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Tag: florida guide

Where to Stay in Miami Beach: The Balfour Hotel


Stay: The Balfour Hotel Miami Beach


Located At: 350 Ocean Dr, Miami Beach, FL 33139


Spend: $110+ per night


Expect: Historic art deco building with a prime South Beach address on Ocean Drive, just steps from the sand.


Want to Stay Here? Book Now Using This Link

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Last month, I threw myself a (mini)retirement part Last month, I threw myself a (mini)retirement party 🙌🏽

My birthday wish this year was to host a party meets carne asada meets sabbatical send-off before quitting my job and leaving the USA for a career break I’ve been planning (and meticulously stressing over) for months. Was it a bit extra? Maybe. But what’s the point in doing scary things if you don’t celebrate the journey as it unfolds? And what better way to do it than with cake? 😊

So here it was. My Sabbatical Send Off / Birthday Bash featured....

✨ Open to Not-working Headshots
✨ HR Violation Dress Code
✨ Conference Name Tags
✨ Watercooler Chat Drinks & Snacks
✨ Dreams-into-Action Prompts on Each Table
✨ Australia-Themed Games & Trivia
✨ Karaoke (because don’t all office happy hours seem to end up here?)
✨ And tacos, because lunch is always provided at the onsite

I was feeling the love immensely and am so grateful for friends and family near and far that came to wish us well and send us off with a bang 🤍 Some even flew in to celebrate with us 🙏🏽 I was buzzing with the full range of emotions, from deep nostalgia to unbelievable gratitude.

The very next week, I was on a plane with a one-way ticket out of the USA. Months of build up all leading here ✨ and what a sendoff it was. (Day 7 of my 30ish day posting challenge)

Cake: @flouringla
Tacos: @tacosporfavor1 
Hair / decor / emotional support: my amazing brothers in law @hairbyedie_ @elsupermaestro and of course @jacobsmedium 
Everything else: Etsy + DIY + ChatGPT 😆
5 things I did to make it impossible NOT to take a 5 things I did to make it impossible NOT to take a career break… (Day 6 of 30) 

Hi 👋🏽 I’m Rachel and I create content for overachievers and career girls looking to live more adventurous lives and recently, I’ve started a journey of rediscovering my identity beyond the LinkedIn titles in my 30s. If that resonates, be sure to hit follow 🤍

I am currently in the process of step 4, and I started step 5 all the way back in January when Jacob and I decided not to extend our lease. I told friends slowly over coffee dates and dinners as the months went by, and I noticed something. 

The more I said it out loud, the less crazy and terrifying it became.

And as I broke this decision down into baby steps, it started to snowball. The movements felt easier. More natural.

Eventually, the only thing left to do was quit (admittedly, the scariest thing). Everything else was sorted. It would have been ridiculous NOT to go through with it. 

Now of course, the anticipation was one thing but actually doing it is another. I’ve taken the leap, and there are new anxieties loading 😂 stay tuned for that! #GoingForTheGap 

Gap Year | Sabbatical in Your 30s | Quitting Your Job | Career Break How-To
What I’ve come to believe (after lots of therapy What I’ve come to believe (after lots of therapy sessions 🙃) is this…

✨ Day 5 of 30!!!

1. I firmly believe whatever I do with my career next will benefit from me investing in a recharge and refresh. And I don’t just believe this - I plan to proudly put this gap on my resume and will be fully prepared to speak to it when asked.

2. Money comes and goes, but time does not. I have saved and planned for this. I know how to make money. But I want to know how to enjoy my time without worrying about the hustle.

3. Rest does not equal laziness. Rest is power and a gift. I’m lucky to have given myself the chance to take a break and I’m excited to reframe my perspective on work. 

4. Relationships are a two-way street. I am grateful to have friends who have been there through thick and thin and it’s up to me to continue to do the same despite distance. 

5. I won’t set unrealistic expectations, goals, or objectives. If I trust myself to take the leap, the net will appear 🙏🏽

I don’t claim to have it all figured out, but I share this in case you’re working through something that feels scary or impossible and your intrusive thoughts are fanning the flames. Because, so am I. 

Can you pause, take a breath, and reframe? What does doing the scary thing look like then? What if you took the leap, and it was all okay in the end?

What if? 🤍

Hi 👋🏽 I’m Rachel, your office bestie who’s taking an adult gap year to live abroad in Australia. Want to rewrite the workplace norms with me? Follow along here 🫶🏽
I’m leaving the USA and moving to... (Day 4 of 3 I’m leaving the USA and moving to... (Day 4 of 30)

Hi 👋 I’m Rachel. My channel is all about helping overachievers and career girls live more adventurous lives and more recently, I’ve started a journey of rediscovering my identity beyond the linkedin titles in my 30s. If that resonates, be sure to hit follow 🤍

Believe it or not, moving here is a dream I first had more than 6 years ago! 

Every year on my birthday, I’d look at the visa application and then get too scared to hit “submit.” In some ways, it’s a good thing. I have more money saved up, much more career experience under my belt, and I’m more optimistic that it’ll all work out okay compared to 6 years ago.

And I would be lying if I didn’t also acknowledge that it’s a huge mental relief to be leaving the US for a little while 😬 I absolutely recognize the privilege I have in being able to say that.

Moving abroad for a little while is something I’ve always wanted to do. And it’s taken about a year of planning to pull off. But it’s finally here 🙏🏽😮‍💨

I’m SO excited and I can’t wait to take you along with me!!!!

Stay tuned for part 3 🥹 #GoingForTheGap
Hi there! you don’t follow me yet, but if pursui Hi there! you don’t follow me yet, but if pursuing a travel-filled lifestyle resonates with you, come check out my page! I show people with careers how to live more adventurously, and provide the tips and tricks to make it happen ☺️

See you there! ✈️
A question I get asked a lot… (day 3 of 30!) I A question I get asked a lot… (day 3 of 30!)

I have worked nonstop for 16 years, and full-time for 12. 

2020 taught me that I should change my lifestyle to prioritize travel once the world reopened, and the rest was history 🥺 from that point on, I did every single thing I could fathom in order to make travel not just vacationing, but a core component of my lifestyle.

These 👆🏽 are just some of the things I gave up or changed over the years. 

Something I haven’t talked about at all here, until now, is that for the past 1.5 years Jacob and I even co-lived with 12+ other strangers in LA to save money. Yup, our entire engagement leading up to our wedding 😂

Before that, we lived with family (which is a privilege in forever grateful for because it’s what allowed us to save the most!). 

I share this because I think it’s important to see what goes on behind the scenes sometimes to make a dream a reality. 

And whether or not it’s travel or something else, I think we can all agree we don’t need to keep up with the joneses if it means being able to make other dreams that are uniquely ours come true. 

For me, travel… and now, a gap year, are two dreams that are uniquely mine. And I’m happy to report I hit my savings goal for my sabbatical so there’s no looking back now!!! 

… and there will definitely be travel involved. I’ll share where tomorrow 😌 #GoingForTheGap
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