The Blueprint; My Blueprint

When I started this trip, I had no idea where it would lead me. Just planned to go with the flow and let it all unfold organically, which it has - and it's a beautiful thing. But what about upon return? I've known all along that I'll be returning home to the states for the holidays in December but what then? Would I simply return to my previous job, plug back into the Matrix and pick up where I left off? Would I have some sort of epiphany in my travels that would take me in a completely different direction? Or would I hop on the next flight and continue to travel, exhausting my funds and joining the subculture of travelers I refer to as drifters. What next? That was the million dollar question. And for the first half of my trip I conveniently chose to ignore it. Completely. But as I rounded into months 4 and 5, those thoughts started creeping in. And I didn't have much of an answer. Here's what I did know:

- I LOVED this. I loved traveling. And I needed to do more of it. 

- I could not see myself going back to my previous job / life full time. 

Thats it. 

So...more on point numero uno. Ya, I love this. And maybe more importantly I NEEDED this. As kids growing up we were always the adventurous type - grabbing our skateboards and just going. Always active - finding new places, getting into trouble, there was a sense of freedom to it. And I loved that. I got enough fun and excitement in college, but things were different upon entering the working world. At first everything was new and exciting, a whole new set of challenges. It was cool. But as time went on - 5...6...7 years, I started to feel trapped. That adventurous side of my personality had been relegated to the background for so long and he was starting to get restless. Sure he got his chance to shine for a week or two at a time when I took trips overseas to places like Oktoberfest but it wasn't enough. I needed more of that. So I did what I had to do - quit my job and started traveling. One of, if not the best decision of my life. Actually yeah, it was. Hands down. 

Point number 2. I couldn't go back. Not full time. Which is kind of unfortunate because I actually really liked my job and LOVED the people I worked with. Not to mention it was with the most prestigious accounting firm in the world (sorry EY, Deloitte, and KPMG, but it's true). I was challenged everyday and I grew so much as a professional during my time there. I was literally in an ideal setup - working at a place that so many others would kill to have an opportunity at, surrounded by close friends and people who supported me. And I worked my ass off to get there, furthering my investment down that path. It was an ideal setup no doubt, just not an ideal setup for me, at this point in my life. And it took a lot of guts to accept that and make a change. I remember that conversation with our HR Director and telling her I WISH I was happy right now, because I understood how truly blessed I was to be where I was at. But I wasn't happy, I was restless. I felt trapped, and I felt that that adventurous part of my personality was clinging to life by a few threads. I was at a critical juncture, and I chose to do something drastic. I had to. Because the other option, of sucking it up and continuing on down that path, or even changing jobs to something a little more mellow, seemed so bleak, like I was selling myself out. A death knell in a sense. Screw that. 

So I had those two bits of criteria that I was sure about but not much else. I wasn't too worried about it though, I'd figure something out. Something would come my way...and it did. About two weeks ago, Henry, my close friend from the firm shot me an email letting me know about a new program at PwC called the "Flexible Talent Network". Basically this was a new program for people who wanted to stay connected to the firm by working for a fixed period of time between 3 - 6 months, and then were free to pursue other interests. TELL ME MORE! I quickly read through all the information on the program and really started to get excited. I just couldn't help but think that this would be a perfect fit. On the website, theres a series of quotes from various people taking part in the program, including this particular guy - I swear this is me...

"I joined PwC in Houston in 2009, and I really enjoyed my time at the firm -- making great friends and learning a great deal. But I left in March 2012 to take time to travel and enjoy different experiences.... choosing this path provided me with additional funds to continue my travels without committing myself to a full year."

Yup. I had seen enough. I wanted in. I cleaned up my resume and got everything submitted. That was last Thursday. By Tuesday, after crunching the numbers and realizing that I could make enough in 3 - 4 months to propel me into another 6 months of travel, I accepted the offer. And I couldn't be more excited - because it will allow me to enjoy and embrace all the things I loved about working for the firm for half the year, while getting to spread my wings and travel for the other half. A perfect balance. 

My new Blueprint. 

Only question now is, where to in 2014?

:)