Push Pause 2019 — Making the Jump
Original Post: May 30, 2019
“Everywhere You Go, There You Are”
Is a quote that recently has really gotten stuck in my head as I started preparing and pulling together the pieces of PUSH PAUSE.
Inspiring Read with lots of Practical Habits
What really resonates with me about it was that I started digging deeper into what Push Pause meant for me, like going back to first principals. I’ve said before in another post that traveling to escape is not a good solution, if you think everyone is materialistic and a jerk at home, you will find the same when you are in a far off place on a beach.
Getting some sense knocked into me!
When I first brought things up with work to see what was on the table, they countered with an offer to take maybe 1–2 months off and then transfer to Berlin. This threw my thoughts for detour as I didn’t even have that as an option in my “plan”. As I started exploring that option and planning, I luckily on a last minute trip to NYC to visit my buddy Javi Ortega Estrada, came across the quote and thought about it more.
Santa Cruz vs Berlin vs wherever wasn’t the real thing for wanting to Push Pause (as much as part of me sees myself settling down in Europe eventually). I realized with my work I wasn’t growing, it wasn’t having the potential upside that would drive me. It was an incredible experience for my career I cherish and even still I am grateful for the colleagues, challenges I’ve gotten to work with. The root of wanting to push pause is to take some time to learn some new things (Spanish, Yoga), improve my surfing, explore some new places, but really to drill down on finding the next opportunity that would allow me to grow + have impact. To be in a position of boredom where I can let my mind wander.
I will be honest and say my plans have changed probably over a dozen times, from 4 months, to 1 year round the world — odd jobs, to 2 months fun travel then moving to Berlin, and everything in between. It’s been hard to plan to not have a plan lol. Talking with friends I who have been on “walk-abouts” before, ( Heather Gallo ), I think 3–6 months is just right for me.
What really has helped in being able to adapt was just getting as much of the logistics onto paper as possible. Getting it out of your brain and into an actionable plan.
Trello coming in Clutch!
Taking the approach of how do I wrap things up as much as possible to give freedom for new things. That’s the cusp of it, trying to hold on to a sense of familiarity and comfort, yet at the same time knowing you have to set out on a new path. So I started setting up my board of all the themes I needed to wrap up, relationships — professional and friends, finances, bank accounts, looking up storage costs or shipping back home to Toronto with my parents, what stuff do I keep vs sell, etc. It can be overwhelming, like I was stuck on worrying about my giving up my Visa so was like maybe I should find a job to take it over (2 month grace period), yet I realized I shouldn’t let that limit my options and trust IF I go back to the US I could always get another one (TN). But that’s it once I put in the hours doing the heavy lifting, there was a feeling of like ok I got this!
Qt Sales Management Team dinner w. Salesforce in Helsinki
What was even harder was finally pulling the trigger on resigning at work. Luckily they appreciated the fact that I am in no particular rush to leave and happy to put together a transition plan to hire a replacement over the next 2–3 months. So with that done, and the planning done here we go!!
I am a little scared but I’m lucky to have a super supportive family and friends that at this point are not shocked at my wild ideas. Which translates into a bit of excitement!
Here’s what I am putting out to the universe come end of Aug so comment if you can help :) **Disclaimer: Subject to even more change haha
3–6 Months
- Bringing some stuff back to Toronto Canada in July (Jun 30 — Jul 7), while selling all my furniture and rest into storage in Cali. Let me know if you are interested in TV, bed, couch etc.
- Trying to get my hands on a ticket to Burning Man and a camp to participate in, I want to CONTRIBUTE not just CONSUME. It’s kind of the perfect open minded state to kickoff my journey. Who’s going?? Rob Sandie Karolina Ling-Vannerus David Jeremy Higdon David Jackson Mhairi Foulner
“Omnia mutantur, nihil interit” (Everything changes, nothing perishes) ― Ovid, Metamorphoses
- 1–2 Months in Santa Teresa, Costa Rica as home base find an apartment long term — Come visit :P ( Hanna Arhusius / Ram Sahasranam ) — Spanish, Surf, Yoga, eat healthy, work on side projects, and salsa.
Starting at Lapoint!
- Start reaching out to friends involved with “Social Impact” companies to see what opportunities might be available starting 2020 — Jonathan PG / Tharald Nustad / Liana Taylor
- Meet Christian Boysen in Vietnam at some point (Nov) to explore my parent’s roots, eat a ton of pho, and drive a motorcycle. Christina Mac you coming??
- Leaving the rest to what unfolds maybe some time back in Bali, explore Australia + NZ, or who knows maybe I just decide that staying in Costa Rica as a surf instructor and open an eco surf camp :)
MUCH LOVE — BMac