Going on a trip for 4 months leaving your business behind is it possible? 

Yes ! I did it.

It's 5am, still under the effect of jet lag and freezing in my living room (very cold!!), I'll explain my experience to you.

I decided to leave all fall a little over a year ago. A hybrid trip with my family in Portugal, my friend in Thailand, my partner in Bali and 1 month and a half solo in the Philippines. 

There  first step was to choose the right time of year and to ask permission from my team (especially my director Séverine). I chose the period from September to mid-January because it is a period more focused on sales (with the approach of Christmas) and less on the development which is under my responsibility.

The second step was to discuss it with my spouse. We separated almost 3 months and we knew that keeping in touch would be quite a challenge (thanks to Yoga with Adriene on YouTube who allowed us to do a daily activity together remotely). And finally, and most importantly, was talking about it with my newly grown children. 

In Asia, I met a lot of young people but hardly anyone in my age group, let alone women with a business and children. It was "challenging" but it allowed me to recognize the path travelled. At 20, like the young people I met, I traveled to prove something to myself, to cut family ties, to experience strong emotions... At 45, it's only for pure pleasure! ❤️

So here is my list of important things that I remembered.

1. Get rid of the guilt. 
2. Accept right away that there will be a price to pay. 
3. Light travel. A simple backpack is enough.
4. Smile a lot and to everyone.
5. Stick to a routine, no matter what.
6. Be organized. For my part, I love to discover, so I created lists of things to do by region by reading blogs. I could thus draw from my lists the same morning according to my desires for the day.
7. For guesthouses, respect your budget, always read the reviews (the most recent) before choosing and book with "free cancellation". Plans can change often and that's fine. "Go with the flow"!
8. For plane tickets, for internal flights, buy one way only, the goal is to always keep flexibility especially in the middle of the rainy season!
9. Learn to drive a scooter. Max 60 km per day.
10. Get out of your head right now that you're coming back grown and transformed; it puts unnecessary pressure. Be in the present moment.
11. Stay amazed and aware of your luck.

Nb: Living in Asia ultimately cost me less than living in Montreal.

Looking forward to meeting you again!

Anne