A Place Both Wonderful and Strange – Tash & Ricki's Career Break Travels

To be able to travel so extensively means taking a break from our respective careers – Ricki is an accountant, while Tash is a surveyor. Ricki has quit his job entirely while Tash’s work have kindly granted her one year’s sabbatical leave. It didn’t feel entirely like the right time in Tash’s career to take this step. However, the pair of us have acknowledged that it probably never feels like the right time. Life is short though, and after some health issues on Ricki’s part, we want to do this while young(ish!) and physically able.

Our “career break” has been several years in the making. We originally thought that it could take the place of a honeymoon once we married in 2020. Of course, the covid-19 pandemic resulted in a delay to both wedding and travels.

Although we both enjoy travel, neither of us have spent time on the road or taken a gap year before. Career has always come first. Any extended periods away from home have been linked with work – university, internships and secondments. It is time to shake things up, dreadlocks and elephant pants optional!

Our typical interests, travel aside, include cooking (Ricki), eating and drinking, with the odd visit to art galleries and museums. Of the two of us, Ricki is more of a historian, while Tash enjoys learning languages. We both like to keep fit and have even tried ballroom and latin dancing lessons in the past. Perhaps there will be an opportunity for some more twinkle (or at least trampled) toes this year.

In terms of useful personality traits while travelling, Ricki is more cool-headed while Tash brings determination. Disaster may occur though when Ricki is tired or Tash is hungry!

As a final note, the title of this blog forms part of the quote below. It’s a favourite of ours and seemed quite appropriate for the year ahead.