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

Solvang Day Trip From Los Angeles

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Even if it means starting over in your 30s. I wa

Even if it means starting over in your 30s.

I was 26 when I first decided that one day, I would find a way to give myself a career break and finally realize my dream of moving abroad. I was visiting Sydney, and someone told me they were living here on a working holiday visa. I flew home to LA and promised myself that one day very soon, I’d be back.

A year later, the pandemic began. I doubled down on work, grateful to still have a job, and wound up pursuing an entirely new and challenging career path in sales. I loved the challenge. Loved the people. Loved that I was finally charting my own path in the 9-to-5. So I decided to stay put, keep growing, and put my australia dreams aside.

Today, 7 years later, I’m finally back and starting my sabbatical abroad. Finally making good on a promise I made to myself at 26. And the truth is? I still don’t feel “ready.” But after more than a decade putting my work first, I knew it was time to reset, and rebuild.

If you see this I hope that the next time a dream crosses your mind you make a promise to yourself to see it through, even if it takes a little longer than you think! 🫶🏽

Follow @racheloffduty for more work, travel, and sabbatical life abroad!

Career Break | Quitting Your Job | Moving Abroad | Moving to Australia | Working Holiday Visa

How crazy is it to think that we so easily forget

How crazy is it to think that we so easily forget what to do with ourselves when we aren’t working?

Part 18/30 posts bringing you along on the start of my sabbatical in Australia! 🙌🏽 #GoingForTheGap

I’m currently in the middle of trying to figure out how to ‘make the most’ of this time off from work. It’s been a fun and weird first couple of weeks, and some days I find myself worrying that I’ve forgotten how to do anything that isn’t tied to answering emails or circling back (more on this in my next video). I have so many ideas and it’s hard to lock in, but really, I think I’m just struggling to cope with finally having unstructured time 😂

One thing I wish I’d been told earlier in my career is to check in with myself and fill my cup outside of work regularly. It doesn’t take a full gap year to get back in touch with yourself, either.

It could be as simple as...

• Taking a month to learn a new skill you’ve always been wanting to learn

• Spending a few days diving into a new hobby with no fear of failure

• Dedicating a couple of weekends or a couple evenings after work to that project or idea you’ve been putting off

• Finally investing in that thing you always said you’d do

👉🏽 Comment ‘GAP YEAR’ for a full list of 80+ ideas to get back in touch with yourself outside of the 9-to-5.

I’m still figuring it all out, but I’m so excited to start 2026 off by doing something new I’ve been wanting to do since I was in high school 🤓🙏🏽

Gap Year | Sabbatical in Your 30s | Quitting Your Job | Career Break | Moving Abroad | Life Outside of Work

First month of life in Australia in photos (and vi

First month of life in Australia in photos (and videos)

Day 17 of 30 #GoingFortheGap

So many people we spoke to about moving to Australia said “omg, you MUST go to Melbourne.” And despite the cold and crazy weather, I can safely say they were right. I was resistant at first because I wanted to live somewhere warmer and more tropical, but I don’t know. I really, really love this city!

Some highlights...

• The coffee scene!!!!
• The food and the markets are insane. greek, sri lankan, cypriot, malaysian, lebanese, turkish, nepalese, you name it. it’s here.
• More than 90% of food is grown here in Australia, and there are endless small grocers and farmers markets.
• Admin tasks are EASY. Getting a driver’s license? Friendly. Fast. Enjoyable even. What a concept 🙃
• I bought a used car with a roof tent! His name is Gary!
• We took our first road trip! Camped on the beach, heard a koala growl for the first time, saw echidnas on the side of the road, and even slept near grazing kangaroos
• We joined a run club, started going to events, and are slowly building community. It’s.... hard. And scary! If you’re in Melb, say hi 🥺
• As far as work goes, I’m finishing up my work in the USA, starting to apply for interesting jobs here, and trying to ease into not working for a little while (easier said than done, surprisingly)

This is what life looks like so far in my personal sabbatical journey. It’s incredibly fun, but equally weird not having a plan. Exactly one month in, I experienced an overwhelming wave of homesickness and self-doubt that lasted almost a week. But it’s gotten better, and I am just trying to let the emotions come and go without judgment.

Australia, you’ve been such a welcoming home. Thank you for letting me experience so much joy and beauty in my first month here when I needed it the most (and my god, thank you for chili scrambles).

I’ll do an update for month two very soon! Is there anything in particular you want to know about australia or sabbatical life?

Career Break | Gap Year | Quitting Your Job in Your 30s | Moving to Australia | American in Australia | DIY Sabbatical | Work and Travel

One month in Australia already!! Here are my first

One month in Australia already!! Here are my first impressions.

Day 16 of 30ish

After touching down in Sydney and doing all the touristy things – like seeing the Opera House for the 3rd time! and visiting Bondi Beach! – we flew all the way down south to the city of Melbourne. And it is... cold 🥲 But also wonderful. And I can see why it’s been called one of the most liveable cities in the world.

We still don’t know where “home” will be on this Gap Year abroad, but this city has felt like a pretty wonderful start. And maybe home will be lots of different places. We’re trying to go with the flow (hard!!), and we’ve loved it here so much, we already extended our Airbnb twice.

Have you been to Melbourne? Where should we live next? Give me all your tips! #GoingForTheGap

Career Break | Career Break in Your 30s | Gap Year | Quitting Your Job | Sabbatical | Moving to Australia

Honey, I’m home 🫶🏽 I can’t believe I get

Honey, I’m home 🫶🏽 I can’t believe I get to call Australia home after dreaming this up 7 years ago!

Day 15ish of 30 (yes, I’m lagging! 😅)

There is something startling about the first phase of entering into a career break in your 30s, once you finally quit your job and the reality of what’s next settles in.

We spend our entire childhood and even early adulthood thinking about what we’ll be when we grow up, versus funneling that energy into cultivating an appreciation of who it is we already are.

So I guess that’s what I’m hoping to do now, with this time I’ve given back to myself.

The first few weeks of being in Australia has come with a whirlwind of emotions… to say the least, from extreme pride and happiness to extreme sadness, homesickness, and what-the-hell-am-i-doing-ness.

But it’s also come with so many soft moments where I’ve felt like I’m doing the right thing. And in the end, there is no right or wrong anyway. Just what we do and don’t do.

I’m glad I chose to do 🤍

A hotly requested topic. Let’s get into it. Day

A hotly requested topic. Let’s get into it.

Day 14 of 30!

Have you ever quit a job without another one lined up? Because well, now I have 😅 And it was terrifying. I worried my reason wasn’t good enough, or that I’d be judged, or that I’d be countered with an offer I couldn’t refuse and then have to cancel the whole career break idea indefinitely. I started playing around with all kinds of “correct” things to say, but ultimately, I just told the truth.

And what I discovered is that the big, scary, impossible thing I had been dreading for months was not that big and impossible after all.

With that said, remember that you don’t NEED to give a reason (or the full reason) when quitting a job. It’s a nice courtesy, but it comes down to your comfort, your relationship with your boss, and your industry. In my case, I felt very comfortable sharing the full reason and am grateful to have felt supported in the decision I made.

Regardless of what you do or don’t share, watch the full video for my 3 key recommendations that are CRITICAL to convey if you want to leave a job on the best possible terms 🙏🏽

And if you, like me, ever felt embarrassed or like you don’t have a good enough reason to take time off, this is for you 🫶🏽 Planning to quit a job to take a career break is just as dignified and exciting as quitting one job for another.

I was terrified going into it, but walked away from this conversation feeling so proud.

Stay tuned for part 8 - we’re moving to Australia!!! #GoingForTheGap

Career Break | Career Break in Your 30s | Gap Year | Quitting Your Job | Work and Travel | Sabbatical

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Copyright © 2025 Rachel Off Duty

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