EF Ultimate Break, a tour operator brand within student travel group EF Education First, is rolling out a new Responsible Travel initiative, starting with a partnership with the Tourism Authority of Thailand.
25.10.2024 - 11:41 / insider.com
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Nabila Ismail , a 30-year-old from New York who quit her corporate job to travel. It's been edited for length and clarity.
When I was in pharmaceutical school, I promised myself I'd take a year off work to travel before I turned 30. I figured I'd be settled into my career as a pharmacist but not too anchored to let it hold me back.
When I unexpectedly transitioned into a six-figure healthtech job that I loved, my plan went sideways. I found myself at 28 years old with no plans to travel. Then I stumbled on an old diary entry that made me realize it was now or never.
I quit my job and left two weeks later.
Traveling wasn't always glamorous, and I faced a great deal of loneliness and directionlessness. Doubt crept in during vulnerable moments, and I questioned whether I made the right choice to leave my job. My career gap changed how I approach my career.
After receiving my doctorate in pharmaceuticals from the University of Buffalo in 2019, I started working as a retail pharmacist in Los Angeles. It was a really challenging job.
I worked seven days on and three days off and was on my feet for most of the 12-hour shifts. I didn't have a life outside work. On my days off, I rested at home alone and ran a personal pharmacy and travel blog, which I started in 2012. I'd been looking for a new job when I stumbled upon a marketing position at GoodRX. I used my blog as my portfolio and got hired.
My new job was fully remote, so I started renting monthly across the US and creating more travel content on my blog.
I loved working at GoodRX. Every day was unique, and I enjoyed having so much creative control, but I couldn't fight the nagging desire to travel more. I talked myself out of it for months, scared I'd never find a job this good again. I thought I should be focusing on my career and starting a family.
The old journal entry I wrote in pharmacy school about my meticulous plan to travel for a year at 28 encouraged me to immediately put in my two weeks' notice and commit to a yearlong unpaid leave.
I had upcoming PTO scheduled to host my first-ever group travel trip, a two-week vacation in Bali with female travelers. I decided that when the trip was over, I wouldn't come home. Leaving my job felt like a bad breakup. It was a really tough decision, but I knew it was my opportunity to take a risk.
I had been earning a living wage from my travel content, so I felt confident I could afford my travels if I stayed calculated.
I went into my career break just wanting to do things without monetary attachment. I volunteered as a healthcare worker with refugees in Lebanon and learned Arabic in Jordan while volunteering as a social media manager at a hostel.
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EF Ultimate Break, a tour operator brand within student travel group EF Education First, is rolling out a new Responsible Travel initiative, starting with a partnership with the Tourism Authority of Thailand.
"If Trump wins this election, I'm moving out of the country."
It's that time of year when white-sand beaches, palm-studded resorts, and cruise ships that gleam against turquoise waters start to sound pretty damn fine. We've got all that for you here, plus a few surprises, to inspire your next vacation to the world's best place for soaking up the winter sun.
Singapore Airlines plans to spend more than $800 million to retrofit its long-haul planes as customers demand more luxury at 35,000 feet.
Singapore Airlines is upgrading the world’s longest flight with a brand-new first class cabin.
Singapore Airlines is betting big on the continued popularity of premium travel. On Monday, the airline announced an SG$1.1 billion ($835 million) project to overhaul a huge chunk of its long-haul fleet.
Welcome to November! A Colorado-based woman spent six months in Europe. If she had to move anywhere, she'd choose this country for its beauty, architecture, and walkability.
Each year, when the crisp autumn leaves fall to the ground, an image of a carefree Meg Ryan sporting a shaggy lob—carrying a pumpkin in one arm and shopping bags in another—circulates the internet. While I have never been so starry-eyed during my walks throughout New York City— usually I’m profusely sweating, dodging someone body slamming me, and avoiding a misstep into dog excrement—this particular moment from 1998’s You’ve Got Mail encompasses the magic of Manhattan as depicted by the late director and screenwriter Nora Ephron, an aspirational, autumnal bubble that oozes optimism and pumpkin spice.
As the temperatures fall, so are airfare prices. Frontier Airlines is running its «Full Size Sale», which provides fares as low as $19 to destinations around the United States. Best of all, the flights can be booked five days of the week, whereas previous promotions from Frontier have been more limited in date availability. The sale ends on October 31, 2024 at 11:59pm EST, however tickets can be purchased for travel through February 26, 2025. This makes the sale a great option for travelers and families looking to take a winter getaway, or fly to a destination with warmer temperatures. Travel + Leisure spotted a variety of one-way flight deals including:
Few things are as important as time. You don’t want to waste it, especially at the airport.
From the latest on a long-awaited biometric border system to prohibitions on pub crawls and the announcements of restricted access to an iconic sight and a host of new flights and cruises, it was a busy month in European travel. If you missed any of the headlines this month, read on to get up to speed on the big stories of October, and be sure to register for the TravelPulse newsletter to keep up to date with the latest news in the travel industry.
I'm American but also have citizenship in Poland and Portugal, so I travel to Europe frequently.