When yourSABBATICAL offered me a guest blog spot, I happily took the leap. This is one of my favorite sites and subjects—and my soul grins knowing that other wandering, kindred spirits are out there. Are you one too?
If so, then please plan ahead to join us at the First Annual Sabbatical Summit, a overdue gathering of our growing tribe of 
freedom-seekers and break-makers.
Oh sure, we have a lot of work to do before we align—but we Sabbatical people know how to create a vision and see it through. Right? To get us started, I submit…
A Wishful Glimpse at the First Sabbatical Summit, featuring:
The Corporate Convert Artists. Barbara and Elizabeth Pagano, of yourSABBATICAL.com, will explain how sabbatical programs can improve recruiting, retention, and morale—and teach us how to ask for them.
The Enlightened Employers. Leaders from American Express and Hallmark—firms offering paid sabbaticals of up to 24 weeks—will present the real-life payoffs of this alluring perk.
The Butt-Kickers. Lifestyle guides like Tim Ferriss (The 4-Hour Work Week) and Clive Prout (the Sabbatical Coach) will show
us ways to get off our couches and turn radical dreams into reality.
The Money Mentors. We’ll learn to take control of our finances (instead of vice versa) from people like Stephen Pollan, author of “Live Rich” and “Die Broke,” and Ruth Hayden, an expert on money and values.
The Travel Gurus. We’ll get vital guidance from folks who’ve been around the block (and world) and can help get us going, like Rick Steves (PBS star) and J. Maarten Proost, author of “Getting Stoned with Savages.”
The Work/Life Trapeze Artists. LifeHacker Gina Trapani and TEDmeister Stefan Sagmeister will share secrets about their work/life balancing acts, which include designing and taking sabbaticals.
The TrendSetters. DRIVE agent Dan Pink and TrendMaster Robyn Waters will explain why sabbaticals are an increasingly relevant and smart part of a sustainable career (and economy).
Photos by Kirk Horsted
The DoGooders. For those ready to dedicate their time and talent to improving the planet, exhibitors from Habitat, Peace Corp and more will make offers you can’t refuse.
The BreakAway Guy. That’s me. And if anyone shows up, I’ll tell tales and share pics from my four BreakAways—from the Mafioso’s midnight offer to the sweetness of sabbaticals with children.
YOU! Will you be there? In body and/or spirit? We’d be so lost—and lonely—without you. Please plan on it. AND please add your thoughts to this stew…
- What strikes you about this vision, as I’ve dumped it here?
- Is the world ready for this, and us?
- What other topics should we cover?
- Who else should be there?
- Could you be an organizer, speaker or guest?
- Does your company want to be a sponsor?
Let’s set down our screens and get this thing (and ourselves) up and running! Stay in touch and stay tuned…
Meantime, thanks for your interest and passion. And happy sails.
3 Responses (add yours)
Note from yourSABBATICAL: We are enchanted with Kirk Horsted’s idea of a Sabbatical Summit in our future and in yours! Meanwhile, how about taking time out for a national conversation on career breaks and extended travel?
On Tuesday, September 14th, Meet, Plan, Go! discussions will be held around the country to offer inspiration and resources to people looking to craft their own life-changing getaway. The event is totally free and you won’t want to miss it. Stay tuned for more information or visit http://www.meetplango.com .
Forgot to mention in my last comment (how could i?) that Kirk will be hosting the Minneapolis MeetPlanGo! event, and we’ll be hosting the Atlanta one. Interestingly, Kirk wrote this post before even knowing about this discussion event that’s being organized by the Briefcase to Backpack folks. Check them out at http://www.briefcasetobackpack.com
A Sabbatical Summit sounds great to us, and hopefully our ‘Meet, Plan, Go!’ events will demonstrate that Americans are ready to embrace the Sabbatical mindset!
We’re excited to have you and Kirk join us!