A New Year

We already know 2014 will be a year unlike any other in our family's time together--first time selling a home, first year without traditional employment, first time spending months out of the country, and more time together as a foursome than any other comparable stretch of months.  Most of this we've designed to be this way.  The outline is deliberately rough, allowing us to fill in details as we go along and stretch time in areas we're specifically enjoying.  But there are guiding principals.  As a twist on New Year's resolutions I'll share a few of the goals we have for our sabbatical.  In full disclosure, these are my own take on the goals and even though they overlap heavily with Shelly's I won't speak for her specifically in this post.

1. Do something amazing.  I'm not sure which part of our journey will rank as the most amazing, but I know I'll regret having squandered this unique opportunity if we don't really go for it.  Guatemala is the first big leap.
2. Learn new skills.  Spanish language is a big component and one we've put a toe in the water with already thanks to Duolingo.  But this goal is intended more as an attitude of learning that will carry through all phases of our travels.
3. Strengthen our family.  This might seem an obvious goal for a family sabbatical, but I don't want to overlook its importance.  Personally, I want to grow even closer to my sons and bask in the harmony I've found with my wife.  



Four of us enjoying a recent ski day together.

4. Be fit in body and mind.  We expect all parts of our journey will have physical elements--some recreational and some required.  I want to continue enjoying the control I have over my schedule to bring back exercise that was all too infrequent in my last several months of employment.  Similarly, reading books and challenging my brain with programs like Lumosity helps my mental fitness.
5. Benefit from disconnecting from stuff.  Instead of just packing up and storing our things until our sabbatical is over, we're choosing to sell or give away much of what we own.  The primary benefit we expect from this is liberation--something we're already starting to feel.  But we're pleased with other benefits too, including making some recipients happy and putting some money in the bank.
6. Develop a vision for the next 10 years of our family's journey.  One of the most common questions I get is what do I plan to do after the sabbatical.  At this stage, I don't know.  It's taken some discipline to refrain from planning 2015 and beyond--especially when well-meaning friends and recruiters have proposed tantalizing career steps for me.  But I want to allow the experiences I have with my family over the coming months to help shape our future.  We'll know when it's time to commit to our next steps.  And we know those steps will be deliberately chosen. 
7. Write.  Pretty mundane, but writing is something that's good for me.  It's great practice for organizing my thoughts.  And it can be cathartic.  Even this blog will serve as a valuable outlet for me, not just a way to inform friends of what we're up to.

I've been using this list for several weeks.  As I've made weekly goals and tasks, I've achieved some things I thought might take much longer and have come up short in other areas.  But in total, I feel strong progress towards this sabbatical delivering everything I hope for.  I'll continue to keep these handy so that when it comes time to reflect on 2014, I'll be proud of the year it was.

Here's to a great year of realizing our dreams!