You can read Part I here.

Part II – The First Year

I spent the first few months contemplating what kind of job I wanted. I was keen on either not-for-profit organizations or start-ups. I channeled my energy in this direction. I got a couple of good head starts but due to some or the other reason, they did not materialize.

Still, I was riding high on the excitement of having time for myself. I read like crazy, averaging three books a month. I set up my Let’s Go Sightseeing blog, FB page, Instagram account & Twitter handle. I became more regular with my blogging – both personal & travel. I contributed articles to Women’s Web. I traveled like mad – nine purely sightseeing trips in 12 months (a few others for family obligations). I did not look for a job seriously then.

Takeaway 1: Be sure of your reason to take a sabbatical. Leaving & then figuring out may leave you dissatisfied. At least have a broad agenda in mind.

Takeaway 2: Take a sabbatical if & only if you are OK not working. I am someone who values my personal life WAY more than my professional one. I am not too ambitious. I disliked my job at that point of time & was OK giving it up. If you are driven by targets & deliverables, then a sabbatical will bore you.

Also, towards the end, I was in a negative work environment. The sabbatical helped me get rid of that negativity in my system.

Takeaway 3: Take a sabbatical only if you are OK being at home. A lot of folks wonder how I spend time at home. I LOVE being at home. I get to read, write & plan my next travel. Or even binge on Netflix/ Amazon Prime. I have never had a problem of ‘getting bored at home’.

But I understand that is not everyone’s cup of tea. It works for me also because I am an introvert. If getting out & meeting people energizes you, then you will be unable to bear being at home.

An argument to this can be – but I will volunteer/ freelance/ some such thing. Yes, you will, but outside of a regular job, there are days when you end up being at home. Maybe because the nature of volunteering is such. Maybe finding a freelance opportunity is taking time. Whatever. But even those few days can become a nightmare if you are not a ‘home bird’.

Takeaway 4: Be ready to answer questions. A lot of questions. Why did you take a sabbatical? Did you dislike your job? What are you planning to do now? How do you spend your entire day? Isn’t your money running out? Don’t you get bored?

Be prepared to hear comments. Oh, you must be having a LOT of time. It must be nice to not do anything. I would get so bored at home. Blah blah

Not just from random people; sometimes from your loved ones too.

Oh & also be ready to answer aunties. Now you can start a family. Why don’t you use your break to have a baby?

Takeaway 5: I do not know if I can call it a coincidence or what. As soon as I started my sabbatical, a couple of my loved ones got into some legal trouble. I was so thankful that I could be there with them during the difficult times on a full-time basis.

For many months from November 2017, my parents & a couple of other elders went through bouts of bad health. Again, it worked in my favor that I could devote time to care-giving.

On the happier side, three of my cousins got married. I did not have to compromise in attending their wedding festivities. So, for me, the sabbatical improved my relationship with my family.

Takeaway 6: I learnt the nuances of blogging, a bit on social media management, pranayama, & swimming. The sabbatical gave me more time to explore new skills. In the process, I figured that I would not mind a social media management/ content writing kind of a job.

To be continued…