywhere seems be hitting new highs, with no relief in sight.  Retail workers are revolting about having to work bizarre hours on Thanksgiving and Black Friday.  The Occupy Movement suggests that many folks are mad as hell.  And employees fail to use vacation days by the millions.

Yet just ask anyone who can’t find a job:  Work stress beats the hell out of bankruptcy.

Our local paper (remember those?) ran a story recently about a young man named Taylor Baldry who sets up a proper table near a popular walking path, and invites passersby to stop for a Free Conversation.  WTF!?!  LOL!!! TMI!!?!!

It’s part of a project (part self-help, part performance art) he calls “The Conversationalist.” And believe it or don’t, he gets many takers—and they report walking away inspired, refreshed, and touched.  This begs the question:

Have we (especially we “haves”) gotten so busy and gadget-dependent that a free-range conversation with a stranger piques a nostalgic interest like a cute kid’s lemonade stand?”

Check out this pic of two Italian men outside the coffee shop.  Now THAT’S communication and connection—complete with waving arms, proximity, and touch.  Americans (especially we cold Northerners) may keep our distance.  But traditionally, we do love to talk.  Yet it seems that even that passion may be going the way of the rotary phone…

• The case for texting

To acknowledge an upside, many parents preach to me that they love texting—because their kids do—so communication with their kids happens where it otherwise might fall silent.  And in these all-at-onceness times, we need all the tools we can get our hands on just to keep up.

Yet this textbook reader often finds that text reading raises more riddles than it solves.  And when one-to-five word communiques replace most other forms, one must ask:

Is what we have here a failure to communicate?”

Example:  Last month, I asked an old acquaintance for a (somewhat involved) favor—via email—which I thought was a patient courtesy versus, say, a phone call.  Days later, I received an embarassed “yes” reply, with the admission that he rarely does email now.  So could we take this conversation on-text?

Of course! Could be my only reply.  But when it comes to texting, I’m all thumbs.  So playing out this arrangement became a new form of time-suck for me, though I happily complied to accommodate his generosity.

• The dying art

Meanwhile, you can’t turn to a legitimate news source these days without stumbling on another story about how we are rewiring our existence, literally and metaphysically.  Students can’t recall simple things when distracted by their digitalia.  Drivers are dying due to DWTexting fools.  And inattentive pedestrians texting or talking on cells are a new target for thugs and thieves.

So forgive those of us that still crave nuance, words, expressions, and I-to-I contact.  I’ll take the life of those Italian friends—who probably have dozens of fun and fervent confrontations a day.

And if I can’t be there, or no one else has the time or attention to talk, really talk, maybe I’ll go for a walk around Lake Calhoun and see if the brave, new conversationalist has a place for me at his table.