Nick’s Year Off Story | Part 2

My Year Off story began in 2009 when I graduated from pharmacy school and began working as a pharmacist for a large chain pharmacy. I was 24 years old, and I had $35,000 of student loan debt.

I wanted to pay off my student loans as quickly as possible, so I lived at home with my parents for 10 months after graduating. I received a sign on bonus which I used to help pay off my loans. I picked up some extra shifts at work.

Within one year of graduation, I was able to pay off my student loans.

Once I got out of debt, I shifted my mindset to saving as much money as possible and avoiding any more debt. I decided not to buy a house or condo, opting to rent an apartment instead. I started contributing 15% of my salary towards my company matched 401k. I established an emergency fund.

I was always conscious of my spending and was able to avoid the consumerism bug. I kept the same TV that I purchased in college. I made a smart phone last two or three years, as opposed to buying the new release every year. Clothes were only bought when needed, not to keep up with fashion. I rented a small one bedroom apartment, avoiding the high costs of furnishing a house or big apartment and the high costs to heat, cool, and maintain them.

I was also conscious of my day-to-day spending. Instead of ordering carry out while at work, I packed a lunch every day. I watched my spending at the grocery store and made sure to use everything I spent money on. I rarely ate out.

I traveled but I mostly took camping vacations instead of expensive beach vacations. I had a lot of fun as a young professional but was able to keep my fun spending in check.

In January 2010, I ended my two and a half year relationship with my college girlfriend because I felt we were not right for each other and a marriage would lead to unhappiness and possibly divorce. In November 2015, another three and a half year relationship ended for the same reason.

They were two of the hardest decisions I’ve ever made.

About six months before my second relationship ended, I began reading some blogs and books about long-term travel. I examined my personal finances and realized I had enough money saved for a Year Off work and had a good start on my retirement savings. The idea of my Year Off was taking shape in my head, and I used it as the catalyst to get out of a relationship I no longer wanted to be in.

The day that relationship ended was the day I decided to take my Year Off.

I moved into my friend Tony’s condo that same week. I met a girl named Alanna a couple of weeks later in a bar and we began dating. I began looking into taking a leave of absence from work. I had stayed with the same company the whole time and found the Leave of Absence form, filled it out, got the necessary signatures, and was eventually approved for my unpaid Year Off starting April 1st, 2016. I was prepared to quit my job but thankfully did not have to. I had at least the promise of a job to come back to in a year.

I packed up my car and headed west on April 6th, 2016.

It was a cool spring day, and the sun was out. I was nervous but also incredibly excited. I had nothing but the open road ahead of me.

I would go on to spend all spring and summer out west, visiting nearly every western state and every western National Park, backpacking and camping and climbing mountains, being a kid again.

I climbed Mt. Whitney, the highest mountain in the lower 48 states, as part of a fundraiser for a charity I support. I spent 3 weeks in the wonderland of Utah, exploring the countless canyons and surreal parks there. I backpacked the 223 mile John Muir Trail through the beautiful Sierra Nevada Mountains in California. I climbed Mt. Rainier in Washington. I spent two amazing weeks in Wyoming with Alanna, and two incredible weeks in Colorado with my friends, Tony and Sam. I had the best summer of my life.

In September, I headed overseas to Europe.

My sister, Lauren, and I spent a week in Paris and London together. We had an absolute blast. I then spent 9 more weeks exploring 12 different countries and over 20 different cities in Europe.

I wandered through countless city streets and cathedrals and hopped on and off trains and buses as I pleased. I ate some of the best food in the world, partied in the clubs, and met some incredible people along the way.

After spending the holidays at home in Cincinnati, I spent the remaining 3 months of my Year Off in Africa.

In Uganda, I volunteered at a pharmacy for 5 weeks, went on a safari, went white water rafting on the Nile River, partied the night away in the clubs in Kampala, and saw the endangered mountain gorillas.

In Tanzania, I climbed Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa. I also went on safari to a place I had always dreamed of going, the Serengeti. I saw the most incredible wild life on the planet.

In Kenya, I met up with Alanna and we volunteered for 2 weeks in a school near Nairobi and went on safari together in the Maasai Mara. We made memories together that will last a lifetime.

The thing that stands out the most for me from my Year Off is the feeling of complete freedom I caught at various times and places throughout the year

It’s similar to the feeling you would get as a kid on the last day of school before the summer. The worry free feeling of complete joy and freedom and lack of adult responsibilities, magnified because you’re an adult and you can actually appreciate those feelings. It brought me to tears several times.

I re-entered the work force on March 27th, 2017 at the same pharmacy from a year earlier.

I was promoted to a manager’s position in December 2017 and received another promotion in January 2019.

It’s now 2019. I’m 34 years old and I’m married to Alanna and we’re the proud owners of a condo. We paid off her student loans. We love cooking together, going to concerts, camping, exercising together, and laughing hysterically while trying to do yoga. We dream about our future together and what the rest of our lives have in store for us.

I now find it easier to appreciate the smaller things in life. I am much better at living in the moment. I’m eager to help people experience the same things I have experienced, hence, the creation of this blog.

I’ve resumed my normal life, but it’s not so normal any more. I have my Year Off to look back on and re-live, to tell people about, and to re-experience. I have my story to tell.

And I now have this blog to help fellow young professionals on their journey to their Year Off! I’m excited about this blog and I hope to inspire people to make the same leap of faith that I made and land safely back on their feet. I hope this blog helps you create your story to tell.

If you have a Year Off story, please contact me and tell me all about it. I’m anxious to hear about other young professional’s time away from work and hope to profile some of your stories on this blog!