quit your job to travel? - TravelPUNK Backpacker College Student Budget Travel Message Boards!

pooners · 01-01-2006, 02:41 PM

Hi there, I'm new to these boards and I'm planning to do my first backpacking trip sometime in the spring. I won't be able to get the vacation time from work to do it, so I'm planning to quit...but I want to do it in such a way that I can get my job back once I'm home and broke. Has anybody here done this? Any tips or suggestions?

I'm planning on going to Australia, so can anybody give me a rough idea about how much I'll probably spend a week?

Thanks!

aSiAnRiCk · 01-01-2006, 04:42 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by pooners@Jan 1 2006, 06:41 PM
Hi there, I'm new to these boards and I'm planning to do my first backpacking trip sometime in the spring.* I won't be able to get the vacation time from work to do it, so I'm planning to quit...but I want to do it in such a way that I can get my job back once I'm home and broke.* Has anybody here done this?* Any tips or suggestions?

I'm planning on going to Australia, so can anybody give me a rough idea about how much I'll probably spend a week?

Thanks!

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I wouldn't do it if I were you

You can't travel if you don't have money right? And you can't have money without job lol

ps: Unless you were born with money grow on trees lol

**kingcrazylegs** · 01-01-2006, 06:44 PM

I've quit a job to travel, but saved up first

**LiveFreeorDie** · 01-01-2006, 06:55 PM

There are a lot of factors involved. What type of job and how long have you had it? How long is your trip going to be? How is your relationship with your boss and the company in general?

If your relationship is really, really good, maybe you can talk the Company into some type of unpaid sabbatical. Depends on how unique your skills are and how long you will be gone.

If you think you could easily get a similar job when you get back, then I would say no problem anyway - just quit and go for it. If this is a dream job for which you might have a hard time ever finding something like it again, maybe I would have more reservations on just quitting.

Without knowing more, the best thing I could recommend would be to be upfront and honest with your employer about what you are doing and why, tell them you would love to have a job when you come back, but also demonstrate to them that you realize most companies need to make money and get things accomplished and are not solely in the business of waiting to provide a job to you - so do not expect any guarantees. Give them plenty of notice, show them you care and you will at a minimum leave them with a good impression of your character and leave them open to considering you for future employment when you get back. Good luck!

**TheJake** · 01-01-2006, 07:12 PM

A lot of organizations that I have worked for were more than cool with me taking a couple months off since they knew I worked hard when I worked.

I have quit jobs to travel in the past and I will quit jobs to travel in the future. Just be cool about it. Tell em way in advance what your plans are. If it's three weeks before your trip and they aren't giving you the go ahead then write a letter of resignation. Send a copy to HR and another to your boss. Explain why you are leaving and that you would like to resume employment upon return.

foofiter · 01-01-2006, 09:47 PM

I am doing essentially this except for I got canned before I quit. I hated my job and was going to quit anyway and decided to toss in some travel between work. I simply traveled more than planned and I am at home for a few more days before the big one to South America.

It is a tough call though. I say do it because the travel experiences will be more than worth it. I am coming back to a car, storage unit, and my backpack from this trip. My plans are to either work at the hostel here in Atlanta (if I can) or find some other job I can tolerate until I figure out what I want to do.

Hope this helps

Foo

PS: WELCOME to the boards!

nemesis331 · 01-01-2006, 11:36 PM

ask for a leave of absence!

**lilwings** · 01-08-2006, 06:17 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by nemesis331@Jan 2 2006, 01:36 AM
ask for a leave of absence!

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I think that might be your best bet.

I would love to be able to tell my employer to 'shove it' and just travel on the money that I have saved up. Never the less, I don't think that they would be too willing to hire back after something like that.

How long are you planning on staying gone? If it's not very long, they might be willing to let you go on unpaid vacation. I think LiveFree's point about your working relationship is a good one too. It's a rough choice. Travelling makes for a once-in-a-lifetime experience, but it sucks when you're too broke afterward to be able to do it again.

eSper · 01-08-2006, 06:25 PM

Dude, this is SIMPLE!

Just tell your job your going away to college or going to spend some months with your family that live in another country and tell them you'll be back on _________ Date.

They probly won't even take you out of the system, you'll just be on leave or what ever they call it. You won't even have to quit at all~

chelseafc05 · 01-08-2006, 06:27 PM

im quittin my job before i leave. but i always planned on quittin coz its a shit boring job, then im findin a new preferable one when i get back

kameleen · 01-09-2006, 02:37 PM

I'm quitting my job to travel too! I hate my job and I feel like I'm young enough to do this sort of thing before I get tied down by the responsibilities of "real life". I plan on working a bit in the UK (in whatever jobs I can get without papers...) then travelling through Spain and Italy. I'm excited. But scared. Ack! I'm leaving March 1!

**LostFarmboy** · 01-09-2006, 02:46 PM

I'm pretty lucky, i have a good employer that gives me plenty of time off to travel. Last year they had no problems at all approving 4.5 months of unpaid leave for me to travel....and while i was gone they promoted me!!

hmmm....didn't realise how good i had it until i just wrote that....and to think i was going to quit this job.

As far as quitting a job to travel goes, if i wasn't happy with the job then i'd quit with no problems at all. If it was a good job then i would have to think long and hard about it all, but i would never let a job stop me from achieving my goals, life's too short.

**Jen05** · 01-09-2006, 02:59 PM

Yeah, I guess it depends on what kind of job you have, but it sounds like you've thought this through and really want to do it! I say go for it. Who knows when you'll have the drive and opportunity (sort of) to travel extensively again? You could get promoted, decide to "settle down" or whatever and no longer want to travel as much. I'm in a similar situation but with school. The "sensible" thing to do is to start my 2nd degree this fall, as they're changing my entire program, but I really want to travel more and spend more time abroad and have decided that that's what my priority will be despite difficulties I might face when it's back to school. I'm rambling, but all in all, ya only live once, right?

Adelaide · 01-14-2006, 04:17 PM

I quit the job of my dreams last year to travel, I just knew that everything would work out fine. In the end its just a job and when you look back the memories you make and the friends you make while travelling are a lot more important than if you just sat around at the same old job. THink where your regrets would be.Get out there and see the world!!!

drunkenmime · 01-16-2006, 07:34 AM

dude i totally agree with adelaide. a job is just a job no matter how good it is. nothing will replace the memories and friends you make along the way. i'm working the rest of this year and plan to quit in november to travel for a year or so. i say if you save up enough before you go, just do it. and who knows, things might change in the world that may hinder where you're wanting to travel, so do it as soon as you can.