Summer Sabbatical
I’ve decided to step away from work and take the summer off. This was a difficult decision for me, but something that I feel is best for my family, my career and my mental health.
The trigger for me was a recent family trip to central British Columbia to spend some time away from the day to day of our lives. We chose an AirBnb that advertised “no wifi, no cell service”. As someone who works in the tech industry and stays connected regularly this would have been a different experience for me. I felt a significant amount of anxiety hitting the “Book” button.
While our stay was wonderful and a great experience, I checked my phone regularly when we explored the area and was catching up on the happenings at work and in the world. I had failed to truly disconnect, and as I returned to work the following week I realized I needed more than a few days away to reassess my relationship with work and technology in general.
I’m grateful to be able to take this time away to rest and recharge. While I do plan to spend a lot of downtime in the coming weeks, I’m also planning on being deliberate on growing and improving myself through a number of means. My current plans include:
Reading: I’ve already completed a handful of management books (expect a new blog post on those!) as well as reading on investing and stock trading here in Canada. I have a long list of books on Goodreads that I’ve queued up focusing on parenthood, leadership and wellbeing. I’m excited that I’ve re-kindled my love for reading!
Travelling: While the pandemic surges on, inter-province travel has been encouraged and we’re looking to get a few family trips in. It’s been a while since we’ve been to Vancouver Island to see our families, and I’m also looking forward to another trip to the Okanagan as the summer closes.
Cycling: Last month we found a trailer bike on Craigslist and Rupert cannot stop asking to go for rides! I plan to cycle almost daily. I’m also going to be participating in a virtual fundraiser for Chron’s & Colitis Canada and challenging myself to do a 50km ride. I haven’t had a ride this long in quite some time. If you’re willing to support this cause please visit my personal donation page.
Hockey: It’s surreal to think that we are one week away from the kickoff of the Stanley Cup finals, and my beloved Canucks have an opportunity to take the cup home this year. The boys have also grown fond of street hockey (much like I was back in the day!) and we plan to spend a lot of time outside shooting pucks around.
Learning: After disconnecting for a few weeks, I’m planning on taking a few online courses. I will (finally) be completing the Science of Wellbeing course on Coursera and I’m thrilled to have space to focus on it. I’m also exploring courses on Udemy around product leadership and I’m excited to “sharpen my axe” in that area as my time away from work winds down.
I do felt a slight sense of guilt taking a sabbatical at this time. With all of the crazy going on in the world right now, I truly believe that many others can use time to step away from their day to day. With that being said, I’m hoping that I can set an example here for others to prioritize their health and wellbeing.
I hope to use this time to come back to my role refreshed and with a new perspective on how lucky I am to be working in the tech industry and to live the life I lead. I do plan to blog a bit as well, so plan to hear from me more.
Until then, enjoy your summer!