For most of us risk-averse, type-A personalities, walking away from a multiple 6-figure career to pursue an entirely different career is a HUGE, scary step. Most can’t muster up the courage to even take that jump. But to leave such a “successful” career to just travel around the world with your family would make most of our heads explode. What if I can’t get a job when I get back? But what will we do for money? WHAT IF WE BECOME HOMELESS? You get the point. We’re crazy.

Luckily, Joe Hansen is a little less neurotic than the rest of us because he did just that. He walked away from his Big Law job, making a great salary and living in San Francisco, to travel the world for a year with his wife and 2 young children.

While traveling, he is pursuing his original passion of writing by working on his first novel, an apocalyptic thriller set in San Francisco. I love Joe’s story because he intentionally took this step without having everything buttoned up and planned out. As you’ll hear, he and his wife are taking one step at a time. He has back-up plans in case he needs to go back to being a lawyer but, otherwise, he’s realizing that everything is figureoutable...no matter what happens.

 

Here is what we chat about in this episode:

• What led him to law school and what his experience was like at a big law firm
• Why the big law firm life is not a realistic one
• Why he decided to travel the world for a year with two small children and how he prepared for it.
• How his coworkers were more supportive about his decision than Joe initially thought they would be
• How he’s moving through his journey without knowing exactly what he is going to do in the future
• Whether people can take a gap year or two and return to the law
• How they’re tackling world travel with 2 small children
• And so much more!

Where to find Joe:  

• Website: www.backpackrugrats.com
• Instagram: @joseph_c_hansen
• Instagram: @paolabregneti

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