"Life's a voyage that's homeward bound"

How a travel sabbatical led to my greatest homecoming of all

Herman Melville wrote, "Life's a voyage that's homeward bound." I have had the privilege of traveling around the world, and perhaps ironically, the greatest adventure of my lifetime has been the journey home to my true self. My 2018 sabbatical served as a pivotal gateway to get me here.

Just as walking through your front door immediately greets you with a sense of coziness and calm, there is a comfortable, effortless, inner reservoir of peace within each of us. This home within holds an unwavering spark of who we are, our unique genius, our gifts, our creativity, and our purpose. It is always here, though it may become dim at times, like the sun obscured by clouds. Spiritual leaders refer to this as our authentic self, true self, higher self, essential self, or soul.

Once I arrived home to this sacred inner sanctum, I understood why a kind of yearning, ache, or homesickness had been haunting me for so much of my adult life. It was as if I intuitively knew I was living a half-awakened life, grieving my unmet potential, without the words or understanding to make any sense of it. When we step onto our true path, all of our longings and whispers become illuminated as clues that had been inviting us all along to a divine unfolding.

Today, sharing reflections of my sabbatical, others often remark, “OMG - You totally had an Eat, Pray, Love experience!” I joke in response that it was indeed very Eat, Pray, Love, except at the end, instead of a romantic love, I discovered self-love and fell deeply in love with my life.

A flying leap into the unknown

On August 17, 2018, I commenced my sabbatical by flying from Los Angeles to Paris solo on a one-way ticket with only a backpack's worth of belongings, along with hopes, excitement, and nerves. I had recently left my role as General Counsel at a cleantech startup—burned out from 16-hour work days, among other things—with no job lined up and no real plan. Just a deep desire to fulfill a yearning I held within every fiber of my being to get out of the grind culture and set myself free through traveling.

For someone recovering from Type-A-tendencies with no prior "gap" on my resume and a heavily work-focused identity, plus no experience “quitting” anything before, it took some inner work to get on that plane. Not to mention, I divorced and moved from D.C. to Los Angeles the prior year, so this whole thing smacked of an infamous midlife crisis. I didn't know it at the time, but I was in fact in the midst of a midlife awakening, caterpillar to butterfly.

PERMISSION was my biggest hurdle in making the decision to take a sabbatical. I second-guessed myself, who am I to take off and travel, spending my modest savings from a career largely dedicated to public service? It felt indulgent, risky, and selfish (and in not a good way). Fear gremlins clawed at me, clamping down whenever any glimmers of hope surfaced.

Yet, the more I delved into the idea of a sabbatical, a gentle, kind voice in me responded, "If not me, whom? If not now, when?" (A variation on a first-century BCE Jewish leader’s words.)

Permission ultimately came to me during a workshop led by Elizabeth Gilbert and Martha Beck on my birthday that April in Scottsdale, in which I wrote this letter to myself:

Dear Gena, I am giving you permission -

To take the biggest leap of your life and leave your job to launch a new chapter of travel, art, cooking, reading, learning, exploring, and healing

To get back to your enlightened self, hair blowing in the breeze

To not have all of the answers

To not follow all of the rules

To no longer get a boost from being ‘perfect’

To go easy on yourself and be compassionate

To be courageous, knowing failure may be a part of your path

To truly, deeply, and intrinsically know your worth and all that you deserve

You are a phoenix and will rise again

I am beyond grateful that I listened to my intuition to cast fears aside, because it catapulted me into a metamorphic adventure. It is only by giving ourselves permission to take time and space to reclaim the lost and neglected parts within that we may meet our full potential for this “one wild and precious life” (The Summer Day, Mary Oliver).

Flying Lessons

In addition to six glorious months of travel internationally and domestically, both solo and with my identical twin sister, I gained so much more: I restored the essence of who I am and developed clarity on creating a fulfilling life, appreciating that my sabbatical was ultimately an answer to my soul's calling, as if the divine unfolding had been written in me all along. I also learned several invaluable lessons as my wings unfolded, which I carry with me today.

Video highlights - Living Many Lives within One Lifetime of a Sabbatical

If we view our life as a pie chart, there is typically work, family, hobbies, and other commitments—our own self should be on that life pie chart, for our relationship to self is the most sacred of our lifetime. I had neglected my well-being for so long in my misdirected devotion to my career and other relationships that I did not have a solid piece of myself on my own life pie chart! Back then, I did not honor things solely for my own delight, sense of self, or well-being. Doing something purely for myself seemed to be an afterthought, dedicated to the spare change of my time.

It was during my sabbatical that I finally prioritized my own full self – mind/body/heart/soul – for every waking hour felt like a blank canvas to sketch out what I genuinely wanted to pursue for no purpose aside from sparking joy. I honored my body through a newfound love of fitness and getting enough sleep such that I no longer needed to wake up using an alarm (which remains true to this day). I boosted my heart through reading poetry, soaking in too many pieces of art to count, and serendipitous connections—like the artist innkeeper in Sardinia who cheered up with our daily talks and the various strangers who became friends. I activated my mind through satiating my intellectual curiosity through endless books, podcasts, and museum outings.

Most importantly, I connected to my spirit. I blasted sunshine in my soul through music that moved me, nature that left me in awe, forging deep connections, and following my bliss. I befriended my intuition after years of ignoring it. None of these things were premeditated, they all unfolded as if a homing mechanism activated within me, calling me to follow this trail of fulfillment.

Another powerful force in my sabbatical was getting out of the familiar comforts of my routine. I tend to crave routine, like a marble moving through a smooth groove, there is a pull within me to play it safe and stay comfortable. Yet, it is only by stepping outside of our comfort zones that we can achieve a more radiant, kodachrome experience with life. Exponential growth lies in trying new things with a beginner’s mindset. By moving into discomfort, we activate our sense of resilience and reliance on ourselves—we are all capable of so much more than we realize! Anything from navigating a foreign train station to driving stick to signing up for a race can activate muscles not often used, literally and figuratively.

A curtain lifted, and I understood that we remain tethered to so many things out of fear, so much so that we often prefer to stay stuck in a familiar hell than leap into an unknown paradise, with trust that our wings will unfold! When we are in the murky unknown of the chrysalis, with parts of our identity dying, it’s hard to imagine a butterfly awaits.

I felt like long-closed shutters flew open, as I regained my sense of self and felt more alive than ever. Alexander Den Heijer said, "You often feel tired, not because you've done too much, but because you've done too little of what sparks a light in you." The most potent cure for burnout and way to restore our essence is through filling our lives with things that bring us energy and remind us of our unique spark and capacity for joy. Many of these trace back to childhood, when we played purely for the sake of having fun, such as through games, sports, and creative endeavors. With our lives consumed with work, family, and other obligations, it's hard to carve out quality time for play and restoration, yet it’s imperative.

This is where sabbaticals come in—by taking all that time we usually spend working and filling this instead with meaningful pursuits non-attached to notions of productivity, we restore our essence, grow, and reach a more empowered and authentic version of ourselves.

Once I came fully alive again, countless unexpected treasures emerged—my sense of deeper purpose in life, comfort in being a nomad, need for few material things, reverence for rest, joy, and solitude, and trust in the unfolding of this non-linear journey of life. I also deprogrammed from the productivity myth, celebrated joy as a birthright, honored my needs, set healthy boundaries, shed my identity as a lawyer, released coping mechanisms meant to keep me safe earlier in life that held me back from my higher self (perfectionism, people-pleasing, workaholism—just to name a few), and built the foundation of what would become a new career as a Life and Executive Coach.

Homecoming

On October 23, 2018, I sat in the Barcelona airport awaiting my return flight to Los Angeles after backpacking through eight countries. Reflecting on this first chapter of my transformative sabbatical, I penned the following note:

Today marks the end of an extraordinary 10-week adventure. I have seen sights that left me awestruck, enjoyed flavors & textures unlike anything before, heard music that moved me to tears, soaked in a lifetime’s worth of art, felt the kiss of the Mediterranean breeze, logged 100+ miles of glorious runs along streets dusted pink by sunrise, and received such kindness from strangers. Every sight, sound, touch, and taste are imprinted, like tiles in a magnificent life mosaic, forever adorning my soul. I am left with an even greater sense of urgency to seize every opportunity, every moment, every glimpse of a shooting star. And from all of this, I will never be the same, nor would I want to be. I am heartsick that this chapter is coming to a close yet look forward to countless adventures to come. The more I explore, the more I realize I have seen but a postage stamp of this wondrous world. If you are yearning for something, DO.IT.NOW. Fear be gone. Time waits for no one. Be the change you need to set yourself free.

Through my sabbatical, I became aware of a world of people who take travel sabbaticals somewhat cyclically with no guilt, shame, or fear. My lens shifted and I came to see sabbaticals as normalized. I am a believer that a sabbatical is the greatest gift we can give ourselves, if we are so fortunate to have the means and support to do so, for everything we need lies within us, like dormant seeds ready to bloom once nurtured. I am proud and grateful to now take annual sabbaticals.

Sabbaticals are still a privilege, as few organizations fund them, though the tide may be turning through efforts by the Sabbatical Project, for whom I serve as a coaching partner, and others.

For more insights on my sabbatical, see this entertaining conversation with me and the Founder of the Sabbatical Project, Dj DiDonna, from 2022.

If you are contemplating taking a sabbatical, feel free to reach out!

RESOURCES

The Sabbatical Project - resources, community, best practices, sabbatical stories, coaching, workplace policies, and more!

David Whyte & John O'Donohue- poetry that delves into the inner journey.

Other favorite poets for times of transition: Mary Oliver, Rainer Maria Rilke (terrific podcast episode), Jalāl al-Dīn Muḥammad Rūmī (Rumi), Khājeh Shams-od-Dīn Moḥammad Ḥāfeẓ-e Shīrāzī (Hafez or Hafiz),

Oprah Super Soul & On Being with Krista Tippett podcasts - inspiring conversations with spiritual leaders and well-being experts

The Artist's Way - gateway to reclaim our inner artists

Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert - other resource on embracing creativity

Other Resources