Every now and then (as this blog testifies), dreamers, schemers and BreakAway artists of all kinds come together and have gatherings (large and small) to celebrate and inspire this mission and cause called career breaks. Ask me, “What’s the best part about this movement?” and the answer is easy: The people. The same response you have when you finish a big trip, right?

One of those local gems (with worldwide cred) is my new friend, Joe Antkowiak. We’ve chatted at a few meet-ups, and then carved out time for a solo conversation. I was so moved by his stories that I asked him to share them here. He said yes, of course! (Thanks, Joe!)

So please take in his adventures and advice (like “Surround yourself with people that inspire your dreams…”) And next time the BreakAway gang gathers, why not join us? Wherever you want to go, Joe will help point you in the right direction.

• So you’ve been traveling your whole life, right? Give us some of your early history.

Actually, my parents were the first to introduce my sisters and I to traveling. My parents love the outdoors and hiking, so they usually planned a family trip every year to one of the national parks. We had a small pop-up trailer and a station wagon which they used to transport the five of us and our distractions to places like Glacier National Park, Cheyenne, The Great Lakes, Colorado, etc. My two sisters and I would sit in the back of the station wagon playing silly games like Mad-libs or the license plate game. It was great for about a week and a half until the childhood emotions and frustrations got the better of us and we decided to head home. I have very fond memories of those trips. As I grew older and graduated college, I didn’t really travel. It actually took one of my ex-girlfriends to re-introduce me to the travel bug. Now it’s a full-on addiction.

• Yet you have a real career. What do you do, and how do you escape it and find good work when you return from long-term travel?

I’m a software developer. I’m lucky because in my industry volatility is the norm, so it’s easy for me to jump from one opportunity to the next. I’ve found some success as a contractor. But unfortunately, my wanderlust and inability to stay at any one place for a long period of time can make it difficult for me to find a full-time position that’s willing to take me seriously. In any other industry, I might struggle more….or maybe I’d flourish more. I’ve survived some of the toughest times in IT, like when the bubble burst in 2000 – 2002, and the 2008 downturn. I have a bit of a safety net, so I don’t worry about getting through those times too much. However, it was a bit difficult to find work when I returned from 4 months in South America. I had lost a lot of knowledge and bombed many of my interviews before I got my sh*t together and finally found something. You definitely have to plan for the difficult times.

• Like me, you love the Caribbean. Unlike me, you’ve mastered SCUBA. How did you do that, and what islands do you love (and love less)?

Initially, I thought stuff like SCUBA was out of my reach. I was never a great swimmer, but I was down in Costa Rica for a week in the winter, and on a whim I purchased an exploratory dive package in Tamarindo. A couple hours training in the pool and then two dives the next day, and I was hooked. A year later, I scheduled a vacation in St. Maarten for a week and looked up a dive center and signed up for the PADI Open Water Certification. I was incredibly lucky to get Michel Wouterse as my dive instructor. He’s one of 300 course directors in the world and has taught everyone from adults to children to people with disabilities. I almost didn’t pass due to some difficulties I had with the swimming test. He didn’t want me to give up, so he actually did the swimming test with me (along with another instructor). They coached me through the entire thing. I feel indebted to him for that. He runs the Caribbean Dive College down in St. Maarten now. I would recommend him to anyone that wants to learn SCUBA. The URL for his school ishttp://www.caribbeandivecollege.com/ As for favorite islands to dive, it’s difficult to top The Galapagos Islands.

• You’ve traveled alone. Tell us about some of those adventures, and what might be some of the benefits of heading out solo?

Traveling alone is not for everyone, but if you can handle it, it’s almost the only way to go. As a solo traveler, you’re more approachable by the locals or any other traveler for that matter. Maybe it’s your vulnerability and the need to make friends that a person traveling solo will project, but people are more willing to approach you and get to know you when you’re alone. Also, you don’t have to deal with group-imposed travel restrictions and drama that happens when sometimes traveling with other people. As a solo traveler, you can mix it up to your liking. As long as you have a good personality and check any attitude that you might have at the airport people in other countries will generally treat you nicely and with respect. Everyone loves getting to know a solo traveler. There are so many adventures that I’ve had alone or after meeting people during my trips.

• Skiing Whistler-Blackcomb mountain in British Columbia and getting an all-day snowboarding lesson from one of the coolest snowboarding girls I’ve ever met.
• Swimming with schools of Hammerhead and Galapagos Sharks off Gordon Rocks in the Galapagos.
• Staying at a Vineyard which was also a Bed and Breakfast in the Languedoc region of southern France. This included me renting a motorcycle and riding it down some of the most picturesque roads in that region.
• Partying it up on the rooftop of my hostel in Lima, Peru and getting lessons on how to make a proper Pisco Sour by one of the hostel managers.
• Walking the beaches of Pabo Colonio for hours on end in Uruguay. I encountered a capsized sailboat on the beach at sunset and captured some of the most amazing photographs of my trip.
• Riding a scooter around the island of Rapa Nui (Easter Island) and visiting all the face sculptures

• You’re a home-owner—another obstacle for many would-be sojourners. How do you manage that responsibility and yet get away?

That was probably most difficult part of the equation. In 2009, I was sitting on an Adirondack chair in Southern France reading Vagabonding, and the author addresses that issue by suggesting you can rent out your house. I’ve never thought of myself as a landlord, but I knew I’d have to concentrate on that solution if I had any chance of being able to travel for an extended period of time. I spent the next 4 years finishing off the basement, making repairs, and generally getting the house ready to rent. During that time, I started to downgrade my life and realized that my very modest house was actually too big for me and I would have no desire to return. I would have sold it if I was in a better position on my mortgage, but since I was horribly underwater on it, I’ve rented it out. I also hired a property manager to take care while I was away. The city wouldn’t give me a rental license without someone in place, but now that I’ve returned and I see how stress-free my life is with him managing things, I’ve decided to keep him on indefinitely. It’s easier than you would think as long as you get the right things in place.

• Are you still planning a big BreakAway for later this year? What’s the latest on your itinerary, and how is the planning going?

For now, I’m concentrating on saving money so that I can go on another big trip; potentially the middle of next year. Meantime, a friend and I are talking about a snowboard trip to Park City, Utah during the Sundance film festival in January. And / or, I may try and rent a motorcycle in California and ride through the wine country sometime spring or summer of next year. Small trips for the interim. Then again, if winter becomes unbearable, I might have to head down south for some fun in the sun.

• That’s ambitious—and impressive. So are there any other locations you long to linger in? Or…what might be your ultimate “dream trip?”

“Dream Trip”? – There are so many possibilities. Although, I’ve been toying with heading back to South America and visiting the countries I missed (Colombia, Brazil, Bolivia) and then continuing to Southeast Asia for some diving, and possibly onward. I think I’d like to leave for a year or more. I’ve got my sights on Europe too – Greece, Spain (I want to do the El Camino de Santiago de Compostela), Ireland, Turkey, etc. I think that on my dream trip, I would hope to open up more and throw some caution to the wind. I’m pretty adventurous, but also somewhat conservative. I’d like to get involved in some volunteer work or teaching potentially. It’s great seeing all the sites, but after awhile, I think there’s a need to experience something more meaningful. I’d like to push myself outside of my comfort zone and see if I can contribute something to the rest of the world somehow.

• You speak French, right? Are there any other skills or talents that help you do what so many only fantasize about?

I’ve been speaking French for the last five years. Or, I should say that I’ve been attempting to speak French for the last five years. Learning a new language is tough and the only way to get better is to immerse yourself in it. Unfortunately, Minneapolis isn’t really someplace that you can immerse yourself in French language and culture. With that, I do the best I can by splitting my time between duolingo and conversation groups. I have a hope to someday spend a couple months in France with a host family. However, that’s still a ways off. I’m not sure about other talents. I’d say that if someone wants to travel for long periods of time, that they’ll need to learn how to manage their money well. They’ll also have to learn to live without. What I mean by that is to be comfortable without the good things in life all the time. Long term travel will teach you to be adaptive as almost nothing goes exactly according to plan. Learning the language definitely helps.

• And finally, any other tips or words of inspiration for the rest of us?

Surround yourself with the people that inspire and support your dreams. You’ll never get where you want to go with all the negative static that can permeate your life from being in the wrong environment or listening to the wrong people. Learn to be assertive about the things you want – there’s nothing more frustrating than settling for an experience or thing that you didn’t really want. Be prepared for bad things to happen. It feels like everyone has something stolen from them while traveling at least once in their lives. Use it as an opportunity to learn that your possessions are things that can be replaced. Easier said than done, I know. I knew a guy that once he arrived in Peru, had his entire bag stolen. Instead of going home, he re-acquired what he needed and moved forward with his plans.

We’ve heard it all before – You have one life to live. How many of us really take that statement seriously? I would posture that most of us make excuses for the things that we do not do. I still do that quite often, but I fight those negative thoughts all the time. Conformity is a powerful force, and one that is detrimental and soul-sucking to us all. I think Jack Kerouac said it best with “Because in the end, you won’t remember the time you spent working in the office or mowing your lawn. Climb that goddamn mountain.“

Coworker rarely find themselves discussing career breaks around the water cooler.  But they ought to. Because just under the workplace radar, sabbaticals stay in the news—if sometimes in odd iterations. Here are 5 stories, er, floating around the internets and other media…

• Breakaway Sailing from NYC; Lawsuits Still Unsettled       

Norwegian Cruise Line paid this website the ultimate compliment when they christened their new super-ship, “Breakaway.” But they forgot to ask permission, pay appropriate royalties, and give us free rum punches. We’ll let the courts decide; ‘nuff said. Meantime, the buzz is big. You can sail out of NYC to warm locales—and eat your heart out at 29 “dining experiences,” including a seafood restaurant lorded over by celeb chef, Geoffrey Zakarian.

• The Sabbath: Now a Sad Day

Our local paper recently offered a Sunday feature about how Sundays, once a day of rest, are now a day of stress and dread. Yep. Nowadays, most folks pack their Sundays with activities and errands and do lists—and largely skip the part about sleeping in, worship and fellowship, and a hearty Sunday supper. 78% worldwide experience these doldrums, with 59% reporting a “really bad” dose. As for me, I’ve always hated “60 Minutes.” That ticking represents the weekend—or is it life itself?—coming to an end (after some depressing sensationalism and this word from our sponsor).

• Fast Company Suggests Slowing Down

Meanwhile, Fast Company’s Laura Vanderkam writes a “Work Smart” column and calls sabbaticals “a great tool.” Wow! Who knew!?! Her story profiles a burnt-out employee who took six months off, came back refreshed and ready to re-invent her career, and went on to write a book called “Falling in Love With Work” all about it! Evergreen takeaways: Use your vacation days; schedule in free time; and “claw yourself time to think.”

• Iowa Professors Suffer Sabbatical Shortage

We’ve ranted before about Iowa’s legislature way overstepping their bounds by slashing sabbatical budgets at the University by more than half (assumedly out of shameless jealousy and control freakism). Now, three years into their knuckleheaded bullying, teachers are indeed lamenting that without these working breaks, they are having a harder time doing research, publishing books, creating new courses, and (in one’s case) launching rockets.  Hey, politicians: Keep your dirty hands out of smarter worlds. 

• Students Need Sabbaticals, Too

Elsewhere in academia, Northwestern senior William McLaughlin advocates in the school paper for student breaks, travels, and gap years. He reflects his own year off before college, biking in Beijing. College years can already be a multi-year, ivory-tower BreakAway, if you ask me. Summers off! Spring breaks! Low taxes! Still, we applaud his vision, even if we cringe and disagree with his assertion that, “Old age is no time to start things.” Hey, Big Ten Boy: Who says you won’t want re-bike Beijing when you’re “old” and gray?

Any age is a good time to start something, right?

Well, well, well. Just when some might think the Career Break movement has taken a break of its own, the WSJ pumps out a powerful article about Baby Boomers embracing the “Midlife ‘Gap’ Year.”

Read all about it! The 60-year-old couple who escape their routine and sell their stuff and high-tail it to a mountain retreat. The tech exec who takes the early-retirement package and weaves her love of textiles back into her life. The New Yorker who cuts his film career and flies off to three three-month adventures.

Gurus from Encore.org, Reboot Partners, and more offer tips and stories. AARP provides survey-sez results that verify the profound need for career breaks, since many retirees report disturbing dissatisfaction.

Yet the article reminds us that sabbaticals need not be about African safaris and sailing the seas.

“Sometimes they may do very little,”

writes author Anne Tergesen.

That may raise the question: But isn’t that what unhappy retirees complain about? Maybe. But perhaps the difference lies in the mindfulness, planning, and intention that happens to those committed to BreakAways as a way of life.

And whether you choose to catch up on sleep or climb every mountain doesn’t really matter. The point is to stop off the treadmill. Do what matters. And take your time.

A provocative blog post recently crossed my desk, written by a woman named Satori who exhorts her readers to “Do yourself a favor and buy that damn plane ticket already!” A photographer by trade and a traveler by passion, Satori spells out and debunks the five excuses that keep dreamers asleep and stuck:

1. Traveling is too expensive!
2. It’s way to0 dangerous to travel.
3. I don’t have friends who can travel with me. And I don’t want to travel alone.
4. But I can’t just quit my job. What happens if I can’t find a job when I get back?
5. I’m not sure if I can take that risk.

It’s a good read. And the comebacks and questions to the excuses make a convincing case that, by golly, a guy could actually get up and, like, go for it!

• The more you travel, the easier (and more addictive) it gets

I’ve tried, myself, to address the obstacles and Big Buts that keep people from busting a major move to another country or culture.

And let’s face it, I’m lucky. My resume of journeys might get trumped and trampled on by countless others, but I’ve had five big career breaks—with highlights including one year off, going RTW, heading out alone and (with 1, 2, and 3) taking my kids, replete with homeschooling (I got a B), and much more.

But more important than the prolonged trips—and perhaps a side effect of them—is the way that travel has become almost second-nature to me. Oh sure, those damn excuses still pop up powerfully at times. But they rarely get in the way any more than that dazed shopper you must navigate around in the grocery store.

So spring break getaways become a virtual given; after all, winter bites in Minnesota. Holidays away happen almost routinely; after all, what better gift than to celebrate somewhere exotic? Flying off to meet up with faraway friends has become an annual event. And summer vacations are a must—and usually don’t call for airfare, rental cars, pricey hotels or much planning. Yet there ain’t nothin’ better.

• But the “Big One” always lingers…

Yet every seven (make that five) years of so, a bona fide BreakAway is in order. I feel it in my bones, and it kicks my body and brain so powerfully that those damn excuses become easier to knock down than a row of dominoes. In fact, the next big trip simmers in my thoughts daily already—even though the last one (to Europe with the kids) ended only and exactly one year ago.

Call me cocky. Call me spoiled. Call me stubborn. Or just call me lucky (as I already admitted). But maybe you are too, right? Satori is, whoever she is.

Thanks for the insights and insights, Satori.

Happy sails…

Travel is never a matter of money but of courage.  I spent a large part of my youth traveling the world as a hippie. And what money did I have then? None. I barely had enough to pay for my fare. But I still consider those to have been the best years of my youth.The great lessons I learned has been precisely those that my journeys had taught me.”

-Paulo Coelho

Domeni Hedderman and her husband uprooted their three kids and five super-routines to BreakAway for six months in Belize. On an island. You can read all about it here.

Or you can write your own story—if you and yours are just wily enough, savvy enough, and stubborn enough. My family sneaks away fairly often, but whenever winter drags on like a cold torture test, my mind (and soul?) drift back to exactly four years ago, when we flew to the West Indies for four months of island hopping.

Ms. Hedderman offers a few perfect quotes to reminisce the process, frustration, and euphoria that made that trip so—dare I say—epic.

I believe in travel with my kids…before they’re too cool to hang out with their parents.”

Yes, all parents fear the Too-Cool Chill; we put our parents through it, right? But any more, I beg to differ: Once you’ve sprung your offspring into a world that is cooler than Coolsville, they’ll say “Yes!” from then on. Just last summer, my two children (now 9 and 15) eagerly abandoned sweet summer in Minnesota to do Europe. Elsa now wistfully calls Italy, “My favorite place in the world…”

We wanted to create our own life.”

If this statement suggests that school, sports, lessons, friends, and all the rest conspire to usurp one’s freedom of choice, that’s sad. But true. Sometimes fleeing is the best path to self-determination—and to the fascinating opportunity to start from scratch. The world becomes a great co-creator.

Every moment has potential to be a prayer.”

The delightfully slow pace of Belize inspired Ms. Hedderman to write that. But that warm, spiritual high has also graced me amid a frenetic sailing race on Grenada, a busy train station in Copenhagen, or a languid lunch in Tuscany. At home, one often prays for strength and patience. When far away, one prays this moment won’t end.

Here, it’s okay to just be a kid.”

Oh my, kids grow up fast. But do they really want to? I think not—and taking them to exotic lands without a pile of digital crutches has inspired them to do amazing, kid-like things. Like have a water-balloon fight in a mountain village for days on end. Like making sand castles by the dozen. Playing dominoes. And…

The world…has the potential to teach us more than a textbook ever could.”

The people you meet when wandering the globe make for excellent teachers. And there’s no better school than the open classroom offered by foreign lands and new experiences.

Oh sure, textbooks are important. That’s why I diligently tried home schooling when island-hopping. And while it wasn’t much” fun” at the time, as is true with many worthwhile challenges, I’m glad we stuck it out.

But if math sometimes made us miserable, imagine the glee (not the TV kind) whenever we finished it and could go back outside to body surf, chase hermit crabs, or take the “dollar bus” to town to stock up on fresh passion fruit.

Thanks, Ms. Hedderman for sparking some great memories. They’ll last a lifetime when, frankly, that basketball tournament or history test just won’t. Those sabbatical trips are the best gift you can give your children. I’m certain, but don’t believe me.

Just try it. And then ask your kids.

It takes a lot to be a lifeguard in Viareggio, Italy, as these two gentlemen proved when I was lucky enough to spend a few sunny days there last June. It takes guts, as you can see. It takes fishing nets, and the desire to repair them. It takes a comfortable beach chair, sunscreen (optional), and the ability to roll cigarettes.

That’s not all, though. Because the long, long, long beach of Viareggio is sliced into private little beach clubs (that one pays for and ergo gets many amenities, like a nice chair, umbrella, changing rooms, and F&B service). A lifeguard there is only responsible for the guests of that club, and only when they are in the water in front of that slice.

That means that the lifeguard who does his job swimmingly needs to do some yelling, like,

Go back to your beach slice; you are not a guest of this club;”

and

Go swim in your own water—you are not my responsibility;”

and

Get out of the water—the waves are too big,”

even when they are not.

Successful lifeguards, once they’ve scared everyone off their sand and out of their water, can then focus on things like mending fishing nets. Socializing with other lifeguards. Enjoying a hand-delivered panini and San Pellegrino. And, best of all, taking a nice nap in the lounge chair and getting back to work on that tan.

It’s a rough job—rather like the frightfully stormy seas in this picture—but someone’s got to do it. Fortunately for the few and proud, summer lasts only so long in Viareggio, and then these laborers can finally take it easy for several months.

Maybe hang out at the bar. Play some indoor bocce. And of course, go to Momma’s daily for three-hour lunches, before heading back to the bar. Salute’!

Following Google alerts for “career break” is a pretty uneventful task. There are a few bloggers and advocates that get the occasional mention. But beyond that, the newsmakers are mostly athletes and celebrities. Today, we focus on rock stars who are choosing to fall away from the stage for a while.

• When Rock God Peter Gabriel announces he’s taking a sabbatical from his endless world tour to focus on his two loves, “family and travel,” we flick our Bics and offer a standing ovation. If you’ve heard his hoarse voice lately, you’ll also hope for some healing.

• When the Scissors Sisters make news because they’re taking a break, we’re like, “Who!?!” Yet, many S2 fans are leaving distraught comments in the blogosphere, though we experienced Breakers suspect it’s mostly jealousy.

• When One Direction hints that they’re pondering taking a 10-year hiatus to start prepping for their mammoth comeback tour in one decade, we reply, “Please!” (Just don’t tell your tweenie daughters, or you may drown in their tears.)

• But that’s not all: It appears the Foos might also be tired of Fighting. Until further notice, they’re breaking from fans, superstardom, and the road. Any music-head worth his ticket-stub collection knows that Dave Grohl may be one of the hardest-working musicians ever, so this one raises eyebrows. Still, more power to Growling Grohl. His potency is astonishing, particulary when you ponder the depressing demise that met his one-time bandmate and BFF, Kurt Cobain—a couple of rock-star lives ago.

• Oh yes, and in case you missed it, Christian metal-core stalwarts Underoath are taking a cue from the Old Testament and taking a sabbatical, possibly permanent. Oh sure, first they’re releasing a remixed greatest-hits collection—and doing a farewell tour. At any rate, Godspeed.

Of course, we all know that rock stars are famous for quitting, then lauching a comeback, then collapsing onstage or at the spin-dry center, and then embarking on another comeback tour or two: Cleanse, rinse, repeat.

Even Sinatra made a surprising and stunning exit in the 70s, ending with his famous lyric:

Excuse me while I disappear.”

And so he did. For a while.

Hey, whatever it takes. Career breaks are always good news. And for revered rock stars, a little R&R may is likely just what the doctor ordered.

Last week, on Tuesday night, about a thousand people gathered in 10 cities to for Meet, Plan, Go!, the annual career-break event. Here in Minneapolis, yours truly served as moderator for a panel of recent returnees—and also manned a table labeled “Prepping the Leave,” along with Leif Pettersen, accomplished travel writer.

Dozens of travel enthusiasts visited that table and pelted us with questions. Here are five pretty-good queries and brief answers…

• We hope to leave early next year for six months or a year. We have a house—and can’t decide whether to rent or sell.  Any advice?

That’s easy: Hold! I mean, if you try to sell your house in this (or any) market, you may lose control of your timing, since so many things can go weird or wrong. Plus, prepping and selling a home can take dozens—hundreds?—of hours. You need that time to plan your trip.  Stay focused!

Not to mention, where would you live when you came home? Another conundrum, right? Why not come home to sweet home. You can always sell then. Find a good renter or house-sitter. Now get outta here!

• I might want to stay longer in my destination country than their visa allows for. What to do?

That’s a common desire, and there are ways around it—but (as they say about investing), you’ll have to determine your own risk tolerance! In some countries, they legislate such laws but hardly enforce them, unless, of course, you’re causing trouble. I stayed too long in Italy once, and they kept taking my money.

In other countries, you might leave to take a mini-sabbatical within your sabbatical. Case in point: Many people retire in Mexico, but visit the States for a week or two every six months or so, just to get fresh passport stamps.

• What are some tips about credit cards, currency translation fees, cash, and such?

That’s another maze, thanks to the banks and constantly changing realities and regulations. But here are a few tips that might work: Use a debit card to get cash (lower fees); in many countries, vendors appreciate being paid with cash (tech issues + tax avoidance?); use a credit card with no translation fees for purchases (check out Capital One and Chase Preferred); seek a credit card that gives cash back, since you’ll likely be spending; think twice about airline loyalty cards, since they’re rather like the nickel—ain’t worth what they use to be.

• I’m quitting my job for this trip; what about health insurance?

You will probably be able to keep your existing policy for 18 months, thanks to COBRA legislation. Do that, and you’ll also have coverage when you get home. For those without insurance, getting a high-deductible “catastrophic” policy might be a good idea—in case of a worse-case. But know this too: Many countries provide decent healthcare for free or cheap to visitors. For peace of mind, though, do some thorough research and avoid taking chances that may stress your big break.

• What do you pack that I might not think of?

What else? A good pocket knife. Nothing too huge, mind you, but one with knives, a tweezers, a toothpick, and (above all) a bottle opener and corkscrew.

Cheers!

Oh geez. This year’s career-break summit, Meet, Plan, Go! is just a few short hours away. As the MSP resident expert on prepping, I better start…prepping!

I think I’ll start by making an acrostic with some reasons why YOU TOO should attend. Hope to see you there!

And even if you can’t make it, check out all the awesome panelists and storytellers who will be there.  (Which do not include the guy on the right.)

M> Meet other wanderlusters a lot like you.

E > Earn respect from folks who may doubt your commitment.

E> Exchange dreams and schemes with new friends.

T> Take in some great tips and tales.

P> Plan to stop talkin’ and start packin’!

L> Learn how easy it can be to live out your dream.

A> Ask your hardest questions to some savvy experts.

N> Need a kick in the pants? You might get one!

G> Go—home or far away—with fresh ideas and inspiration.

O> Occupy Paris, Peru, or Phnom Penh on the date you choose.

One night next week, the travel gurus at Meet, Plan, Go Minneapolis will have me serve as an Expert in “Prepping to Leave.”

Ish! I mean, that’s often the hardest part of a career break. Still, it pays to plan ahead, big time. So here’s a witty A to Z guide that may make your BreakAway exit a bit less stressful.

• A is for ARMY KNIFE. Be it Swiss, Victorinox, or Acme, the many timeless tools tucked inside can come in handy. Highly recommended: the corkscrew.
• B is for BARF BAG. Laugh if you must, but they’re complimentary from (most) airlines, and can be useful for food, garbage, or—God forbid—barf.  Travel much? Hey, it happens!
• C is for CURRENCY. Cash is king in many places. And if you visit multiple countries, you’ll get multiple math lessons. But use your credit card when you can—and get one that charges no conversion fees. A debit card saves money on ATMs. And it never hurts to stash a few $100 bills; it’s the international standard, you know.  Ask any drug lord (or better yet, don’t).
• D is for DUPES. Yep, dupe your passport, driver’s license, and other critical docs—and stick them in a separate, safe place.
• E is for ENERGY BARS. One savvy traveler is never without oatmeal. Another prefers nabbing extra airplane peanuts. Whatever your taste, it’s always a good idea to carry something to eat (make that a sackful if you travel with kids).
• F is for FUNDING. Planning a career break helps keep you grounded and teaches you to save. And then it helps you fly high when you spend. Practice good fiscal fitness—but also keep in mind that, for certain important goals in life…It’s not a financial decision.
• G is for GIVING NOTICE. Be thoughtful and considerate about telling your boss and colleagues that you’re about to take this job and shove off. Remember, you may need gainful income again someday. In fact, you’ll need it to take your next career break!
• H is for HATERS. Some friends and even fam will try to rain on your Big Break with doubt, questions, and (above all) green Jello. Find strength in their scorn! And when they say, “Oh I could never do that,” politely suggest that it’s not about them.
• I is for INSURANCE. It’s a hassle, it’s expensive, and it’s full of hoops and BS. Still, it makes sense to at least ponder all the iterations—from health to home, from electronics riders to travel insurance—which can buy great peace of mind, especially if you have a complex, pre-purchased itinerary.
• J is for JOKER. Bring a deck of cards, of course. But also give yourself a wild card that gives you the go-ahead to try new things in strange places. Oh yes, bring your sense of humor, too.
• K is for KIT OF DIVERSIONS. Leave the home theater at home, but plan for necessary diversions for long flights and unpredictable nights: reading, music, journal, sudoku, what have ya. Such toys can save the day if you’re traveling with kids or anxious spouses.
• L is for LUGGAGE. Less is more, but get the right gear—whether backpack or suitcase or other. Take a short test trip or two to see how it feels to schlep your shtuff around; you’ll probably lighten your load!
• M is for MED KIT. Skip the apothecary, yet procure a little of just about everything you might need in a hurry, from Immodium to Ibu. And don’t assume such things will be at your fingertips when you need them. (Frankly, you may also want some anxiety pills for before you go…and some anti-depressants for when you return!)
• N is for NEEDLES. Yeah, you might need a needle (and thread) to repair your rips and tears. But we’re also talking immunizations. It won’t hurt a bit—compared to being locked out of your destination country because you overlooked certain medical prep or precautions they require. Don’t like shots? Celebrate your bravery afterward with a shot from Dr. Cuervo!
• O is for OUTREACH. Set up your communication lines and expectations for family, friends, and emergency contacts. If you’re like most BreakAway artists, you’ll probably want to blog, too. But whatever you do, don’t spend your sabbatical staring at screens! Focus your connections on new faces, not Facebook.
• P is for PET PLANS. People love their pets, perhaps sometimes too much? Fido will be fine without you, as will Miss Kitty. Just find them a nice place to purr—be it neighbor, friend, or sitting service. Get their immunizations caught up and provide ample supplies, while keeping in mind that pets need sabbaticals too!
• Q is for QUIET AIDS. In the Caribbean, the roosters crow after midnight. In NYC, the taxis (and tourists) never shut up. In Rio, the locals rock and roll all night (and party every day). Ergo, pack your earplugs, headphones, and maybe even a rainforest app.
• R is for RECORDING GEAR. No, not a studio—but rather, your camera, journal, laptop, sketchbook or whatever you us to capture the memories so that they last forever.
• S is for STUFF MGMT. Get ready for pondering, purging, selling, sorting, storing, schlepping—and swearing. Pardon the French, but sometimes stuff sucks. And yet, when you’re away from it all, you probably won’t miss a thing.
• T is for TECH TOOLS. Unplug as much as you can, please! But if you’re bringing digitalia, think through things like adaptors, converters, back-up systems and the price of connectivity. Your iPhone may work abroad, but it could cost you a king’s ransom to use it the way you do at home.  And when the wifi won’t work? Stop worrying and start dancing in the streets.
• U is for UNDERGARMENTS. Snicker if you must, but how will you stay warm? Dry? Clean? Longies or lingerie? Wool or cotton? And who’s going to do the laundry? Pack smart. And keep in mind you can usually eliminate extras, or pick up what you need.
• V is for VISUALIZATION. Before you go, envision worst-case scenarios. That way, if (or when) they happen, you’ll be ready. Use these little practices also for possible emergencies, opportunities, and even the return to reality.  Because you can, and you must, go home again.
• W is for WATER. Hydrate. Shun bugs. A bottle of safe water is worth its weight in your backpack.
• X is for X IT OFF. Make thorough and exhaustive lists, whether in a sketch book, computer, or on giant Post-its. (After all, you can’t keep all this in your head, can you!?!) Rejoice every time you X off a to-do. And when the list seems ridiculous, remember: You’re boarding that plane regardless.
• Y is for YES MENTALITY. Speaking of opportunities, prepare yourself for eating raw snails, riding on elephants, sailing into storms, and a world of possibilities. That’s why we travel, right? So when in doubt, just say yes.
• Z is for ZIPLOCKS. They’re handy in your kitchen, and even more useful on the road. Heck, here in the USA, even the TSA likes them—and they don’t like anything!

Speaking of zips, one of the happiest sounds on earth is the zip-zip-zip of luggage zippers closing when the prepping is over, the packing is done, and your ride to the airport is on its way.