If you're reading this, you are either a friend of mine who I've pestered into reading this blog or it's popped up on google whilst searching for a keyword or more excitingly, you have randomly come across it. Either way, now that you're here you might as well read about my exciting 3-month sabbatical.
I have to admit it's a bit into my sabbatical already (exactly 15 days and 3 hours) but I blame it on the internet/mac issue which only got resolved a couple of days ago. Anyhow, I promise to catch-up as quickly as I can but before any of that you should know why I decided to take 3 months off work and what adventures I've got planned for myself.
May 2012, Mumbai: It's one of those evenings when most things around you don't make sense and in times like these you start to wonder about what life's all about and have you done everything you really thought you want to do. I'm sure this is the most cliched statement ever but it's true. For me, the answer was no and so I decided to make my little to-do list but except this time it wasn't the standard list for the day but one full of things I wanted to do before I turned 35. With a whole lot of other more achievable things was a 3-month sabbatical. I came back to the UK from my trip to India, spoke to my manager and by the end of Dec 2012, I had my sabbatical approved. With time off work granted, I now had to plan the trip of a lifetime (hopefully there will be more to come but let's say lifetime for now).
Where to go: I knew from when I was young that I wanted to spend a summer in Paris - probably because of the French films I saw or because it just looked so dreamy in every movie. I also took French lessons (which were of no use but more on that later) so I could come here and speak my way through Parisian streets and cafes. So it was a no-brainer that I was spending all or some of my time in Paris. Destination No. 1 - Paris. Tick.
3 months in Paris or even in France would be a lot not just because it would be mighty expensive but also because it's too long to spend in a city not doing a course of some sort or engaging yourself with something to keep you occupied. So, I thought of going and working with a charity in South America - a part of the world I have never been to and have always wanted to visit. Chile was the first country that popped to my mind but the charity I was wanting to travel with did not have a set-up there. Defeat no. 1. Change of plan and charity. Through a friend's suggestion I came across a fantastic charity called Latin American Foundation for the Future or LAFF (google them and support them) and the incredible work they do with other partner organisations in Peru. Peru would be fab, I thought. By the end of January 2013, I had exchanged emails with the organisation on my job role and so the later half of my sabbatical was decided too. I was going to make fundraising films for LAFF. Destination no. 2 - Peru! Tick.
When to go: Keeping the weather in mind, I decided May 2013 - August 2013 would be my 3-month sabbatical with 6 weeks in France - mostly living in Paris and 6 weeks in Peru where I am going to be based in Cuzco.
So, if you are planning one yourself, make sure to:
- Plan in advance and give your work enough notice
- Come up with a fairly decent idea of what it is that you want to do (dig into those dreams you've always had)
- Plan your finances sensibly and then,
- Go with the flow!
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