Anjeanette Rettig was so overworked and burned out from her high-tech public relations job that she wound up in the emergency room from stress migraines.
She needed a break, and a week at the spa wouldn't do. Her husband Kevin Rettig, a software developer, was up for taking one, too -- so the couple traveled around the world for an entire year in 2002, visiting almost 30 countries. When the trip was over, Kevin returned to the company he worked for before, even though they hadn't guaranteed him a spot upon his return.
Yes, you can take a year off without ruining your career (or your bank account). Kevin was able to return to his job because he made all the right moves before, during and after his trip, including top performance reviews, keeping in touch with his boss while abroad and taking a freelance gig with them upon return. That freelance work turned into a full-time position.
The article doesn't offer any especially earth-shattering news for those who have already read books on the subject (Rolf Potts, author of "Vagabonding", is quoted in the article) or who have already begun researching a trip of their own, but it's still a worthwhile read if you're not yet convinced it can be done. What was funny to me about this article is that Forbes is obviously catering to another crowd -- the couple spotlighted in the article set their budget at $100,000. Something tells me they weren't planning on staying at hostels or doing any couchsurfing. Let's just say that the budget Kristin and I are planning is, at least at this point, quite a bit smaller.
Anyway, if you're interested, the full article can be found here.
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