The 'guests' arrive!
I’ve never been married, but I can only imagine that planning and running an event like Meet Plan Go is similar to planning a wedding…minus the big bill at the end and the white dress. However there was music, alcohol, 1250 guests, months and months of planning, stress, anxiety, excitement, last minutes panic, and finally a buzzed bliss that it was all over.
But wait a minute…it’s over.
Post wedding/event depression sets in.
Is this what it’s like to get married? All of this time and effort put in for one day and now it’s over?
I came home at 11PM after the San Francisco event, made a cup of tea, had a leftover piece of carrot cake (for the record I would have a carrot cake as my wedding cake), and I sat down and satiated my ‘it’s over depression’ by reading the 5 timezones of twitter updates about the events. The best and worst thing about the Meet Plan Go! travel event is that it happens in 17 cities ON THE SAME NIGHT. A planning challenge for sure, but more importantly – it’s hard to accept the fact that I can’t be in 17 places at the same time.
So I stayed up until 2:30AM pouring over the tweets and photos from the other cities – excited and sad at the same time. But I collected my favorite ones so that I could share them with you – my non-twittering blog audience. I love these comments; they make me happy, elated, and they even give me goose bumps. To think that the event does shake up the status quo and gives people a place where they don’t feel so crazy for wanting to do extended travel is exactly what I wanted to accomplish.
Some of these tweets give you a slight idea of what it was like to be at an event…and the tweets might even inspire some of you to say “I do”…err…I mean “I go”
What’s next for me? Like any good marriage it’s followed by a honeymoon…and I’m taking mine in Hawaii for the next 3 weeks – minus the husband. Which might be the best honeymoon of all! Yeah…travel!!!
Boston
Orlando
My favorite Tweets from around the country:
Table of Contents
Meet
Waiting for #meetplango #PDX to start. So exciting to be in a room full of people making the same plans I am!
Love my new #travel circle!
Sean Keener at the #pdx #meetplango: “I never met a traveler who said they shouldn’t have gone on that trip…”
SO inspired by the event tonight. It’s great to be in the room with those who think like me. AND planned a trip! 😀
Listening to talks of career breaks and stories of long term travel really makes me miss living out of a 35l backpack.
#meetplango is an awesome way to connect w/ like-minded people + plan an amazing travel experience! So inspired!
A room full of people realizing that long term travel is a practical dream.
After #MeetPlanGo in San Francisco, I feel an attachment to this city & the community (especially travel) like I’ve never had anywhere else.
…wish we’d had MPG before starting! So great to spend time with like-minded folks who “get” the work, sacrifices, choices that go in to making travel a priority…and the great results!
St. Louis
New York City
Plan
Great night at #meetplango #pdx! Bonus…best way to buy stuff after a career break? Stalk those in the selling stuff phase of theirs!
Wing it! Don’t overplan. You’ll never have this much freedom again in your life!
Career breaks are not available to just the eclectic few. U can do it to. Start planning.
“When you start your trip maybe put training wheels on your bike, start with an easy place to travel first.” @sarahrunning
Do your research before finding a place to volunteer. Go within & listen to what your spirit calls you to do! #meetplango
Most of the travelers on the #meetplango #chicago panel spent $2000 a month on the road. That’s less that I spend per month at home.
Plan your trip around what is important to you, not others. Don’t overplan.
Advice when approaching border: If you’ve been bumming around, take a shower & brush your hair. It’ll help out quite a bit
You need twice the money and half the clothes. -caroline boudreaux
The best laid travel plans will fall apart. Roll with it and enjoy your trip.
Give up 1 latte a day for a yr. that’s $1446 towards your #careerbreak
How do you get your family on board? They need to be willing to get outside their comfort zones.
Before your trip, act like you are moving: cancel bills/pay online, sell stuff, hire mover+storage, use local address
A smile is valuable in every country!
You will have naysayers. (They’re jealous!) Ignore some, let others know how important this is to you.
Often you’ll find a better price outside the US. Another reason not to overplan!
Volunteering can stretch your travel dollar.
Don’t forget to have an emergency fund during long-term travel. Credit cards might not work
Sometimes the hardest part of #travel is getting ready to go
Chicago
Honolulu
Go!
“The idea of traveling alone as a woman is scarier than actually doing it.” Olivia @whygo at #meetplango #pdx
“The biggest motivator for taking our big trip was not going, but thinking about our life if we didn’t go.” @sarahrunning
When traveling solo, can be much more interesting says @lisanapoli -people offer more, help more, show more.
Talking about peer pressures of long term travel, Ryan and Jen say that “nobody else has to be ok with it, just you” #MeetPlanGo
As cool as it was to be on the STL #meetplango panel, really looking forward to being the guy “skyping in” next year.
“My career break was absolutely the best year of my life.” @cogentlegal
I’m buying a one way ticket before anyone can talk me out of it. #freakingout
You nvr know the work your going get abroad until your boots are on the ground!
Was planning a 3 month stay in Argentina, now considering other places and more time abroad. thanks!!
Travel on my mind & butterflies in my stomach- #SEAsia can’t come soon enough!
Seattle
Portland
Other Cool/Funny Stuff:
Theme of #MeetPlanGo & #MPGLA : the f-word: FLEXIBLE
Americans waste 125 million hrs of vacation hours a year!
Traveling made me more employable @takeyourbigtrip
You’ll come back from travel more creative & a risk-taker, and this makes you a more appealing employee!
“I don’t have to tell you – when you come back, everyone will think you’re awesome!”
“I don’t look at other countries as ‘those people’. We’re all the same. That’s what travel has taught me.” @takeyourbigtrip
Careers will work out. Any hiring manager will want to hear about a #RTW trip. @cogentlegal
Wow, question of “how many ppl like their job?” asked and very few ppl raised their hands. #meetplango #chicago Let’s change that!
Tweets in other languages! – Estou no #meetplango em DC com mais 80 pessoas que estao planejando viajar pelo mundo.
The Denver meeting was AWESOME!! Thank you all! Now to ‘Plan’ and ‘Go’!
San Franciso Panel...including me...don't we all make a happy 'couple'
Did you go to a Meet Plan Go Event? I would love to hear what you thought – was it a good or bad wedding?!
By Gillian @OneGiantStep October 20, 2011 - 8:48 am
Congratulations Sherry! A great event that all came together – can’t wait to take part next year!
By Monica October 20, 2011 - 10:56 am
Great summary of a wonderful event! I was at the NYC chapter and loved knowing that the same event was taking place the same name in so many cities! Enjoy Hawaii- you deserve it!
By Nancy & Shawn Power... Inspiring YOU to Travel! October 20, 2011 - 11:06 am
Hey! Sounds like things went successfully. Congrats!
Nancy & Shawn
By Sarah Lavender Smith October 20, 2011 - 11:11 am
I’m so grateful to have had the opportunity to collaborate on this event with you, and jazzed by all the info & perspectives shared! If anyone is interested to see more pics from our SF event, here is the public link to the FB album: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.2585954727920.2150870.1226073571&type=1&l=111ffabd21
Aloha!
By Spencer Spellman October 20, 2011 - 11:21 am
So glad I could be a part of Meet, Plan, Go again this year. Even as a panelist it was inspiring seeing and hearing the eagerness and enthusiasm of travelers who were ready to look over the edge and make the leap.
By Kristin October 20, 2011 - 12:19 pm
What a thrilling event to be a part of as a panelist. The crowd was energizing, stories helpful, and questions and answers insightful. Let’s hear it for a “career break on every resume!”
By Laura October 20, 2011 - 2:04 pm
Wow, it looks like it was a huge success and that all the hard work paid off! Congrats and enjoy your Hawaiian honeymoon 🙂
By Kirk Horsted October 20, 2011 - 2:10 pm
Hello Friend. What? Tea after all that? Methinks you deserve a (big) glass of vino rosso! Thanks for the write-up. Sums up the good, sad, and the panicky. Sorry no twitting from MSP but the crowd was SO focused, the panel SO riveting, and the underground club SO signal-free. It’s GREAT to hear you’ll be hosting in Minneapolis next year, and I’ll be sitting beside you making wise-ass (but brilliant) comments. Can’t wait!
By Henry Williams October 20, 2011 - 3:09 pm
congrats on the event
By Barbara Weibel October 20, 2011 - 10:09 pm
You MUST be exhausted! But congratulations on a successful event. Just think, how many people can claim they were part of causing a shift in an entire culture. This is a great thing you’re doing.
By Amanda October 20, 2011 - 10:35 pm
It sounds like the events went really great this year! I’m sad I wasn’t close enough to any of them to attend. Maybe next year. You should get one going in Ohio or Pennsylvania! 😉
Thanks for the recap, though. It makes me want to get out there right now! Though, I am *sort of* taking a career break now… I worked for two years after college, but decided to quit my job and go back to school, traveling during breaks. Does that count? Lol.
By Rodney October 29, 2011 - 3:05 pm
This was an awesome experience, not only did I get to meet Sherry in person, but Jannell another one of my Meet Plan Go alumni. Of course I’m excited about the very real prospect of having an adventure like this.
It’s funny though since I’ve been back home my feelings have ranged from nervous energy to utter confusion about how I’m actually going to pull this off.
Anyone feeling this way?
Best of luck to everyone planning their own journeys
Rodney
By Sherry October 30, 2011 - 2:42 pm
Rodney – what you are describing is completely normal. In the weeks/days before I left on my initial trip I would have wild mood swings of happiness and sadness/fear constantly! I still have tinges of that when I’m about to get off a plane in a new country still. Sometimes you need to simply stop thinking/worrying about it and just get keep moving in the forward direction. You will quickly find out that the only way to find out if your fears are real (and by the way they are not!), is by doing. That means that you have to get out there and start the journey and see what happens. Then adjust as you learn. If you never take the first step, you let your imagination and fears win! Tell me more about your plans…when do you intend to leave (having a date is really important to getting over those nerves). Where will you go first?