I’m going on a travel sabbatical, and you can too!

by Jonathan Lee Martin

What if you could travel the world for a year, investing in your landscape photography as you go? It may be much more realistic than you think!

I’ve been adopting the digital nomad lifestyle for several years, but hadn’t yet made the jump to traveling full-time. Being a digital nomad isn’t just about being on the road all the time: it’s a lifestyle that frees you to pursue opportunities with no regrets or obligations to hold you back.

After a few years of adopting the minimalist mindset, honing my travel setup and eliminating barriers, and finally I’m ready to hit the road! I’m kicking off a landscape photography travel sabbatical for 6 to 12 months. I’ll continue writing about travel, minimalism and landscape photography, plus I’m vlogging on location, so make sure to subscribe.

But how could you get to the point of a travel sabbatical? Don’t expect to snap your fingers and hop on a plane tomorrow — but you should start getting ready today, not tomorrow to position yourself for the trip of a lifetime!

First, ask yourself these questions to evaluate a sabbatical:

  1. Why do you want to take this sabbatical? You need to convince yourself it’s worth it before you’ll convince anyone else.
  2. What would a “successful” sabbatical look like? Do you expect to grow your photography portfolio or foster new income sources?
  3. What are you giving up? Full-time salary, comforts and securities — a sabbatical has a cost beyond your job, so count the cost and decide if you’re still willing.
  4. What obstacles do you need to start removing now? Debts, possessions or cognitive biases? Time will be your strongest ally, so tabulate these obstacles and begin conquering a few each week.

Check out the full the write-up on evaluating a travel sabbatical to make it the best investment of your life.

Hold true to your purpose

You will probably bump into some passive aggressive hints when you mention a travel sabbatical to colleagues, friends and family, so make sure you are convinced yourself, and take counsel from those who have demonstrated their commitment to your well-being in the past. Then hold true — no matter what.

I hope that encourages you to take an active role in your next trip of a lifetime, make sure to subscribe to the channel to keep up with the adventures, latest digital nomad tips and landscape photography tutorials!