After...who am I now??

I keep thinking of ways to capture how our traveling changed us.  First, I would say, we didnt 'change', but we are forever modified.

The biggest impact, I say over and over, is how much more open we are to taking a risk.  Travelling for a year with no itinerary, no income (for Code, at least), no formal school, no family/friends, and no house...it sounds pretty crazy.  As we were preparing to go, lots of people said we were crazy.  Many told us it was a bad idea. Some said even the thought of what we were going to do gave them a panic attack.  Some (mom) said it was a terrible idea and something bad will probably happen.   Each persons cautions were a direct or indirect reflection of their own fears in their daily lives transferred as fears for our safety (piracy or shipwrecks), financial security (shipwrecked and broke), or career progression (broke and unemployable).

We didnt run into pirates in the Med (there would be more chance of crime on the high seas in Florida).  We did not sail in bad weather (there is this amazing thing called marine forcasts), we werent finacially ruined (we did have a little 'oops' on the boat--but that is what insurance is for) and we lived on a budget, and finally, our careers have remained stable.  

Regarding careers, we now live in a highly transient professional world-not like our parent's generation who made few job changes.  My Dad worked for Wyeth for 42 years, my Mom worked for the same employer for almost 20 years.  Nowdays, working at the same place for 5-10 years then moving on is quite common. The professional world is much more fluid than it was a generation ago, people and opportunities get phased in and phased back out again. Yet, our paradigm remains the same: I-just-cant-quit because we're afraid there wont be a place for us in the workspace when we return.

We-especially Code-have found just the opposite.  Having a year-long sabbatical boosts other's impression of his success...and perception is everything (well, it is a lot).  People want to hire and be associated with someone who is goal oriented, executes on the goal, and takes (reasonable) risks.  Isnt that true of our experience?  

While for me, I would not say that travelling had a direct impact on my career, but there was a positive effect.  First, I just know more about the world we live in.  I have been to Europe before, but never for such a long time.  Second, I know I can manage a boat (alone) with 2 kids, get help when I need it, and that I did something that scared me...a lot!  That makes me much more confident.  Again, third, perception is that I am a confident and capable person.  Without even having to say a word, my clients know that it takes a lot to phase me.