Author Katie Aune

By Katie R. Aune

When I quit my university fundraising job to travel for 13 months back in 2011, it was a pretty unheard-of thing to do for most Americans. While there are more resources today for those wishing to take a career break to travel, the idea of just quitting everything to travel the world can still feel daunting. Here are a few things to think about as you plan your escape:

1. Determine your why. Why do you want to travel? Are you running away from something? Could you achieve some of your travel goals by instead taking a sabbatical or transitioning into a remote job that would allow you to work as you travel? I planned my trip as a complete break from work and as an opportunity to transition into a new, internationally focused career.
2. Figure out your finances. Will you rely on savings? If so, do you need time to save more? I took about a year to save for my trip and focused hard on where I could cut costs, from eating out less to saving on cable bills to eliminating other subscriptions and expenses. Will you try to make money along the way, or do you need your savings to last your entire trip? Spend some time investigating the destinations you plan to visit and what your travel expenses may be.
3. Address the not-so-fun logistics. If you own your home, plan to sell it or rent it out while you’re away. Arrange to put your belongings in storage or, better yet, sell as much as you can. Other things to think about: health insurance, travel insurance, what to do with your mail, how to handle communicating with loved ones back home, how to handle any ongoing bills and how to access money on the road.
4. Prepare your out. Update your resume, especially with any accomplishments or data points that may be hard for you to access after you leave. Join LinkedIn if you haven’t already and start building your network. Ask trusted co-workers if they would serve as a reference for you upon your return. And when you do give notice, do it professionally and don’t burn bridges, no matter how unhappy you may be in your current role. Set yourself up as well as you can to find a new job when you eventually return.

Finally, plan, but don’t plan too much! Circling back to number one, have an idea of what you would like to accomplish by quitting your job to travel. Research destinations and make a list of “must-do” activities. But give yourself flexibility to change things up as you go along. Often the best experiences come from just going with the flow!

For more on my career break trip, check out my book, Finding Katya: How I Quit Everything to Backpack the Former Soviet States, and for more career break tips, visit my website, katieaune.com.

Katie R. Aune is a recovering tax attorney who has worked in nonprofit and higher ed fundraising for more than a decade while also dabbling in travel blogging and writing. Despite not traveling overseas until she was 25, she has been to nearly 70 countries and all seven continents.

Born and raised in Minnesota, Katie is currently based in Washington, D.C. and has a habit of rooting for teams that find ways to lose in devastating fashion.