When I announced that I was putting my life in storage to travel for a while, many people had questions about what that meant for my career.
Some assumed that I had quit my job and others thought I must have gotten a different one, but the truth is that my employer was on board with my nomad game plan.
I admit that I was a little cautious when I broached the topic with our company’s president…but I explained that I felt stuck, stagnant even, and that something had to give. I told her that this isn’t uncommon for me. I seem to get an insatiable itch every 2-3 years and I usually have to move or switch jobs (sometimes both) to squelch the anxiety of feeling trapped.
She could have told me that I needed to change – that I needed to conform to the standards of working in our industry and prepare to return to the office as soon as possible. She could have told me to stop acting like a millennial (which I am) and accept that an organization’s culture doesn’t have to meet my needs. She could have told me that she was sorry to hear that and she wished me well in whatever future endeavor I pursued…but instead, she said she didn’t want to lose me, and she asked me what I needed.
And after I caught my breath and tried to not cry from feeling so seen, heard, and appreciated, I pitched my crazy traveling nomad plan.
After replaying her response and then mine, I’ve settled on something.
I am aware that millennials can be seen as problematic to the workforce as we tend to show less company loyalty than preceding generations. You can blame it on helicopter parents or living through 9/11 or starting a job in a financial recession, but the reality is that my loyalty is only in question when yours is. If you are loyal to me, I will be loyal to you. If you view me as replaceable, I will view you as replaceable too. We both come to the table with a deck of cards…
…and in this moment, I am inexplicably grateful to be part of an organization that understands that. I am also grateful to use this experience as professional development, because I know this opportunity is making me a better employee and is providing greater value to my company. Here’s what I know so far:
- My brain is back in action.
As someone in a field that requires creativity and innovation, it’s important for me to let my brain wander a bit…to challenge it, to learn new things. This was obviously difficult during the height of the pandemic when I worked in my apartment, relaxed in my apartment, slept in my apartment, and spent the weekend in that same apartment. While traveling, I’ve been intentional in waking up my brain a little bit. From visiting museums, to doing Airbnb experiences and visiting historical sights, I am learning so much and my brain feels better prepared for innovative solutions and out-of-the-box thinking. I also feel much more prepared to try new things and am more qualified to stretch outside of my comfort zone, which makes me a more agile company player, ready to jump into any project. - To write a story, you have to read a few.
I’m often tasked with communicating to a diverse range of audiences. However, when you live in the same place for an extended amount of time, you start to (usually unconsciously) assume that everyone else thinks and acts the same way that people in your community think and act. Being on the road has been restorative to me on that front. I have heard new accents, put faces to those voices, and learned about communities that I didn’t even know existed. I have eaten their food and seen their unique architecture and even experienced their weather-related woes. This experience has reminded me that we are all approaching any situation (or message) with our own lived-experiences, and that as a communicator, my job is to anticipate that and speak to you in words that you know, in a tone that is familiar, and with desired actions that are actually feasible to you. - When you have 168 hours, giving 40 isn’t problematic.
Prior to life on the road, I viewed my day in four main parts: morning chaos, working for 8 hours, hopefully doing something fun and/or relaxing for four hours, and then sleeping. I would then wake up and do it all again. The problem here is that monotony has never been my friend (see the comments above about feeling stuck) and I resent that schedule so much that I sometimes have to force myself to follow it. However, with this nomad experience, I’ve started viewing each week as an adventure, each with 168 hours. When I think of it this way, I assume I’ll give 50 or so to sleeping, and then 1 to exploring new coffee shops in the mornings, 5 to a new museum, 8 to driving to the next destination, 6 to trying new restaurants, 3 to walks around new neighborhoods with my dog, and then, suddenly, because my week seems so full of excitement, the 40 hours allotted to my career also seem exciting. It’s been such an amazing shift in the way I think and it makes me happy to flip open my laptop each morning.
Overall, I know this experience is making me a happier and better teammate and it is refreshing my tired post-Covid soul in a way that makes me think that maybe I don’t have to quit my job every two years. What a novel concept for a millennial. 😉
Road Trip Updates
St. Louis was an amazing stop! My sister lives there and it’s always nice to spend time with her and, let’s be honest, spend time with someone who can handle things like oh, I don’t know, a massive allergy breakdown. Y’all. Missouri got me and it got me good. I didn’t know this about the hometown of Nelly (now I’ve got the attentions of the millennials!) but the city usually offers copious amounts of grass, tree, and ragweed pollen IN ADDITION TO crazy amounts of mold each spring. This meant my week was full of Claritin-D, Puffs Plus with Lotion (because I’m not an animal), so many tears, Mucinex DM, and two nasal rinses. I barely made it out alive.
Aside from the allergies, the trip was great because my Airbnb was a short 4-minute walk to my sister. Also, my friend John flew in to experience the greatness of Missouri for himself. We got to see some amazing architecture, relaxed at some of the local breweries, and got to see the Arch!
I think John summed up the visit best himself: “I came here just to mark this state off my list and assumed I would never come back but now, I’m going to live here!” – John, drinking his mimosa in the car while I drove…which is totally legal in Missouri.
Current mileage: 5032 miles
States Stayed in So Far: Florida, Louisiana, Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Minnesota
Foodie Shoutouts: The lavender latte and breakfast sandwich from Rise, the chicken salad sandwich at The Fountain on Locust (which I’m convinced had magic bread that calmed my allergy-irritated throat), and the burnt end sandwich at The Shaved Duck.
Cool Things: The Fabulous Fox Theatre (this is place is SO beautiful AND we got to watch Hamilton here!), the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis (absolutely stunning and has such an interesting history), the Gateway Arch (do the tram ride to the top!) and just in general, Even Chance Pit Bull Rescue is a cool thing about St. Louis. 😊
Love,
Holly
P.S. Here’s a little video recap of my time in Missouri!