Episode 25 l How to Take a Sabbatical to Travel with Stephanie Perry

Welcome to another episode of Travel, Pray, Slay. I am so excited today to be joined by Stephanie Perry for a unique and informative topic! When I found out about Stephanie and the work she is doing I couldn’t wait to get her on the podcast and I know you are really going to enjoy this conversation.

Stephanie is a year-round house sitter and the creator of House Sitter School. She helps black women embrace ease by traveling long-term, moving abroad, or becoming a house sitter. In this episode, we talk about how to take a sabbatical to travel, the benefits to yourself and your employer, and how to plan for the sabbatical financially.

Show Notes:
[01:38] Stephanie shares about herself and her mission.
[03:10] Ease is the absence of struggle. It is okay to do things the easy and simple way.
[04:13] Ease is possible and it is okay for that to be your aspiration.
[04:58] My role is no longer to help others live better. My role now is to enjoy my own peace of mind, self-care, and rest.
[06:22] You don’t get bonus points for struggling or doing things the hard way. It is okay to set up your life so you don’t have to struggle.
[08:45] Taking a career break is beneficial to you and your employer. You come back rested, recharged, and have new ideas. The career break can include travel.
[09:50] The reasons to incorporate travel are many. If you live in an expensive city in the U.S and you want to take a break, go abroad. You can do some things for yourself that you wouldn’t usually do.
[11:37] Travel can reveal priorities that you didn’t even know you had in life. Take an extended sabbatical where you get to prioritize the things that are important to you and uncover things that you didn’t even know were there.
[13:39] We see things happening for other people but we just don’t know it is possible for ourselves.
[17:41] A lot of people have different journeys.
[20:39] Real estate and other types of investments are how a lot of black women are able to go. You don’t need to have a stash of cash in order to take a break. You need to get real about how much it is going to cost you. Use a cost of living calculator.
[21:24] Find out the number you need to take a significant break.
[23:17] First, come up with a big block of time where you can rest and try out something new. Then come up with a couple of locations and look at what it is going to cost you.
[25:59] Once you see a number on a piece of paper it becomes more possible for you.
[26:42] You can make sacrifices or work extra to save up the money you need to take a sabbatical.
[28:20] House sitting is your best friend when you want to travel long term because you get free accommodations.
[31:59] Most of Stephanie’s house sits are pet sits. Even the most complicated house sit is only a couple of hours a day for you to get these free accommodations.
[35:39] Most of the places on your list are going to be okay without speaking the language. Being a native English speaker is so much a privilege when you are traveling around the world. You don’t have to know the language when you get there.
[37:01] You need to set up life when you get there or you are not going to like it. Find a community and support system there before you even get there.
[38:37] The focus of this time needs to be rest and peace. You can say yes and try things because you are not scheduled out and you’re not committed. Give yourself free time.
[41:24] It will change you and what works for you.
[41:30] For the most part anywhere you go, you are going to be treated better than you are treated in the United States as a black woman. A few countries that are difficult are China, Morocco, and Egypt.
[45:01] Stephanie’s favorite trips were when she went to the Philippines and to Portugal. Portugal made a lasting impression on her.
[46:51] She also enjoyed traveling to South Africa. South Africa is a beautiful place, with good food, wonderful people, and great shopping.
[48:50] Stephanie shares her favorite Beyonce song.
[51:49] When you start talking about taking a career break, the fear mongers will start to come out of the woodwork.
[54:26] Get yourself into a community where this is normal.

Connect with Stephanie Perry:
Stephanie on YouTube
Stephanie on Instagram
Stephanie on Twitter
Stephanie on Facebook

Links Mentioned on the Show From Toya:
Nomad List
Trusted Housesitters
Travel, Pray, Slay Podcast
Travel, Pray, Slay on Facebook
Travel, Pray, Slay on Instagram
Travel, Pray, Slay on Spotify
Toya on Twitter
Travel, Pray, Slay Merch
Travel, Pray, Slay on YouTube
Ordinary Women, Extraordinary Purpose Book