Interview by Prime Sarmiento
I believe that travel has the power to transform lives. Any journey brings new experiences and these open up our hearts and minds to all sorts of possibilities that we didn't consider before.
On a more pragmatic level, I also believe that travels will not only enhance once career path but may in fact lead to a more fulfilling and heart-centered career.
Take for instance, Jodi Ettenberg. the lovely solo female traveler behind the popular travel blog Legal Nomads (www.legalnomads.com). Jodi pursued a corporate law career as a means to an end – to save enough money for a round the world trip. She saw her chance to fulfill that dream by leaving her native Montreal for New York city. After five years of lawyering, Jodi quit her job in 2008 and went off to see the world.
Jodi enjoyed her travels so much that in the end, she abandoned her original plan to return to being a lawyer after this career sabbatical. She instead crafted an entirely new career for herself as a travel writer, author, speaker and social media consultant. Learn more about Jodi's travels and career change in this interview.
Q:You saved money for five years before you decided to quit your job to travel. How did you do that? How did you stay motivated for five years?
A: I wanted to travel, so I stayed motivated. I didn't want to leave prior to saving up enough to travel without working for a few years; that was the motivation I needed.
I put a certain percentage of my paycheck into a separate account each month, and I thought of purchases in terms of how far that money could get me travelling, not just what the purchase was to me in New York or Montreal. It was easier to save when I thought of it that way.
Q:What are you favorite cities and why?
A: Bangkok, Istanbul, New York, Beijing, Montevideo. I've spent a lot of time in each, and they're all different in their own right, but each has many complicated layers of history and some great food.
Q:Can you say that your travels influenced you to change careers? Do you see yourself returning to the legal profession or to the corporate world?
A: I think my travels led to a new career but it was never my initial plan. I just went with the momentum that was generated by the site, and I'm thankful for it, but it was an organic process and not a fixed plan. I don't know what I'll do later on – time will tell! I'm still admitted to the NY State bar, so that's always a fallback if needs be.
Q: What are things that you know now that you wish you knew before you went on a career break?
A:That it really does work out in the end. And that the best type of travel is the one where you don't plan too much into the future – so many chance meetings lead to great, new places to visit.
Q:Why should people take a career break? On the contrary, why should you not take a career break?
A: There's no right or wrong answers to these questions. If you love to travel, why not take one? The fear that you won't have anything to do or a job upon your return has been turned on its head with the many case studies of people who have come back and found work. My friends who have taken career breaks all say that their interviewees upon return always, always wanted to talk about their travels; it's what set them apart from the competition and gave them a different edge.
If you don't want to take one, then don't. Highly subjective, but entirely possible for those who are interested in doing something different.
