Ever dreamed of taking a sabbatical out of your profession and touring the world?
Jason Lee and his spouse Katie did that when, in July 2024, they moved themselves and their son from Columbus, Ohio, to Taipei, Taiwan.
Jason and Katie, each 34, got here up with the thought after they introduced Forrest, now 6, to go to his paternal grandparents in Taiwan when he was an toddler.
They spent eight weeks collectively whereas Jason took paternity depart and noticed how particular it was for his mother and father to bond with their grandson.
Jason tells CNBC Make It that in their tearful goodbyes on the airport on the finish of the journey, “I simply thought to myself, if I may make one thing occur the place we may present to [my parents] the prolonged period of time that they might spend with this youngster, what a particular second that will be.”
At first he thought of finding a way to maneuver his profession to Taiwan, till he realized he did not need to cope with its demanding work culture.
So, the couple determined to avoid wasting up for a true career break so they might spend time with household in Taiwan with out having to work.
A $60,000 funding
The couple spent the subsequent 5 years saving up for his or her sabbatical.
They timed it so Forrest can be in Taiwan for his kindergarten yr, and determined to spend 13 months overseas to match up with the tutorial yr, plus summer season breaks, to get him again stateside for first grade.
Jason and Katie drew up the numbers and set a goal to save $60,000 for the transfer.
Jason Lee says he was impressed to avoid wasting for a 13-month sabbatical in Taiwan so his son, Forrest, may spend extra time along with his grandparents and prolonged household.
Courtesy of topic
Jason says he considered the purpose like several family would save up for a house renovation challenge, and so they used the You Want a Funds app to trace their financial savings.
They set themselves up so their stateside bills can be minimal whereas they had been in Taiwan. Each of their automobiles are paid off, and the mortgage on the starter home they purchased in 2016 is $1,200 a month. Jason says a buddy is renting the home from them to cowl their mortgage and leasing one of many automobiles whereas they keep.
As for his or her keep, they rented an house and spent months making ready their paperwork. Jason used his Taiwanese passport (he was born there and moved to the U.S. when he was 9), Forrest obtained his personal Taiwan passport, and Katie obtained a spousal visa.
By the summer season of 2024, Jason stop his job in gross sales, and Katie left her work at a nonprofit.
‘This isn’t one thing that may afford to attend’
Jason says timing was vital: Not solely did he need to be sure that Forrest had sufficient time along with his grandparents and to regulate to kindergarten, however taking the leap was additionally essential for himself, Katie and the grandparents.
“This isn’t one thing that may afford to attend,” Jason says. “If I do not do that now, I’ll endlessly lose my 30s. After which when am I going to re-explore myself once more? In my 40s? My 50s? By the point I retire in my 60s? I simply did not really feel like that was a superb commerce off.”
We’re so completely satisfied proper now, the happiest we have been as a household, and we live our life on lower than what we had earlier than.
Jason Lee
American on a sabbatical in Taiwan
What’s extra, he needed to be sure that Forrest had time to work together along with his grandparents whereas they’re nonetheless in good well being and cell.
General, Jason says, “as I look again to this yr and I take into consideration all of the journeys we had been in a position to do and all of the recollections we had been in a position to make, it is completely price it.”
‘We’re so completely satisfied proper now’
Along with spending extra high quality time with household, Jason set a couple of private {and professional} objectives for himself for his sabbatical.
He says his profession break has given him time and vitality to give attention to his bodily and psychological well being, resembling going to the health club, meditating, consuming healthfully and dealing with a psychiatrist for the primary time, due to Taiwan’s universal health care system.
With extra psychological readability, Jason says he is turned his consideration to what he needs out of his profession. Previous to his break, he says he put quite a lot of stress on himself to have a high-performing gross sales yr; when that did not pan out, it took a toll on his sense of self.
“The entire final 10 years, I have been dictating my profession subsequent steps not based mostly on what I need, however based mostly on what the world or LinkedIn tells me I ought to need,” Jason says.
He realized he felt stress to proceed climbing the company ladder to earn larger titles and more cash. “I simply realized how a lot of that has set me up for being sad, once I do not prioritize myself or what I need.”
By March, he sat down with Katie with an enormous realization that after they returned to the U.S., they had been OK with not chasing the identical salaries they’d earlier than.
“I noticed that our household would not must make as a lot or greater than what we made earlier than as a way to be completely satisfied,” Jason says. “We’re so completely satisfied proper now, the happiest we have been as a household, and we live our life on lower than what we had earlier than.”
Returning to the U.S.
The Lees have massive plans for his or her return to the states.
“The plan was at all times to return in August, however shock, we obtained pregnant,” Jason says.
The couple had mentioned having their second child throughout their sabbatical, given Taiwan’s high quality of birthing and post-natal care for families.
Katie gave beginning to their daughter, Ruby, in early July, so the household of 4 will return to the states in October when she has a passport and is ready to journey.
Jason and Katie say their first career-related precedence is for one among them to safe a job again within the U.S. as quickly as potential to ensure their household has medical insurance protection. Jason says he’ll contemplate taking a lower-paying job that affords extra flexibility, like with an organization that makes it simpler to work summers distant in Taiwan.
Katie, in the meantime, has spent her sabbatical drafting enterprise plans for 2 startup concepts, a vending machine business and a play cafe for teenagers and their mother and father or caregivers, and hopes to proceed constructing out these concepts within the U.S.
As for his or her journey to this point, “it is simply been so transformative for the household,” he says.
The Lees will return to the U.S. as a household of 4 in October following the beginning of their first daughter, Ruby.
Courtesy of topic
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