Field FAQs With Holly Morris Exit Strategy: Why You Need a Real Vacation

Holly Morris is a TV host (Treks in a Wild World, Globe Trekker), and the author of Adventure Divas and founder of the multimedia company Adventure Divas. Post your travel questions here and they could get answered in the magazine.

I’ve been at a desk job for eight years and need a change. I want to break away and explore the world but don’t know where to start.

A. Life is meant to be more than a string of brutally long, ergonomically disastrous days. The potent form of liberation I recommend? Leave. Restore your sense of direction by taking a sabbatical, a retreat, or a true pilgrimage. Getting away in a big way, for a long time, is an age-old component of a fully realized life. Set your compass toward something that is personally meaningful and push beyond your comfort zone. Backpack in search of your ancestors in the hills of Slovakia; hike the Colorado Trail solo; heck, spend a summer at klezmer camp. Some years ago, I went on a modern-day vision quest deep in the Sumatran jungle, where the combination of weeping leech bites and steamy dawns with a call to prayer tumbling in from the distance reminded me of the transformative powers of the unknown.

Need some role models? George Orwell relates his journey in Down and Out in Paris and London. Alexandra David-Néel renewed herself in the Forbidden City (Lhasa) in the 1920s long before any other European woman set foot there. Elizabeth Gilbert ate, prayed, and loved her way across Italy, India, and Indonesia. And, of course, there’s Siddhartha, aka Buddha. And all Australians.

If brass tacks are needed to nudge you off the cliff, consult The Practical Nomad by Edward Hasbrouck or peruse Lonely Planet’s Thorn Tree Travel Forum online community. Bottom line: As long as your departure doesn’t financially or emotionally cripple any dependents, point toward the unknown and jump.

Illustration by Harry Campbell

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To be honest I push myself to the limit trying to work and I’m thinking of just withdrawing from classes. There are days I should go home from work, but I dont want to just quit life!

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It's hard to survive in a place like that where it's like being isolated or excommunicated by the modern world.

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The potent form of liberation I recommend? Leave. Restore your sense of direction by taking a sabbatical, a retreat, or a true pilgrimage. Getting away in a big way, for a long time.

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I’ve been at a desk job for eight years and need a change. I want to break away and explore the world but don’t know where to start.

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Bottom line: As long as your departure doesn’t financially or emotionally cripple any dependents, point toward the unknown and jump.

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Agree about Italy. The best place to find piece and harmony in yourself and get enough strength to move on is on the island of Sardinia - a little island on the south of Italy.

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This is a very good article! Keep it up. Everybody needs a break especially from a long day of work. We need to keep in mind that we are humans and not robots. We need rest!

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Don’t underestimate the value of a long weekend a few hours drive from your home. It doesn’t have the glamour and sex appeal of a week-long vacation involving air travel, but it’s still a great way to recharge your batteries.

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Nice one. It makes me realize how important to have a vacation. Find peace, relax and have a stress free day. Great article!

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Agree about Italy. The best place to find piece and harmony in yourself and get enough strength to move on is on the island of Sardinia - a little island on the south of Italy.

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Its a matter of how you will be able to free your time from being workaholic. Most people tend to forget that rest is very important. We should learn how to balance everything. Nice article!

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This is a very good article! Keep it up. Everybody needs a break especially from a long day of work. We need to keep in mind that we are humans and not robots. We need rest!

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[Alva]

Its always been a part of us to have an ultimate aloneness. Questioning ones mind and trying to read others where you cant seem to find answers. Even if its your relatives or closest friend in town, it is only reflects a shadow that they understood what you do or what they do.All you need is a vacation. I agree with most of the people here. All you need is to regroup your self awareness and get back to your real form. Go find a good place where you can start reforming yourself and re-assess things that is needed. Great Article.