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Blog

Wine Tasting in Malibu (With Stanley the Giraffe!)

Searching for Snow: Spending a Weekend in Yosemite in the Winter

Solvang Day Trip From Los Angeles

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When you and your bestie live in different cities,

When you and your bestie live in different cities, continents, and time zones but settle right back into your little antics the second you’re reunited 👯✨

Long distance friendships have got to be one of the hardest things about moving abroad!!! Thank goodness for memes, voice notes, all the “omg this is so you” reels #besties #reunited #gapyear

Road tripping this summer? Here’s what I’d do if I

Road tripping this summer? Here’s what I’d do if I was starting my 3-month road trip from day 1.

@unboundmerino [ad]

There’s something special about a road trip. Long stretches of road (and in Oz, they’re reeeally long), beautiful landscapes unfolding slowly, and the rare feeling of endless time.

But I’ve made some mistakes along the way 🫠 Like packing way too much or planning to do more hours of driving each day than we were ready for. I’m realizing I need less — so much less — than before. And maybe that’s how this road trip is changing me. Because I’m wearing the same clothes basically every day, and instead of feeling frumpy, I feel free.

Get my road trip uniform!
👉🏽👉🏽👉🏽 Comment “UNIFORM”

Where are you road tripping this summer? #unboundmerino #roadtrip #roadtripessentials

I don’t think any amount of prep can fully prepare

I don’t think any amount of prep can fully prepare you for a career break until you just do it. But there are a few things I think would help ease the transition (that I didn’t do myself and only now know in hindsight).

1. I wish I had been more easy on myself at the very beginning. I set too many goals too early, and latched on to too many ideas, instead of giving myself time at the very beginning to just do... nothing. I’m so bad at doing nothing. Still am.

2. I wish I had found a way to keep my therapist (but didn’t because of my changing healthcare situation), because the identity shift from employed to unemployed was, in my case, ROUGH, and hard to vocalize at first.

3. I wish I had prepared better for not having a community when I moved abroad for my career break. Your friends and your circle will most likely still be working. Their routines, steady. And as their lives moved on and mine completely changed, the transition and lack of community going through the same thing was isolating at first.

We’re all different, but maybe you can take some things away from my reflections so the transition won’t be as overwhelming ✨

Thinking about making a big change in your career, taking a career break, or doing something else that absolutely terrifies you? What worries do you have? Are any of them similar to mine? Share below.

Follow @racheloffduty for more career break reflections, guidance, and gap year abroad life.

#careerbreak #gapyear #goingforthegap

Since I quit my job to reset at the end of 2025, I

Since I quit my job to reset at the end of 2025, I’ve been paying a lot of attention to what life in australia is teaching me.

A few things stick out that have altered my brain chemistry (swipe 👉🏽)

First, I’m outside and offline more. Not glued to my phone and not as willing to be glued to a laptop screen.

Not because I need “a few minutes of sunshine” but because being outside is a natural way of everyday life in Australia.

Logging off early, resisting overtime, and reserving regular time for actual enjoyment are as normal as breathing here. If you even as much as try to visit a cafe a few minutes before closing, you’ve missed the boat, because they’re not going to stay open for you (I have learned the hard way 😅)

Time is too precious to waste in a culture not dependent on tips or the approval of others.

Second, I’m no longer interested in any less than 3 weeks of annual paid vacation per year. (Ideally, more)

We should demand more 📣 Because in Australia? the bare minimum is 4 weeks, and they take that seriously (as they should).

Third, I’m no longer leading with what I do. Because here, work is seen as a means to an end. Not the other way around.

In fact, if you talk too much about what you do, that’s actually seen as odd 🥴

If you’re an Aussie, what would you add that you think is special about the way Australia approaches work & life?

#CareerBreak #GoingFortheGap #Australia

Sound like you? Then keep reading, because I did s

Sound like you? Then keep reading, because I did something radical to finally flip the script…

And if you’re seeing this, you aren’t following me yet, but maybe we are on similar journeys 🙏🏽

I’m Rachel, and I quit my job at the end of last year to take a real, zero-obligation career break in my 30s. and I’m on month 10 of my year-long sabbatical, right now!

this isn’t a retirement announcement.

this isn’t another quit your job to travel the world forever story.

Instead, my page is all about how to recognize that something needs to change, how to navigate your career, and how to take a leap of faith when you need to take a genuine break (without hurting your chances of getting hired again).

If you need a push, maybe this is your sign 🤍 follow for more & let’s do this together! #careerbreak #gapyear #quit9to5

The longest road trip of my life has made me an...

The longest road trip of my life has made me an...

outfit repeater 😅 but fortunately, I’ve got my @unboundmerino. [ad]

I’ve been living in Australia for nearly a year, and to close out my time here I wanted to see it all! So, my husband and I packed our lives into our car, Gary, and are hitting the road for the longest road trip of our lives. Planning has been all-consuming. And the long drive days? Exhausting. But the opportunity to spend these last sweet months of sabbatical simply living and seeing the beauty on this planet at our own pace? Priceless.

The last thing I want to worry about right now is what I’m wearing (and whether I’m still hireable after all this once i start looking for jobs lol 😬), so my go-to has been this, day in and day out. Easy to pack, minimal washing required, and works in all climates.

We’re driving a zillion miles across Australia, starting now, so feel free to follow along!! 🚗

P.S. comment “ROAD TRIP” and i’ll send you direct links to my go-to travel uniform. See you on the road :) #unboundmerino #lapofaustralia #gapyear

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Copyright © 2026 Rachel Off Duty

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Start Here
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