I’ve wondered myself about what I will be coming back to when I return from my travels. I’ve only been with my company for 3 years so I can be sure I will not be granted a year long sabbatical. My company does however invest a lot in their employees, so if I leave on good terms there is a good chance they would find some opportunity for me. That’s if I even want to jump back into the daily grind. What if traveling just fits. I’d love to find a way to live on my own terms and continue my travels if I so choose. That’s my “American” dream :)
I spoke to a lovely woman today from Australia. She brought a very sad fact to my attention, not shocking, just sad. She was telling me all about how she worked for a bank in Australia and is now here on a working visa employed as a technologist. I in turn divulged my plans to travel the world for a year, Australia being one of my main stops. She gave me such a strange look and said, “Well…that is very un-American of you!” She went on to describe how an Australian resume is full of holes because traveling is such a common thing. 8 months here, 3 weeks there, companies are so used to this behavior that many will hold positions, like taking a sabbatical, so the person has a job to come back to. Americans on the other side of the spectrum work their lives away, sometimes not even taking their measly 2 weeks of vacation each year. To take a sabbatical requires a 5-10 year commitment, sometimes more, to a single company. It’s shameful in my eyes, although I recognize not everyone may agree with me. Some people thrive in this “American” working environment.
I’ve wondered myself about what I will be coming back to when I return from my travels. I’ve only been with my company for 3 years so I can be sure I will not be granted a year long sabbatical. My company does however invest a lot in their employees, so if I leave on good terms there is a good chance they would find some opportunity for me. That’s if I even want to jump back into the daily grind. What if traveling just fits. I’d love to find a way to live on my own terms and continue my travels if I so choose. That’s my “American” dream :)
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AuthorKristen is a travel enthusiast looking to share her journey with the world, and maybe even inspire people to take the leap themselves. Archives
May 2016
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