Why Retire Only Once?

Posted on November 30, 2022 by Chaz Darling, One of Thousands of Life Coaches on Noomii.

Back in 2014 my career coach and I came to the conclusion that the best option for me at the moment was to quit my job and vagabond around the world for what was to be an indefinite amount of time.

So much went through my mind when I made that decision. Was this really a responsible financial decision? Was I just being selfish? These were the rational question that bubbled up in my brain but the emotional gut feeling was too strong to ignore. I couldn’t explain it then but deep down it felt like I made the right decision.

I was working at a job I didn’t like but doing okay, financially. I didn’t see any promotion opportunities that were appealing, I really liked the people I worked with but did not like the company overall. In addition, in my personal life, I was still dealing with fresh wounds from a tough breakup. I knew I needed a change of scenery.

The sabbatical ended up being 10.5 months and I was able to visit 23 different countries across 4 different regions of the globe (PS it cost way less than people normally think). I drank moonshine with Cambodian tuk-tuk drivers, I climbed Mt. Ngauruhoe (Mt. Doom) from Lord of the Rings, danced at a Halloween dance club in Barcelona, and scuba dove in the Galapagos. In the end, my life was infinitely richer for the experiences and I had proved to myself, through action, that I could do cool things that were off the beaten path.
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One of the underrated aspects of doing something like that is you suddenly become time-rich and are afforded the space to reflect on your life; where you’ve been; where you want to go; bad things that have happened to you; good things, etc. It is in this rare but vital space, where profound insights and recalibration can happen and I hope we in the west begin to value and pursue this space more every now and then. It doesn’t have to be a grand gesture either. It can be much smaller like a few days or a week but time must be set aside and committed to for reflection and to the extent possible, finding a new location is a must as well. It could be a coffee shop, a new cabin in the woods, or whatever. Just something that is new and stimulating.
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Coming back down to Earth was a challenge in its own way for me. I had the dreaded gap in my resume (GASP!) and wasn’t sure how employers would respond. The good news was I could clearly articulate that it wasn’t just a hedonistic joy ride, but an exploration of who I was and what I wanted to contribute to the world. I learned that I could talk to almost anyone about almost anything, that I could be open-minded but also lean on my own experiences, and connect with people quickly.

This translated into a role that paid me 40% above the role I left at a company that I fell in love with and people who I loved working with. Said another way, everything worked out for the better because I was temporarily “selfish.”

Periods like the one I went through are viewed as luxuries but can actually be investments in one’s self. From a financial perspective, the raise alone paid for the whole trip but it paid 1000x in life satisfaction and showed me there are billions of ways to live a life and I don’t have to follow what’s prescribed by external influences.

If you or anyone you know is interesting in strategizing a plan to create some reflective space, reach out!