“Every good sabbatical story can be divided into two parts: Everything that happens before your last day of work, and everything that happens after.” In this episode, Leap Like Me host Lisa Hoashi shares the first half of her sabbatical story. She candidly speaks about why she took her one-year sabbatical at age 34 – which included her lifelong dream for adventure and travel, a realization that her life wasn’t on the right track and the need to recover from work stress and burnout. She also recalls the big fears that she had to face before she could move forward, about her future career prospects, running out of money, not living up to others’ expectations, and even, missing the chance at finding a life partner and starting a family. Lisa shares the practical ways she dealt with these fears, designed her year off, and got through all the logistics, budgeting and tough conversations. Her sabbatical transformed her life: Pre-sabbatical, she lived in Portland, Oregon and worked in humanitarian aid and international development communications. Her typical U.S. singles urban life included long hours at the office, weekend fun with friends, and attempts to find love in the dating scene. By the end of her 12-month sabbatical, she’d found love, moved to a farm north of Barcelona to enjoy a simpler life close to nature, and started her own business – and had the adventure of a lifetime. She'll tell that story on next week's show. Show notes at www.lisahoashi.com. Follow us! Lisa Hoashi: @lisahoashi. Join the Leap Like Me Community on Facebook. Theme music by Far Pines Music.